••• as wife announces fresh grants for 1,200 women

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved N50 million to support women, especially widows and the elderly, in the state.

Aiyedatiwa announced the funding on Tuesday during a meeting with women’s groups held at the International Culture and Event Center in Akure, the state capital.

The governor said N40 million would be disbursed immediately as financial grants, while N10 million would be used to launch the O’Datiwa Women Cooperative Multipurpose Society.

He said the initiative aims to expand access to finance, strengthen small businesses, and promote sustainable livelihoods for women in the state.

“These interventions are not mere policy statements; they are deliberate instruments of transformation aimed at lifting our women out of poverty and positioning them as critical drivers of our State’s economic growth.

“It underscores a timeless truth: that meaningful investment in women, through education, healthcare, leadership development and economic empowerment, yields exponential returns for families, communities and nations alike,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa, however, added that his government would deepen efforts to broaden opportunities for women across all sectors.

He said the intervention is part of activities to commemorate this year’s celebration focused on women’s development, noting that it would serve as a catalyst for economic independence and resilience.

In her keynote address, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Esther Aiyedatiwa, reaffirmed her commitment to women’s empowerment, saying the celebration remained a global reminder of the resilience and contributions of women and girls to societal development.

She said this year’s theme, “Give Today,” emphasized financial autonomy as a response to household economic realities.

She added that the theme also promotes collective action, resource sharing, and international collaboration to accelerate progress for women and girls, in line with the United Nations drive for rights, justice, and action for all women and girls, including efforts to remove barriers to their advancement.

Mrs. Aiyedatiwa said women in Ondo State remain central to development, playing active roles as economic drivers, home builders, and participants in agriculture, education, markets, and professional sectors.

She announced a Financial Empowerment Grant for 1,200 women across the state, describing it as part of the governor’s commitment to women and the future of Ondo State.

Mrs. Aiyedatiwa urged women to continue demanding rights and justice while pursuing social and economic transformation, and encouraged young girls to remain focused and ambitious.

She called on men and stakeholders to support women’s empowerment through concrete action, stressing that gender equality remains a collective responsibility, and urged commitment to an inclusive society free of discrimination.

In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Seun Bosede Osamaye, said the state has sustained deliberate efforts to expand opportunities for women and deepen inclusion across sectors.

She noted that although International Women’s Day is globally marked on March 8, Ondo State chose April 21 to reinforce local ownership of global advocacy.

She said the administration of Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife had prioritized women’s advancement through targeted policies promoting economic empowerment, social welfare, and political participation.

She disclosed that within the past year, the state recorded measurable progress in women-focused interventions, reflecting intentional governance aimed at improving livelihoods.

Osamaye said the ministry anchored its programs in the O’datiwa Women Initiative Blueprint, which covers economic empowerment, education, healthcare, mentorship, agriculture, and participation in governance.

She listed interventions, including skills-acquisition programs, support for small businesses, agricultural initiatives, and targeted support for widows, elderly women, and persons with disabilities.

She added that mentorship and youth-focused programmes had expanded, including initiatives for teenage girls, school outreach, and campaigns promoting girl-child education and health awareness.

Osamaye further disclosed that financial grants would be distributed to traders, professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs, security agencies, civil society groups, students, and vulnerable persons.

She added that a women-focused cooperative initiative would be launched to promote shared growth and financial sustainability.

She listed programs, including the O’datiwa Skill-Up Program, O’datiwa Care and Inclusive Initiative, Teen Girls Conference, Tech-a-Girl initiative, and Back-to-School program for adult women, as well as agricultural support schemes.

In her lecture, Justice Eunice Aderonke Alade, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Ondo State, called for sustained investment in women as a pathway to development.

She described International Women’s Day as a global call to action, noting that the theme “Give Today” underscored the need for deliberate investment in education, leadership, economic empowerment, and justice.

She urged governments, the private sector, and traditional institutions to deepen gender-responsive actions and encouraged women to support one another.

In his goodwill message, the State Chairman of the APC, Babatunde Kolawole, commended the governor’s intervention in women’s welfare and praised the Women Affairs Commissioner, noting that women in the party were well represented.

The Chairman of the Council of Obas and Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, congratulated women on the occasion, saying traditional institutions support women and recognize them as partners in progress.

Icon Awards were conferred on five women for their contributions to women’s empowerment and development in the state. They are former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Jumoke Akindele; Rev. Dr. Damilola Oshin; Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose; Mrs. Kosemani Kolawole, and Bishop Funke-Felix Adejumo.

Also, Governor Aiyedatiwa, his spokesman, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, and Chief Margaret Ebun Oladunni were presented with special recognition awards for their contributions to the development of womenfolk in the state. (The Nation)

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