Abia State First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has reaffirmed her commitment to the welfare of widows, declaring that no widow in the state should be subjected to oppression, injustice, poverty or homelessness after the loss of a spouse.

Speaking at the 2026 International Widows’ Day celebration in Umuahia, Mrs. Otti said widowhood should never become a sentence to suffering, stressing that justice, dignity and economic empowerment are fundamental rights of every widow.

“No woman should have to mourn her husband while also fighting to protect her home, preserve her dignity or secure her children’s future,” she said.

Describing the theme of this year’s celebration, “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows,” as a call to action, the First Lady urged governments, institutions and communities to replace indifference with compassion and translate promises into meaningful support for widows.

She said the Abia State Government had gone beyond rhetoric by implementing programmes aimed at improving the welfare of widows across the state.

According to her, the administration has completed and handed over 35 Dignity Homes to indigent widows drawn from the state’s 17 local government areas, with beneficiaries also receiving empowerment packages to support sustainable livelihoods.

Mrs. Otti announced plans to construct at least 17 additional Dignity Homes before the end of the year, adding that government support would continue to extend beyond housing to economic empowerment.

She said widows had also benefited from cash assistance, food support, skills acquisition programmes and other interventions designed to promote self-reliance.

The First Lady reaffirmed the state’s commitment to enforcing the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act to eliminate harmful widowhood practices and safeguard the rights and welfare of widows.

Assuring widows of her continued support, she said: “Your story does not end with the loss. Your strength is greater than your pain. Your future is greater than your past. You are not invisible. You are not abandoned. You are definitely not alone.”

Mrs. Otti also announced a business grant of N50,000 each for more than 600 widows, amounting to about N30 million, to support and expand their businesses.

She pledged to continue championing policies and programmes that promote dignity, restore hope and expand opportunities for widows across the state.

Commissioner highlights social protection efforts

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, said the state government had continued to demonstrate its commitment to widows through housing, economic empowerment and stronger protection of their rights.

She said beneficiaries of the Dignity Homes Initiative also receive livelihood support, vocational training, financial assistance and healthcare services to help them achieve economic independence.

According to Felix, the government has strengthened institutional support for vulnerable women through the Enyiche Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which provides medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

She described justice, dignity and economic empowerment as rights rather than privileges, and called on families, traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and the private sector to support efforts to eliminate harmful widowhood practices.

Felix commended Governor Alex Otti for prioritising social protection and praised the First Lady for advancing the welfare of widows through sustained humanitarian initiatives.

Magistrate advocates empowerment

Delivering the keynote lecture, Chief Magistrate Enyidiya Uma-Onwunta urged society to end harmful widowhood practices and promote the dignity and economic independence of widows.

Uma-Onwunta, who recounted her experience of becoming widowed at the age of 30 before later remarrying, said she single-handedly raised her seven daughters after the death of her first husband.

She described widowhood as a difficult experience often worsened by social stigma, discrimination and economic hardship, and encouraged widows to embrace self-worth and pursue financial independence.

The magistrate also urged women to stop perpetuating harmful widowhood practices against fellow women.

Addressing men, she said, “The measure of manliness is not in the number of women a man oppresses, but in his ability to preserve the dignity of everyone, including widows.”

She stressed that sustainable empowerment, rather than continuous handouts, offers the most effective support for widows.

“The true help for widows is to teach them how to fish, not merely give them fish,” she said.

The event attracted hundreds of widows from the 17 local government areas of Abia State, including widows of police officers, all of whom received empowerment grants from the First Lady. (Vanguard)