SID Initiative empowers young women with disabilities through leadership, health advocacy training in Lagos

The Sustainable Impact and Development (SID) Initiative successfully conducted a 3-day Capacity Building and Leadership Development Workshop for Adolescent Girls and Young Women with Disabilities, held from April 14th to 16th, 2026, at LCCI, Ikeja, Lagos.

This program was supported by the Global Fund and Y+Global under the Gender Equality Fund Project.

The workshop brought together 24 young women with disabilities and equipped them with critical knowledge on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, while also strengthening their leadership, public speaking, and advocacy skills.

Throughout the training, participants engaged in interactive sessions covering SRHR education, disease prevention, and the connections between HIV, TB, and malaria.

Facilitators emphasised the importance of access to accurate health information, inclusive healthcare services, and the rights of young women to make informed decisions about their bodies.

A key highlight of the workshop was the focus on media engagement and storytelling, where participants learned how to use their voices and digital platforms to challenge stigma, share personal experiences, and drive conversations around health and rights.

The training also included practical sessions on leadership development, confidence building, and public speaking.

On the final day, participants were introduced to smart advocacy strategies, enabling them to design actionable advocacy plans, identify key stakeholders, and develop clear advocacy messages.

Through group work, participants created campaign ideas and mapped out strategies to influence change within their communities.

By the end of the workshop, participants demonstrated increased knowledge, improved communication skills, and the ability to develop advocacy campaigns addressing SRHR, HIV, TB, and malaria. The initiative marks a significant step in amplifying the voices of young women with disabilities and promoting inclusive health advocacy.

SID Initiative remains committed to empowering young people, especially marginalized groups, with the tools and knowledge needed to lead, advocate, and create lasting impact in their communities.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.