Lagos adopts new strategies to tackle poverty, unemployment among women

Cecilia Bolaji Dada, Lagos State commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has stated that the state would now concentrate effort on setting up businesses for women in the state who had received adequate training in various skills and vocations but unable to set up businesses because of paucity of funds.

The Commissioner stated this Thursday, during the courtesy visit to her Office by Executive members

of supervisors for Women Affairs and Poverty in the Local Government Areas in the state.

Dada said that poverty alleviation and empowerment had gone beyond buying sewing machines, grinding machine and popcorn-making machines.

The Commissioner further said that there was tendency to give such items to the same set of people repeatedly, while such people may end up selling them.

She, however, encouraged government to call on Chairmen/ Women of various work groups, who will in turn forward names of persons who have adequately trained in various skills but unable to set up businesses.

She then called for a data base of women who are indeed poor and desperately in need of help in each Local Government Area.

She encouraged the representative of W.A.P.A in the Local Councils to look out for such women and help them out of poverty.

In addition, she said that the Exco members of WAPA in local government areas should encourage women in their domain to take advantage of the loans provided by Lagos State Employment Trust Fund to start-up small scale business.