Commissioner Says Lagos Poverty Alleviation Programmes Impact 48,000 Households

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Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Bolaji Dada says the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the last two years, has rescued about 48,000 households from poverty through its social intervention programmes under which women got cash transfers and acquired skills.

The Women Affairs’ Commissioner who announced the figure, said 1,050 rural women received intensive training in boosting outputs in agricultural production and giving the beneficiaries equally access to markets.

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Bolaji Dada flanked by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of WAPA, Yewande Kalesanwo (left) and her counterpart in Ministry of Information & Strategy, Sina Thorpe (right), during the Y2021 ministerial press briefing of WAPA to commemorate the second year in Office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

The state government, in the last two years, prioritised intervention programmes that support women in achieving gender equality, self-reliance, skill balance, inclusion in social security systems and stable means of livelihood.

Dada said the ministry, in collaboration with the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals and Investment (SDG & I), was supporting 2,704 Lagos residents whose means of livelihood had been disrupted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. She added that 500 women were assisted with N20,000 each through Rural Women Grants from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

She said: “In the last two years, WAPA, through the Women Affairs Department, organised series of programmes and activities aimed at improving the status of women in Lagos and making them economically independent. To increase the total GDP for income generation, financial growth and stability, we embarked on supporting women through direct cash intervention and capacity building.

“Over 48,000 women from different households directly benefited from the State Government’s mega empowerment project.

Our agricultural training for rural women on the cultivation of vegetables, cassava planting and cultivation, garri processing and other arable crops benefited 1,050 women. We trained 250 women through an empowerment workshop on intercrop of maize and cassava with demonstration plots for practical knowledge.”

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Bolaji Dada (middle); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Yewande Kalesanwo (4th left) and others, during the Y2021 ministerial press briefing of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to commemorate second year in Office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

The Commissioner said the Skill Acquisition Department of the ministry yearly produced 6,000 graduates across its centres, pointing out that the unit had expanded the scope of the skill programmes to include the production of industrial gas cooker and oven by the Welding and Fabrication Department for revenue generation purpose.

Dada said WAPA collaborated with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Board (LASTVEB) to review the training syllabus of the State-owned skill acquisition centres; the effort, she said, led to the award of highly recognised Certificate of Competence to graduates of the centres.

The development, the Commissioner disclosed, has created a seamless movement of interested graduates of the Lagos skill centres to further their vocational training in tertiary institutions without inhibition.

She said: “In 2019, our skill acquisition centres churned out a total of 6,252 graduates, comprising 4,200 female. On the day of their graduation, Mr Governor supported 18 outstanding students with N100,000 each to boost their morale. In the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, students across our skill acquisition centres produced 500,000 face masks for public use.”

Mrs Dada said the State Government was on the verge of increasing the number of women development and skill acquisition centres. One is due for commissioning in Agege.

She added that eight vocational centres are at their completion stages, including skill acquisition, gari processing, cold room, market stall and community hall in Ibeshe Town, Amuwo Odofin, and a home for survivors of domestic violence.

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