Int’l Widows Day: Hundreds Receive Start-up Grants as NGO Pushes for Widows’ Rights

Founder of the Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation, Evangelist Ignatius Newman Ezeigbo, has called on governments at all levels to establish a dedicated platform or agency to address the challenges facing widows across Nigeria.

Ezeigbo made the call yesterday in Abuja during a programme organised by the foundation to commemorate the 2026 International Widows Day, during which hundreds of widows received start-up capital after undergoing various skills-acquisition training programmes. International Widows Day, observed annually on 23 June, was established by the United Nations to draw attention to the poverty, discrimination and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents worldwide.

Speaking at the event, Ezeigbo said widows remain one of the most vulnerable groups in society and require targeted interventions to improve their economic and social well-being.

He urged the federal, state, and local governments to create a special body dedicated to addressing the needs of widows, including economic empowerment, healthcare access, education, and social protection.

The event, with the theme “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows: The African Perspective,” focused on promoting self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods among widows.

Ezeigbo noted that the Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation, a faith-based non-governmental organisation established in 2007, has continued to provide free medical care, educational scholarships and financial empowerment to vulnerable groups, particularly widows and orphans.

According to him, empowering widows economically is critical to improving their families’ welfare and reducing poverty within communities. He also advised widows to embrace skills acquisition and entrepreneurship as pathways to financial independence rather than depending on handouts.

“Economic empowerment begins with learning skills that can generate income and support families. Widows should take advantage of opportunities that enable them to become self-reliant and provide for their children,” he said.

Beneficiaries of the empowerment programme expressed appreciation to the foundation for the support, noting that the start-up grants would help them establish or expand small businesses.