Foundation To Host Conference On Widows’ Empowerment

The Chinwe-Bode Akinwande (CBA) Foundation is set to host a landmark conference aimed at addressing poverty among widows in Lagos.

According to the founder, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, the event, themed “Empowering Widows in Nigeria: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Vulnerability,” will hold on October 9. It aims to explore practical strategies for widow empowerment, including skill acquisition, microfinance, impact investing, and advocacy.

She said the initiative seeks to amplify the voices of widows and strengthen their social and economic positions through strategic partnerships and capacity-building programmes.

“Widows are often exploited because of their vulnerability. Our mission is to empower them through sustainable initiatives that restore dignity and hope.

This conference will create a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, proffer solutions, and commit to implementing them,” Bode-Akinwande said.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Amina Oyagbola, founder of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), and a plenary session moderated by Hansatu Adegbite, executive director of Women in Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ).

Participants will include representatives from civil society, government, academia, and the private sector. The conference will also showcase success stories from impact-driven programmes and issue a call to action for collective engagement in supporting widows nationwide.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that since its establishment in 2015, the CBA Foundation has reached over 10,000 widows through empowerment and capacity-building projects. It has provided health interventions, food support, business start-up assistance, clothing, and counselling to more than 17,000 widows, while over 100 underprivileged children have benefited from tuition support and skill acquisition training.