Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has empowered over 2,000 indigent people, including women, youths and men, with various skills across the three senatorial districts through the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady of the State, Mrs. Edesili Anani, for the past one year.
Mrs Edesili Anani stated that the initiatives were intended to make women and youths active agents of change and to strengthen families across Edo State.
She said the first year of Governor Okpebholo has highlighted the activities of the Office of the First Lady as a central driver of the state’s development agenda.
The coordinator noted that the governor’s SHINE agenda has positioned her office as a catalyst for change, with emphasis on women’s empowerment, health, education, support for survivors of gender‑based violence and inclusive governance.
Anani noted that the governor has been able to enforce the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, which underscores a zero‑tolerance stance on gender‑based violence in the state.
She also revealed that Governor Okpebholo also assisted a domestic violence survivor, Miss Uyi Tina, with the sum of ₦5 million after an arson attack on her apartment by her estranged husband.
He stressed that to curb illegal migration in the state, the governor was able to secure the return of one Miss Iwinosa Okuonobo, a 20-year-old lady who was trafficked to Burkina Faso at the age of 15.
