UMUAHIA — The Abia State First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has reaffirmed her commitment to improving the welfare of widows in the state, declaring that no widow should be subjected to oppression, injustice, poverty or homelessness following the death of her spouse.
Mrs. Otti made the declaration in Umuahia while speaking at the 2026 International Widows’ Day celebration, where she stressed the need to protect the dignity, rights and economic wellbeing of widows across the state.
She said the loss of a husband should not expose a woman to further hardship or force her to struggle to protect her home, maintain her dignity or provide a future for her children.
«“No woman should have to mourn her husband while also fighting to protect her home, preserve her dignity or secure her children’s future,” she said.»
The First Lady described the theme of the celebration, “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows,” as a call for governments, institutions and communities to take concrete action towards improving the lives of widows.
She urged stakeholders to move beyond promises and replace indifference with compassion by providing meaningful interventions that would enable widows to live with dignity and become economically independent.
According to her, the Abia State Government has taken practical steps to support widows through various social protection and empowerment programmes.
Mrs. Otti disclosed that the administration had completed and handed over 35 Dignity Homes to indigent widows selected from the 17 local government areas of the state.
She added that the beneficiaries also received empowerment packages aimed at helping them establish or strengthen sustainable sources of livelihood.
The First Lady further stated that widows across the state had benefited from cash assistance, food support, skills acquisition programmes and other interventions designed to promote self-reliance and improve their standard of living.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to enforcing the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, noting that the law would help tackle harmful widowhood practices and protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable women.
Assuring widows of her continued support, Mrs. Otti said their lives should not be defined by the loss of their spouses.
«“Your story does not end with the loss. Your strength is greater than your pain. Your future is greater than your past. You are not invisible. You are not abandoned. You are definitely not alone.”»
As part of efforts to strengthen economic empowerment, the First Lady announced a N50,000 business grant for more than 600 widows, amounting to approximately N30 million.
She said the grant was intended to support the beneficiaries in expanding their businesses and improving their livelihoods.
Mrs. Otti pledged to continue supporting policies and programmes aimed at restoring hope, protecting the dignity of widows and creating greater economic opportunities for them across Abia State.
Commissioner Highlights Social Protection Initiatives
The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, said the state government had continued to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of widows through housing initiatives, economic empowerment and measures aimed at strengthening the protection of their rights.
Felix explained that beneficiaries of the Dignity Homes Initiative also receive livelihood support, vocational training, financial assistance and healthcare services to help them achieve greater economic independence.
She noted that the government had also strengthened institutional support for vulnerable women through the Enyiche Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which provides medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
According to her, justice, dignity and economic empowerment should be regarded as fundamental rights rather than privileges.
She therefore called on families, traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and the private sector to support efforts to end harmful widowhood practices and promote the wellbeing of widows.
Felix commended Governor Alex Otti for prioritising social protection in the state and praised the First Lady for her continued humanitarian interventions aimed at improving the lives of widows.
Magistrate Calls for Sustainable Empowerment
Delivering the keynote lecture at the event, Chief Magistrate Enyidiya Uma-Onwunta called for an end to harmful widowhood practices and urged society to promote the dignity, self-worth and economic independence of widows.
Uma-Onwunta, who shared her personal experience of becoming a widow at the age of 30 before later remarrying, disclosed that she single-handedly raised her seven daughters following the death of her first husband.
She described widowhood as a difficult experience that is often made worse by social stigma, discrimination and financial hardship.
The magistrate encouraged widows to recognise their worth, remain resilient and pursue opportunities that would enable them to achieve financial independence.
She also appealed to women to stop participating in or perpetuating harmful widowhood practices against other women.
Addressing men, Uma-Onwunta said true manhood should be measured by the ability to respect and protect the dignity of others rather than by the oppression of women and widows.
«“The measure of manliness is not in the number of women a man oppresses, but in his ability to preserve the dignity of everyone, including widows,” she said.»
The magistrate further advocated sustainable empowerment programmes, stressing that long-term economic support would have a greater impact on the lives of widows than continuous distribution of handouts.
«“The true help for widows is to teach them how to fish, not merely give them fish,” she said.»
The 2026 International Widows’ Day celebration attracted hundreds of widows from the 17 local government areas of Abia State, including widows of police officers.
The widows received empowerment grants from the First Lady as part of efforts to support their businesses, improve their livelihoods and promote economic independence.
