The Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, has emphasised the need for continuous poverty alleviation strategies to curb the menace of insecurity in the country.
Mrs. Dada stated this while speaking at an interactive session organised by the State Cabinet Office, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, for the participants of Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) who are on a study tour of Lagos State.
She asserted that empowerment is the bedrock of the socio-economic development in the State, saying “If women are financially independent as contributors to the economy, it will trickle down to the children”.
“You find that most children who end up as miscreants are from poverty-stricken homes, looking for ways of survival. Therefore, women are an integral part of children formation. So, when you empower a woman, you empower the family and in turn the nation at large”, she added.
Reiterating the collaborative efforts with the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Commissioner stated that as part of the State Government’s efforts to bring succour to the women circle, particularly wives of the military officers at the frontline of the war against insurgents, the Ministry has empowered 225 wives of military men with short-term skills acquisition as part of its financial empowerment strategy.
The Commissioner commended the Cabinet Office for organising the event designed for key selected State Government officials to acquaint the participants of Senior Course 44 with the activities of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) towards the actualisation of the present administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S. Development Agenda.
