The Federal Government has intensified efforts to improve the welfare of widows across Nigeria through expanded social protection and economic empowerment programmes aimed at reducing vulnerability and boosting financial independence.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this on Tuesday as Nigeria joined the global community to mark the 2026 International Widows’ Day, themed “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows.”
She said the government was scaling up interventions that provide widows with health insurance coverage, business grants, vocational training and skills acquisition opportunities to strengthen livelihoods and promote inclusive development.
According to the minister, 17 clusters of widows were enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2025, with each cluster receiving a N500,000 grant to support cooperative enterprises and income-generating activities.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that the initiative was already yielding positive results, with many beneficiaries recording improved earnings and embracing modern backyard farming practices to enhance food security and household resilience.
“We are encouraged that many beneficiaries have improved their income streams. Several have also embraced modern backyard farming, improving food security and household resilience,” she said.
The minister added that thousands of widows nationwide had benefited from vocational training, entrepreneurship support, digital skills development and financial inclusion programmes designed to foster self-reliance and economic productivity.
She explained that the interventions align with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on social protection and inclusive growth, adding that implementation is being extended across all 774 local government areas of the country.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that widowhood should not condemn women to poverty, exclusion or hardship, but should be met with opportunities for empowerment, economic participation and improved living standards.
“We are witnessing a shift from vulnerability to productivity, from dependence to enterprise, and from survival to economic participation,” she said.
The minister also called on development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to strengthen social protection systems and expand economic opportunities for widows across Nigeria.
