Edo First Lady empowers 500 widows

Mrs Betsy Obaseki, wife of Edo Governor, on Wednesday in Benin empowered 500 widows in the state with 40 chickens each.

Addressing the beneficiaries on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the governor’s wife stressed the need to launch Edo women into agriculture to reduce the level of poverty in the state.

She said that the empowerment became imperative as the demand for poultry products in Nigeria was surpassing supply.

She said each of the widows would receive 20 male and 20 female chickens, adding that each of the female chickens was capable of laying six to seven times daily.

The governor’s wife said that a committee would be constituted to monitor the beneficiaries of the project.

She, however, urged women in the state to desist from pulling down one another.

In a message, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, congratulated the women on their special day.

The governor commended his wife for her agricultural initiatives to empower women in the state.

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He said that women’s issues were a priority to the present administration.

He appealed to the widows to make good use of the opportunity given to them, promising that more had yet to come.

Speaking of behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Felicia Ojo, thanked the state government for the initiative, and promised that every beneficiary would utilise the opportunity maximally.