… Vows to Empower 200,000 Women Residents in Lagos
- The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Hon. (Mrs.) Cecilia Bolaji Dada has reiterated her commitment to running with the vision of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS agenda, which harps on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion towards tackling matters affecting women residents in Lagos State.
Dada, who stated this during a Press Conference held at the Ministry’s Conference room after the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, stated that despite the achievement in her previous term, her renewed goal is to lead WAPA in a result-oriented, proactive and innovative approach through a 12-point agenda which will serve as the roadmap.
“The present administration has taken women empowerment as one of its focal policies, to mitigate the effects of poverty amongst women, therefore, WAPA will leverage technology and data to enhance its services through creating effective solutions to the challenges faced by women”, she said.
The Commissioner pledged to work with relevant stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), community leaders and the private sector to actively cater for the needs of vulnerable women at the grassroots across the State.
While noting that the cooperation and support she received from the Permanent Secretary and members of staff in WAPA made her excel in her previous term, Dada expressed gratitude to the officials of the Ministry and charged them to be relentless in their drive for the empowerment of women.
In her words, “I would like to thank the Permanent Secretary and acknowledge the hardworking staff who dedicate time and efforts towards the advancement of women’s rights and poverty alleviation in Lagos State, your commitment is the bedrock of this Ministry’s success, and I am humbled to be part of such a goal-driven team”.
When asked about the estimated target of women to be empowered during the new tenure, the Commissioner affirmed her desire to exceed a target of over 200,000 vulnerable women across the State, who will be transformed into independent and self-sufficient women.
Dada promised an all-inclusive administration under her charge cutting across empowerment, skills acquisition, gender and reproductive health, social protection, and digitalisation as well as monitoring and evaluation of all demographics for holistic women’s emancipation consideration.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary for WAPA, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo stated that the leadership of the Ministry by the Commissioner will serve as a catalyst for change, while WAPA will intensify its efforts in the empowerment of women and eradicate poverty in all its forms.
“Our goal remains to create an inclusive society where every individual, regardless of their gender or economic status, has equal opportunities to thrive and succeed. Therefore, we shall embark on a comprehensive and multi-sectoral experience to ensure success across all spheres of societal development”, she said.
