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Tag: Alakija

  • Alakija donates centre to YABATECH

    Despite the downpour last Wednesday, Africa’s richest woman, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, made it a date to inaugurate a skill acquisition centre being donated to Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

    The centre, which is fully equipped with all the necessary tools, will be used for teaching skills in fashion designing, millinery (hat-making), bead-making, welding, pedicure and manicure, hair-dressing, barbing, soap-making, make-up artistry, shoe-making and fabrication.

    Rector YABATECH, Obafemi Omokugbe, an engineer, commended Mrs Alakija’s support and contributions to entrepreneurship and skill acquisition development in the institution, describing her as a value partner in the progress of the institution. “Skills are pathways to prosperity and personal development. They are the drivers of competitiveness and growth. With the right skills people are better prepared for active citizenship. They have a better chance of finding and keeping a good job and they are better equipped to set up their own business and return jobs for others. The right skills open doors to new positivity. YABATECH is committed to the provision of skill training, opportunities to students in addition to their academy qualification. Every student must acquire a skill that can sustain them and be self-reliant. They will be job providers, not job seekers. The establishment of Mrs Alakija’s skill acquisition center will further provide opportunities for the youth to maximise their potentials for personal and national development,” he said.

    He appealed to Nigerians, private organisations and entrepreneurs to follow the example of Mrs Alakija and partner academic institutions  to train the youth for national development.

    “Employment is a major challenge in Nigeria today. The white collar jobs are no longer available, therefore, there is need to develop skills and encourage vocational training for a prosperous nation like Nigeria. As a nation, we must pay attention and place emphasis on skills acquisition education and see it as a simple solution to unemployment,” he noted.

    Mrs Alakija,who is Vice Chairman, Famfa Oil Limited, urged students to get a skill in addition to their academic programmes, saying that empowerment through skills acquisition equals prosperity. “We all can’t be in the office under air-conditioners executing white collar jobs. All those jobs are salary employment. You can be your own boss and build more confidence in yourself and put foods on the tables of many more families as a result of the skills you have acquired. Nationwide things are changing, it may be slow but the economy is improving, at least we are not moving backwards. We are moving forward, but through entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, and vocational centres and through our individual and collective determination to make a difference within our society, we can improve and begin to move faster and we will all begin to benefit and begin to export,” she said.

    Mrs Alakija believed that technical colleges, vocational and skill acquisition centre will go a long way in making youths self-employed, noting that the advantages of it would reduce unemployment and create cottage industries that can transit to big factories.

    “When you have saturated the need of the people and the country, you can begin to export. When this begins to happen, there is more prosperity, less poverty,” she added.

  • ‘Alakija, mother in a million’

    They defied the early morning downpour penultimate Saturday to converge on Victoria Island, Lagos – all dressed in colourful attires depicting the Rose of Sharon Foundation’s corporate colours of red, gold and black. The mood was electrifying as they cheerfully danced and sang even before the start of the event.

    It was a double celebration for the foundation, which marked its 10th anniversary and International Widows Day. Venue was the Queens Park Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Led by its founder, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, hundreds of widows, orphans and children, supported by the foundation, left no one in doubt why they were celebrating a decade of faith, hope and transformation of their lives. It was also a day to appreciate partners and trustees for their steadfastness in supporting the foundation in the 10-year journey, in which many a tear has been wiped, many a sorrow transformed into laughter, inferiority changed to confidence and helplessness turned to hopefulness.

    Guests at the celebration included Mrs Bolanle Ambode, wife of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Mrs Onari Duke, wife of former Governor of Cross Rivers State Donald Duke, Mrs Olusola Momoh, Emzor Pharmaceutical Ltd Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stella Chinyelu Okoli, and Shedrack Madlion (keynote speaker).

    The celebration was laced with sweet memories, testimonies and success stories from widows and orphans who showered encomiums on Mrs Alakija for her big heart.

    As background information about the foundation, a documentary on the journey so far was screened to educate the audience on the programmes and activities of the foundation, which started from a humble beginning ten years ago. To spice the day’s package, dance-drama  performances were presented by children of the foundation to  thrill the guests.

    Mrs Alakija said there were over eight million disadvantaged widows with an estimated 21 million children in Nigeria as at last year. She added that one in every seven widows globally live in extreme poverty, while one in ten married women is widowed.

    “A significant number of girls are widowed in childhood, a reflection of the prevalence of child marriage in developing countries and the custom of marrying off young girls to much older men,” she stated.

    Mrs Alakija said: “As an NGO, our vision is to provide succour and help to widows and orphans across Nigeria and hopefully to other parts of the world, God helping us. Our mission is to guarantee financial independence and educational opportunities for them through skills and programmes that assure self-esteem and ease of socio-economic integration. These we have pursued vigorously in the last decade.

    “It is heartwarming and gratifying to see lives and hope restored and transformed over the years. The joy of seeing smiles on the faces of our beneficiaries where there used to be anxiety is indescribable. Those with low self-esteem are now walking confidently with their heads held high, because their lives have taken a turn for the better. ‘Area boys and girls’ have become successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour, while school dropouts have become graduates.

    “Those who were once dejected, rejected and treated as outcasts by family and friends have now become the toast of their families. Indeed, the ‘stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” she added.

    Mrs Ambode commended the foundation urging Nigerians to spare a thought for the less-privileged, saying “can you imagine the condition of a five-year-old boy or girl who suddenly loses both parents?

    “Where does she turn for help? Wipe her tears when she cries? How does she get food when she is hungry? Who comforts her in those long agonising periods? How does she live through every single day of her life?” she added.

    These thoughts, she said, “on your minds, impose the moral duty on our conscience, to take steps to positively affect lives of children  in this condition and of women in widowhood.”

    One of the widows, Mrs Bolanle Olawuyi, recalled: “I heard about the foundation through a member of my church when my husband passed away and I was going through hardship. The same year I lost my husband, luckily for me, was the same year I got empowered by the Rose of Sharon Foundation. But I vividly recall that the months that led up to my being a part of the foundation was a living hell. My children’s schooling stopped, despite the fact that my husband never owed a penny before his death. My life was on pause and it felt as though there was no help forthcoming from anywhere. When I was empowered by the foundation, my life changed for the better. My daughters are in school and doing well. One is in JSS1 and another in SS1…

    “Mrs Alakija is a mother, one in a million is what we call her. We will continue calling her that name because she has been of great help in our lives. What she has done, governors have not been able to do for us. I pray that God continues to bless and enrich her pocket and team at the foundation”.

    Some partners were presented with awards at the event.

     

  • ‘Alakija, mother in a million’

    They defied the early morning downpour last Saturday to converge on Victoria Island, Lagos – all dressed in colourful attires depicting the Rose of Sharon Foundation’s corporate colours of red, gold and black. The mood was electrifying as they cheerfully danced and sang even before the start of the event.

    It was a double celebration for the foundation, which marked its 10th anniversary and International Widows Day. Venue was the Queens Park Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Led by its founder, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, hundreds of widows, orphans and children, supported by the foundation, left no one in doubt why they were celebrating a decade of faith, hope and transformation of their lives. It was also a day to appreciate partners and trustees for their steadfastness in supporting the foundation in the 10-year journey, in which many a tear has been wiped, many a sorrow transformed into laughter, inferiority changed to confidence and helplessness turned to hopefulness.

    Guests at the celebration included Mrs Bolanle Ambode, wife of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Mrs Onari Duke, wife of former Governor of Cross Rivers State Donald Duke, Mrs Olusola Momoh, Emzor Pharmaceutical Ltd Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stella Chinyelu Okoli, and Shedrack Madlion (keynote speaker).

    The celebration was laced with sweet memories, testimonies and success stories from widows and orphans who showered encomiums on Mrs Alakija for her big heart.

    As background information about the foundation, a documentary on the journey so far was screened to educate the audience on the programmes and activities of the foundation, which started from a humble beginning ten years ago. To spice the day’s package, dance-drama  performances were presented by children of the foundation to  thrill the guests.

    Mrs Alakija said there were over eight million disadvantaged widows with an estimated 21 million children in Nigeria as at last year. She added that one in every seven widows globally live in extreme poverty, while one in ten married women is widowed.

    “A significant number of girls are widowed in childhood, a reflection of the prevalence of child marriage in developing countries and the custom of marrying off young girls to much older men,” she stated.

    Mrs Alakija said: “As an NGO, our vision is to provide succour and help to widows and orphans across Nigeria and hopefully to other parts of the world, God helping us. Our mission is to guarantee financial independence and educational opportunities for them through skills and programmes that assure self-esteem and ease of socio-economic integration. These we have pursued vigorously in the last decade.

    “It is heartwarming and gratifying to see lives and hope restored and transformed over the years. The joy of seeing smiles on the faces of our beneficiaries where there used to be anxiety is indescribable. Those with low self-esteem are now walking confidently with their heads held high, because their lives have taken a turn for the better. ‘Area boys and girls’ have become successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour, while school dropouts have become graduates.

    “Those who were once dejected, rejected and treated as outcasts by family and friends have now become the toast of their families. Indeed, the ‘stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” she added.

    Mrs Ambode commended the foundation urging Nigerians to spare a thought for the less-privileged, saying “can you imagine the condition of a five-year-old boy or girl who suddenly loses both parents?

    “Where does she turn for help? Wipe her tears when she cries? How does she get food when she is hungry? Who comforts her in those long agonising periods? How does she live through every single day of her life?” she added.

    These thoughts, she said, “on your minds, impose the moral duty on our conscience, to take steps to positively affect lives of children  in this condition and of women in widowhood.”

    One of the widows, Mrs Bolanle Olawuyi, recalled: “I heard about the foundation through a member of my church when my husband passed away and I was going through hardship. The same year I lost my husband, luckily for me, was the same year I got empowered by the Rose of Sharon Foundation. But I vividly recall that the months that led up to my being a part of the foundation was a living hell. My children’s schooling stopped, despite the fact that my husband never owed a penny before his death. My life was on pause and it felt as though there was no help forthcoming from anywhere. When I was empowered by the foundation, my life changed for the better. My daughters are in school and doing well. One is in JSS1 and another in SS1…

    “Mrs Alakija is a mother, one in a million is what we call her. We will continue calling her that name because she has been of great help in our lives. What she has done, governors have not been able to do for us. I pray that God continues to bless and enrich her pocket and team at the foundation”.

    Some partners were presented with awards at the event.

  • How my employee defrauded me of N3m, by Alakija

    A billionaire businesswoman Mrs Folorunso Alakija,  yesterday told  an Ikeja High Court how Vincent Ayewah, her employee at her Rose of Sharon Foundation,  allegedly defrauded her of N3 million.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Vincent, who was employed by Alakija as a clerk and administrative officer, is standing trial alongside his siblings, Florence and Emmanuel,  as well as four others for fraud.

    The other defendants are Onuwa David, Okoronkwo Chikadibia, Ehizibolo George and Chinyere Awanah.

    Vincent is accused of forging cheques and conniving with his siblings and cohorts to pose to banks as beneficiaries of the foundation.

    She was led in evidence by Mr M.D Aliyu, the prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Her testimony lasted from 2 pm to 3.23 pm.

    She said: “On November 13, 2012, I was called by my treasurer, Gladys Efiozor, who said she received a call from Stanbic IBTC that there was a forgery of a cheque.

    “I told her to send me an email of the forged cheque and when I saw it, I told her that the signature was not mine. There are three signatories to that account and the forged signature did not match those of the other signatories.

    “Florence (Vincent’s sister) was the one caught with the cheque, the bank called EFCC to investigate and Florence was handed over to the EFCC.

    “It was discovered that the bag she was carrying had 12 different Identity cards of beneficiaries of the foundation with her pictures on the identity cards. The bag also contained cash collected from other banks from the foundation’s account.”

    Alakija also told the court that she confronted Vincent and seized his mobile phone after he had received a suspicious call.

    She also claimed that Vincent deleted an incriminating text message from his phone.

    “He admitted to the fraud and begged for mercy; he had done other infractions in the past and had begged for mercy anytime he was caught,’’ Alakija added.

    Alakija told the court that Vincent enjoyed a new lifestyle with proceeds from the alleged scam, claiming he bought new car which he parked far away from the premises of the office to avoid detection.

    “A blank cheque and a survey plan of a property was in his car. He had committed infractions before, begged for mercy and I forgave him.  I thought that with warnings, he will change,” the businesswoman said.

    But while being cross-examined by Mr Obiora Umeh, the defence counsel to the Ayewahs and other defendants,  Alakija gave further insight into the alleged fraud.

    “There are widows and orphans that need to be empowered; I had one project manager at the time that Vincent Ayewah was reporting to.

    “When he needs to write the cheques, he had to handle the cheque book, I knew he was issuing the cheques because it was part of his duty. The auditors must have gone through the list of beneficiaries and approved it, I can’t remember now if they were going through the cheque books because our systems have since changed. The issue at hand is that the first defendant (Vincent) had taken blank cheques and written the names of the beneficiaries on them. Vincent’s siblings had gone to pose in banks to pretend that they were the original beneficiaries.

    “Even if it wasn’t a blank cheque he had torn out and he had followed the normal sequence of things, they will still go and pose as beneficiaries,’’ Alakija said.

    Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case till October 25.

  • Alakija reveals five secrets to success

    One of the richest African women, Folorunso Alakija, paid a courtesy visit to the Head Office of The Nation Newspaper in Lagos, on occasion of the International Women’s Day Celebrations last week.

    Folorunso Alakija, a Nigerian business woman, is a business tycoon involved in Fashion, Oil and advocating better life for the women.

    Emphasizing the secrets of success, she said we all need success in every area of our life in order to press for progress. Sacrifices must be made to accomplish progress and mark difference.

    “For success to be attained there must be an agenda in your head. Be focused, utilize your time properly, embody credibility, be reliable and responsibility will make you succeed,” Alakija stated.

    The Business tycoon clamoured for equal opportunity amongst men and women, encouraging females to think beyond the barrier of just rearing children alone.

    “Females should be encouraged that there is more to life than rearing children and they can be whoever they want to be. The girl child should be given equal opportunity just as the boy child. Gender equality should be a foundation laid by parents just has charity begins at home.”

    “You are responsible for your life, utilize your opportunities and say no to those who say you can’t achieve it.”

  • I’ll continue to impact lives, says Alakija

    I’ll continue to impact lives, says Alakija

    ONE of Africa’s richest women, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, pledged yesterday to continue to make positive impact on lives through her foundations and others means available to her.

    Mrs. Alakija, the Vice Chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company with a stake in Agbami oil field, a prolific offshore asset, is classified by Forbes as having a net worth of $1.6 billion.

    She spoke during a visit to The Nation headquarters in Matori, Lagos.

    She was received by a team led by General Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde.

    Others in the team are: Deputy Chairman of Editorial Board Tunji Adegboyega; Editorial Board member Olakunle Abimbola; Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin; Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina; Editorial Board member Steve Osuji and Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu.

    Mrs. Alakija, who is also the Founder of Flourish Africa, a non-governmental organisation empowering widows and orphans, said identifying one’s area of strength, hard work and faith in God would always guarantee success.

    She said: “I cannot do everything. But we have put in a platform meant to encourage women in all areas to build a better society. It is in togetherness and hand-holding that we can excel.”

    According to her, Flourish Africa is an idea conceived to create a community of like-minded women, who share their individual experiences and encourage each other to be who God created them to be.

    She said that Flourish Africa is a platform designed for women, by women, to empower both young and old to flourish. She said the project is a series of initiatives designed to help women in all aspects of their lives.

    Mrs. Alakija, who is also founder of the Rose of Sharon Foundation, a non-governmental organisation with focus on helping widows and orphans, has been an advocate of empowering women for many years.

    “As human beings, we must all be our brothers’ keepers. We can all do something that can make a difference in the lives of our neighbours,” she said.

    She said through fulfilling that mission, “which God has placed on my heart as my purpose, I realised that there needs to be a greater drive to pull together not only widows but women of all ages to encourage one another and help lift each other up to achieve our greatest and fullest potential”.

    According to Mrs. Alakija, Flourish Africa, is creating an online community where young women can engage in intellectual dialogue to uplift, empower, and inspire each other no matter what age.

    She said young millennial women today are the country’s future.

    “Through fulfilling that mission which God has placed on my heart as my purpose, I realised that there needs to be a greater drive to pull together not only widows but women of all ages to encourage one another and help lift each other up to achieve our greatest and fullest potential,” she said.

    “The Nation has done very well. We thank you for all the success you have been able to achieve. I want to thank you for the progress made in the country in getting the news out there. I want to solicit more of that. It is in rubbing each-others back that we can make progress,” she said.

    Mrs. Alakija, who described herself as plain and simple, said the Flourish Africa came on board because of the need to empower women in Africa and Diaspora.

    She said that Flourish Africa has come to encourage the women, to be the best they are created by God to be. She said the group has in the past held conferences to get its message to the world, and will be holding another conference in July this year in Lagos.

    She said that the foundation has supported 129 students, who are children of widows that have passed out of university education. It has also granted scholarships to 1,366 widows’ children and supported the orphans with stipends, accommodation and scholarships.

    Omotunde hailed Mrs. Alakija’s efforts in lifting widows and orphans.

  • Alakija hosts widows, orphans

    Alakija hosts widows, orphans

    Widows and orphans were full of smiles when Rose of Sharon Foundation owned by Africa’s richest woman Mrs Folorunsho Alakija held a get-together for them.

    The young and old, uniformly dressed in red white and black  attire, gathered under a massive marquee at the Sports Complex, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

    Little orphans were not left out of the end-of-year bash as they made the most of the opportunity.

    The outgoing year witnessed a broadening of empowerment opportunities and advocacy  for indigent women and their families, Mrs Alakija said while receiving groups of cultural dance troupes.

    She said the Enterprise Development and Skills Acquisition Programme presented a wide range of  opportunities to the participants to enable them increase their earning opportunities. She praised their high entrepreneurship, especially with the acquisition of skills in various commercial fields.

    “This year, export opportunities in livestock and crop farming were introduced to the programme.

    Mrs Eno Agada, an agricultural expert, told the participants of the huge demand in the international markets for some agricultural products, such as cassava flour, sesame seed, and shea butter.

    Other vocational skills covered during the event included make-up artistry, outdoor/event decoration, textile making, jewellery making and millinery training skills,” she added.

    Thanking the foundation’s supporters, she reiterated the its commitment to supporting the needy, saying: “We will continually advocate the right of widows and orphans.We call on all stakeholders to join us in this fight as we help them with their plight and wipe away their tears. I launched a new platform to encourage and uplift women and we have facilitators who are older and can move the youths to the next level.’’

    Wife of Lagos State governor Mrs Bolanle Ambode, who was the special guest, said the season was one of love to share, especially with people in special conditions “that do not permit the physical presence of their darling husbands and their beloved parents”.

    Citing Jeremiah 1:5, she urged them never to lose hope of good tidings, noting that God would be available to meet their needs.

    “God has you in His plan as women without husbands and as children without parents. He knows you like the palm of His hands and because He never makes mistake concerning anything that happens in our lives, His plan and purpose for you must materialise,” she said.

    Ambode also commended the efforts of the Rose of Sharon Foundation for its untiring support to improve the conditions of these persons in all areas of life.

  • Alakija, others tackle marriage deadlocks

    Alakija, others tackle marriage deadlocks

    Determined to make marriage achieve its values, despite the socio-economic or ethno-religious challenges, one of Africa’s foremost business magnates and evangelist, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, has teamed up with relationship experts to wage war against marriage deadlocks.

    According to Mrs. Alakija, building a harmonious marriage is not an impossible feat, either for young or older generation of couples. A peaceful and glorious union, she said, is not measured by the absence of friction or differences, but the mutual cooperation and resolve of both parties to keep the union together.

    She spoke at this year’s Rose, of Sharon Glorious Ministry International organised University of Marriage Conference in Surulere, Lagos, with the theme: “Unlocking Deadlocks in Marriage”.

    The conference was a robust introspection into the domestic and social factors inhibiting the purpose and intent of the marital institution and the perspective of the Almighty in sustaining the union. Convener of the conference stated that a winning marriage must jettison some destructive behavioural patterns, including infidelity, disrespect, obstinacy, argumentative discussion, noting that when such factors persist with an unrepentant urge to contain it, the diminishing effect accumulates into deadlocks.

    Mrs. Alakija noted that there must be equal commitment to the marriage vow and the bed, adding that a good marriage setting must prevent undue switch of the bread wining roles. The Almighty, she explained, originally designed marriage to be heaven on earth and not an endurance of the turbulent adventure.

    “The purpose of God concerning marriage was for the man and the woman to live happily, raise Godly children and advance His kingdom on earth together. The devil knows this and tries to cause mis-communication in the marriage, just as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden, thereby causing them to lose out on the best God had for them.

    “This, he does by planting seeds of doubt, disobedience and disharmony. The resultant effect is disagreements, leading to deadlocks and ultimately destruction of marriage. God is still the author of marriage and He wants our marriages to be heaven on earth. He has made a way for us to enjoy and not to endure. No matter how far gone or bad the situation has become, when we invite the prince of peace into hearts and homes, there will be full restoration,” she said.

    President, Funke Felix Adejumo Foundation, Mrs Funke Felix-Adejumo, in her contribution, said irrespective of the fact that the institution of marriage is a blissful gift of God to mankind, it is a very expensive concept that only the currency of hard-work can sponsor.  “There is no institution as stretching as the marriage because it is about building, blending and bonding,” she said.

    Deadlocks, she said, are characterised by major character defects in both spouses, which are not irresolvable. She said the onus lies on the couple to deliberately channel efforts towards a peaceful and enduring union except the threat to life becomes imminent.  According to her, the covenant of life is superior to the covenant of marriage.

    She said: “In my research, I have noticed that there are a minimum of 14 deadlocks in every marriage. Some are personal, caused by the devil, natural, self-made, government policies, in-laws, friends, career or occupation, children, religion, sexual or third parties. But the first is character problem in both spouses. As parents prepare their children for JAMB, Cambridge and different life exams, they should prepare them for marriage.”

    Urging women to embrace submission to their heads as ordered by scriptures, pastor Adejumo stressed that submission was not synonymous with subjugation or slavery, but the immersing or humbling of strength under the control of the family head.

    She, however, urged bread winners to be so, indeed, noting that husbands must of necessity support their families with a tight spiritual head gear, defend and provide for their needs.

    The Daystar Christian Center Pastor, Nike Adeyemi, stressed the need for spouses to reconfigure their mindset and approach to marital dealings, saying unlocking deadlocks was impossible without the master key of forgiveness, especially in the context of  agape love. “There is need for certain keys in unlocking deadlocks. Love and forgiveness are powerful tools to heal any issues,” she said.

    Pastors of Grace Family International Churches, Reverend Yinka and Deaola Ojo both illustrated the importance of chemistry in marriages. They defined good marriage as one composed of two forgivers. Pastor Yinka countered the claim that men were naturally polygamous, explaining that since the human makeup has been modeled after God, men can also achieve excellent marital outcomes. He advised Christian couples not to assume the word of God as merely readable, but practical principles for their marital journey.

  • Otedola, Alakija dazzle at Daisy Danjuma’s party

    We tend to think of the high and mighty as people whose main, if not only, obsession is with acquiring all the money and power they can. While this may be true, we also tend to forget that they are the ones who throw the brightest, grandest and most expensive parties.

    But beyond splashing money around as if it would go out of fashion, they are also human beings like the rest of us who sometimes want to have a good time. That much was evident at the 65th birthday soiree in honour of General T.Y. Danjuma’s wife, Senator Daisy Danjuma. The high octane party left many mouths agape in wonder of the luxury on display from the food and the wine to the music and even the people in attendance.

    But besides the fanfare was the display put up by billionaire oil baron Femi Otedola and Africa’s richest woman Folorunsho Alakija. The duo almost brought the roof down with their dancing steps as they engaged each other in an unofficial dancing contest.

  • Alakija lifts 900 widows

    No fewer than 900 widows have received the Rose of Sharon Foundation’s interest-free loans with flexible repayment plans to help them start their businesses.

    This support, according to the foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, is to bring stability to their lives.

    Mrs Alakija, who spoke at this year’s International Widow’s Day empowerment luncheon in Lagos, last Friday, said through the foundation’s intervention, widows have been relieved of economic distress occasioned by the sudden loss of spouse and denial of access to partner’s resources by extended relatives.

    The foundation, she said, had empowered widows with soft loans with friendly-repayment plans, award of scholarships for education continuity for their children and skill acquisition opportunities.

    Mrs Alakija said the best means for widows to stay afloat, their terrifying challenges and avert vulnerability was to attain financial freedom, self-sufficiency and creation of sustainable streams of income.

    She said: “Widows, including those in Nigeria and around the world, are absent statistics unnoticed by researchers, neglected by national or local authorities, and mostly overlooked by civil societies. Their challenges go unnoticed but we, at the Rose of Sharon Foundation, are spiritually mandated and committed not to allow their plights go unnoticed. We are determined to fight for their rights and provide succour to them. The greatest need of a widow is economic empowerment because most are stripped of their husbands’ financial and material resources at the demise of their spouses. The result is that they have to support their families without assistance. They are forced to withdraw their children from school. Moreover, the daughters of widows may suffer multiple depredation, increasing their vulnerability, and the sons get into bad companies.”

    According to her, it is imperative for the society to discard concepts of widow’s discrimination and deliberate infliction of pain through hostile actions. She challenged the government to treat the plight of the bereaved as significant, noting that legislative provisions protecting widows should be sincerely implemented and improved.

    “There are laws that forbid maltreatment of widows and those vulnerable while the public have also been warned that to report such cases to authorities. I think the problem is enforcement and for the public to be courageous enough to make reports. It would be nice if government gives widows concentration. The government must take responsibilities and quell hostility towards widows,” she said.

    The Grand Matron of the Foundation and First Lady of Lagos, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, donated N1 million to  widows.

    Represented by the Director-General, Lagos Pension Commission, Mrs Folashade Onanuga, she reiterated that the government’s efforts should focus on displacing harsh traditions of isolating widows still being practised in some communities.

    “The plight of widows as an ostracised group is a human rights catastrophe. Depending on the part of the world you come from, the treatment meted out to widows differs but widowhood makes women vulnerable. Unfortunately, there are few laws in Nigeria that specifically protects widow’s rights. States, particularly, those in which obnoxious practices are endemic must enact laws and engage appropriate agencies to being oppressive rites to an end.”

    Mrs Onanuga said the state has ensured that in the event of death, the immediate family of any of its staff were given access to a death benefit of minimum of 320 per cent of the annual salary of the deceased to ensure the family has funds to cope with the shock.

    “In line with the pension reforms law, we engage the family member and let them know that the immediate family must not suffer,” she said.

    The CEO of No Left Overs, an indigenous bean cake enterprise, Mrs Ayodeji Megbope, took the widows on an inspirational and insightful journey of expanding a business from insignificant to stardom regardless of fund constraints.

    Mrs Megbope, who has achieved international appeal for her home-grown delicacy, urged the widows to look inwards for potential, overcome the fear of starting and adopt a consistent standard in their business operations.

    “Diligence is very important and to eradicate the mindset that somebody has to give you something, you must continue to wait for someone to lift you without lifting yourself first. Look within you for your potential. Starting a business is not the critical thing but growing it is hard work. We have to believe in the team we work with and empower them to the best,” she said.