By Sodeinde Temidayo David
The Lagos State Government has trained 200 people living with disabilities in the state through its one-month long empowerment scheme.
The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), which organised the programme, said this will continue as it is one tool to eradicate the high rate of poverty in the state.
Speaking during the event to mark the closing ceremony of a four-week training in 10 vocations held at the Women Development Centre, Agege, the State Commissioner for WAPA, Mrs Cecilia Bolaji Dada, disclosed that for absolute eradication of poverty, every resident of Lagos State must have a challenging source of livelihood.
She disclosed Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has embarked on different initiatives to ensure financial independence for women, which is a critical step to taking charge of their lives and for mainstreaming the female gender into governance.
Mrs Dada further explained that studies have identified empowerment as a front-burner issue in past and present leaderships of Lagos State.
She noted that the challenges posed by poverty amongst women can only be surmounted through intervention projects and programmes as the initiative.
While urging the participants to improve on their commitment and productivity, the Commissioner charged them to explore innovative measures of development by making use of the start-up kits, considering them as keys towards financial independence in contributing to the advancement of the economy.
In his contribution, the General Manager of Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mr Jamiu Oluwadamilare Ogundairo, beseeched participants to be self-dependent, specifically with a target to become contributors to the economic growth of the state.
The participants were empowered with various skills in the art of Ankara craft, leather works, tye and dye, Adire, hairdressing and wig making, confectionery and catering, pomade, insecticide and cosmetics making, stoning and embellishments, make-up and Gele tying, event decorations and throw-pillows making.
The participants, upon graduation, were also given start-up packs and certificates of completion to aid their upgrade as contributors to the economy.
The event was one in a series of four planned programmes by the Ministry for the Nigerian Army Officers Wives (NAOWA); Navy Officers Wives (NOWA); Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA), and People Living with Disability as well as for vulnerable women in Alausa Community.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Dipo Olowookere