By Zainab Oyekan
The wife of Plateau governor, Mrs Helen Mutfwang, says that the state is partnering with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and ministries to empower 102 widows.
Mutfwang said beneficiaries who were trained under the Skills for Livelihoods Initiative learnt tailoring, information and communication technologies (ICTs), agro-processing, and crafts with starter packs as the skills the widows were trained in.
The governor’s wife spoke on Wednesday in the Mangu Widowhood Centre at the closing ceremony and graduation of the trainees.
Mutfwang stated that the 102 widows were drawn from the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of the state.
The governor’s wife described the event as proof of a government matching words with action through inclusive growth and social protection.
She noted that the widows were now entrepreneurs and contributors to the state’s economy, no longer defined by hardship.
Mutfwang announced the Nigeria for Women Project, offering interest-free credit and grants to women-led businesses in all 17 LGAs.
The governor’s wife added that safe spaces and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response desks have been established in primary health centres across the state to ensure women pursue a livelihood without fear.
Mrs Mutfwang urged the graduands to form cooperatives, start small, stay focused, and lift others as they rise.
She reaffirmed her unwavering commitment to their prosperity and protection, saying no woman would be left behind in Plateau.
Mutfwang expressed appreciation for GIZ-PEACECORE, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for technical support and funding that turned policy into impact.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Caroline Dafur, thanked Mrs Mutfwang for her solidarity and unwavering commitment to women’s economic empowerment, describing her as a mother to the motherless and a voice to the voiceless.
Dafur said that the 102 widows came with pain but were now leaving with skills, tools, and confidence, urging them to use their training to sustain families and restore their dignity.
”The widows were trained in catering, tailoring and soap and pomade production with startup kits and a cash sum of N500,000 each,” she stated.
Mrs Winifred Mbusya, NRC representative, said that 102 resilient widows completed training to trade with their hands, celebrating their win and urging them to lift other women.
Mangu Local Government Chairman Mr Emmanuel Molpun advised the widows to work hard, be focused and be accountable in their businesses.
Molpun warned the widows not to sell their startup kits for any reason, saying they would be closely monitored.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent spoke with some widows, who were full of appreciation for the state government efforts.
Mrs Magaret Daniel, a 35-year-old widow and a mother of 2 children, said she was trained in catering and given a startup kit with cash to start her business.
Mrs Racheal Nadpul, 38, and a mother of five children, said she was trained in tailoring and given a sewing machine, cash and other materials to start up a tailoring business.
Mrs Chalbyen Danladi, mother of three, said she was trained in soap and pomade making, adding that she was also given startup kits. (NAM)