LAGOS SEEKS INPUT FROM WOMEN IN POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMMES

The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, has sought the contributions of women from Ikorodu division of the State in the preparation of its poverty eradication and empowerment programs for women across the State.

Speaking recently at an interactive session with Ikorodu women at Imota, a suburb of Ikorodu, the Commissioner for Women and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. (Mrs) Lola Akande disclosed that the Consultative Forum was the third in the series with the previous ones held at Epe and Badagry.

She disclosed that the idea of the forum, an interactive session with different categories of women, was planned to hold in all the five divisions of the State namely: Ikeja, Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu, Ikeja and Lagos Island.

The Commissioner added that the interactive session was conceived as a way of addressing the needs of women and also provides an opportunity for their input into women development programmes and budget of the Ministry.

“As you are aware, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has put in place various lofty policies and programmes aimed at raising the standard of living of its citizens, hence the need for this forum to encourage discourse and communication with the womenfolk. We appreciate and encourage your continued participation whilst using this opportunity to remind you to keep a focus on issues that are pertinent to women development only”, Dr. Akande emphasised.

While highlighting some of the activities of the Ministry, Akande stated that the Ministry currently has 17 Skills Acquisition Centres spread across the State which offer free of charge creative and innovative training for skills or vocations carefully selected to ensure employability and entrepreneurial development to enable graduates fare well in the highly competitive labour market.

She noted that the Ministry also caters for widows, vulnerable, unemployed women and graduates of skill acquisition centres as well as senior citizens in the State, adding that it also promotes the formation of cooperative societies among women farmers for easy access to loans from financial institutions and any government interventions through the Ministry.

The Commissioner used the occasion to restate the commitment of the Ministry to pursue its mission of women development and poverty reduction as a means to attaining sustainable growth through efficient and prompt service delivery, stressing that its vision to sustainably reduce poverty across the State was on course.