No fewer than 3,000 widows drawn from the 20 local government areas of Ogun State have benefited from a large-scale empowerment programme organised by the CHADASH Empowerment Foundation, founded by Chief (Mrs.) Temitope Adeola, wife of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), as part of activities marking the 2026 International Widows Day.
The fifth edition of the annual widows’ empowerment programme, held at the historic Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta, brought together widows, government officials, political leaders, community stakeholders and women advocates in a demonstration of support for vulnerable women across the state.
The initiative, aimed at promoting economic independence and improving the livelihoods of widows, saw beneficiaries receive vocational tools, business equipment and direct financial grants designed to help them establish or expand small-scale enterprises.
Speaking on the programme, Senator Adeola described the intervention as a reflection of his wife’s longstanding commitment to supporting widows and other vulnerable groups through sustainable empowerment initiatives.
According to him, the programme, organised through the CHADASH Empowerment Foundation, provided a wide range of business tools to beneficiaries, including 200 sewing machines, 200 makeup kits, 50 deep freezers, 200 standing hair dryers and wash basins, 400 grinding machines and 20 industrial ovens.
In addition to the equipment distributed, 2,000 widows received start-up grants of N50,000 each, with the funds paid directly into their bank accounts to ensure transparency and ease of access.
The event attracted prominent dignitaries from within and outside Ogun State, including the wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; the wife of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olubunmi Salako; and the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mrs. Sarafadeen Alli.
Several spouses of senators and other notable women leaders also attended the programme, lending support to the initiative and advocating greater attention to the welfare of widows across Nigeria.
Observers described the intervention as one of the largest widow-focused empowerment programmes in Ogun State in recent years, noting that the combination of vocational equipment and direct financial support would help beneficiaries achieve greater economic stability.
The empowerment programme forms part of activities commemorating International Widows Day, observed globally to draw attention to the social and economic challenges faced by widows and to promote policies that support their welfare and inclusion.
Senator Adeola noted that previous editions of the CHADASH widows’ empowerment programme had been held in both the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun State, adding that the foundation remains committed to expanding its humanitarian interventions.
He reiterated the importance of supporting widows through practical economic programmes rather than temporary relief measures, stressing that sustainable empowerment remains one of the most effective ways of improving the quality of life of vulnerable women.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the foundation for the intervention, describing the support as timely and capable of helping them rebuild their livelihoods amid prevailing economic challenges.
The programme further reinforced growing calls for increased public and private sector investments in social protection initiatives targeted at women, widows and other disadvantaged groups across the country.
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