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Over 600 widows from various parts of Abia State have been given N50,000 each by the wife of the state governor and Abia First Lady, Mrs Priscilla Chidinma Otti.
The amount is to enable them to uplift their petty businesses, even as the state joined the international community in celebration of the 2026 Widows Day.
The ceremony was part of this year’s International Widows’ Day celebration held at the JAAC Secretariat, Umuahia, with the theme, “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows.”
Mrs. Otti, during the disbursement ceremony, opined that justice for widows is not charity, but a moral obligation, describing dignity as a fundamental right.
According to her, economic empowerment remains the pathway to self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting the rights, dignity, and economic well-being of widows across the state, even as she highlighted the achievements of the Dignity Homes Initiative, in which 35 indigent widows from the 17 LGAs of the state received fully completed homes alongside livelihood support.
The Abia First Lady disclosed that 17 more homes would be built across the state and promised that widows would continue to benefit from cash assistance, food support, skills acquisition and empowerment programmes.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, had explained that the event underscored the state’s resolve to promote justice, dignity and economic opportunities for widows.
She stated that under the administration of Governor Alex Otti, social protection has become a key pillar of governance through initiatives including the Dignity Homes Project, livelihood support programmes, healthcare interventions and advocacy for the protection of widows’ inheritance and property rights.
The commissioner therefore called on families, communities, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and development partners to join hands with government in eliminating harmful widowhood practices and creating an inclusive society where widows can live with dignity, security and hope.
The event, which was organised by the Office of the Wife of the Governor in collaboration with the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, brought together government officials, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, women groups and hundreds of widows from across Abia State.
