* Lagos remains committed to gender equity: Sanwo-Olu
The senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the national assembly, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has called for collective effort at promoting socio-economic wellbeing and upliftment of women.
She posited that building stronger communities begins with providing women and youths functional soft skills and financial empowerment.
Adebule also called for the support of everyone in removing the cultural and political barriers limiting the participation of women in the building of a stronger community.
The former Lagos Deputy Governor spoke at the inaugural Lagos-West Women Assembly held at House 5 Royal Comfort, Agidingbi, Ikeja, on Tuesday.
Muslim News gathered that the Lagos-West Women Assembly is a forum convened by the Senator to bring together women of the Senatorial District for personal development, economic empowerment, and nation building.
The event, which was attended by the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, featured women-focused discussions on leadership and personal development.
It was also graced by the wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Remi Hamzat; former Deputy Governor of Lagos, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Ex-Deputy Governor of Lagos, Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan; former Member, House of Representatives and the Lagos State APC Woman Leader, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas; and former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho, among others.
One of the highlights of the well-attended event was the empowerment of 250 women by Senator Adebule with cash prizes.
A raffle where participants won different prizes including generating sets, ovens, and two mini buses to support their businesses also took place, with beneficiaries cutting across different areas of the Lagos West district.
Speaking further, Senator Adebule said, “Our journey towards building stronger communities begins with providing women and the youths relevant social, economic and political education; functional soft skills and financial empowerment which are the ingredients needed to energise them to leadership in all sectors including political leadership.”
“Therefore, the participating women at this assembly have been carefully selected as fair representation of the good and beautiful women of Lagos-West and our intention is to enlighten, inspire, and motivate them with the required tools to enhance their capacity to live up to their naturally assigned roles of builders of stronger and resilient communities.”
While giving an account of her stewardship, the distinguished Senator highlighted some of her interventions and contributions, adding that she has facilitated skills acquisition training and grants for thousands of women and youths at various times.
“I have also embarked on capital projects for the benefit of the Lagos-West constituents. The projects are at various stages of completion,” she noted.
Some of the listed projects are: construction of market stalls in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA of Alimosho Local Government; construction of a Skills Acquisition Center at Damingoro, Mushin Local Government; construction of a Primary Health Centre in Igbolobi town of Ojo Local Government; completion of the Ultra-Modern Youths Development Centre with an integral 300-Seater CBT Center in Badagry Local Government; construction of a block of 36-classroom School Building at Awodiora Primary School, Awodiora Estate of Ajeromi-Ifelodun; among others.
While stating that she has presented seven bills and two motions, the senator promised to do more in representation of her constituents.
Lagos remains committed to gender equity: Sanwo-Olu
In her remarks, the First Lady of Lagos State said that the state government under her husband, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, remains fully committed to gender equity, economic empowerment, and the protection of women’s rights.
She said Lagos State is proud to witness a dynamic wave of female leadership and collaboration, driving transformation from the grassroots to the corridors of power.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu called for safer and supportive spaces for women in society.
She said the Lagos State Government will continue to create pathways for women to thrive.
“Through programs such as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, entrepreneurship development schemes, and women-focused summits, we continue to create pathways for women to thrive,” she stated.
“At the Office of the First Lady of Lagos State, empowerment remains a top priority. Later this week, we will be presenting various empowerment tools to another group of trained beneficiaries who have undergone sessions on financial literacy and business management. These initiatives are aimed at expanding economic opportunities and enabling financial independence.”
The First Lady commended Senator Adebule for the Lagos-West Women Assembly initiative, noting it is a testament to her enduring passion for women development and grassroots impact.
“The Lagos-West Women Assembly is both timely and strategic—it provides an inclusive platform for connection, capacity building, and citizen-government synergy,” Dr. Sanwo-Olu said.
The theme of the event was ‘Building Stronger Community’, and two guest lecturers were invited to speak to the women.
In her own presentation, Founder of Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR), Amina Oyagbola, encouraged women to start their leadership journey at the grassroots.
“The truth is, you cannot lead from the mountaintop if you’ve never walked through the valley. The most effective and successful leaders are those who have lived among the people, understood their struggles, and led them from the heart.
“Leadership starts at the grassroots. If we want to build stronger communities, we must empower women to lead locally and support them as they rise,” she said.
Oyagbola said the current state of women’s representation in leadership in Nigeria is a call to action.
“We celebrate our achievements, but we must demand better—not as a favour, but as a fundamental requirement for effective and inclusive governance,” she said.
For her part, CEO of City Counsellor, Mrs. Yetunde Oriolowo, said women should prioritise their wellbeing, especially their mental health.
She commended the Lagos-West Women Assembly initiative, noting it will play a key role in strengthening the mental health of women.
“As women, if we want to be useful to ourselves, our families, and our communities, we need to look after our wellbeing, especially our mental health.
“We play a lot of roles. We look after the children, care for the family, support our husbands, engage in home chores and even contribute to community development. It is therefore very important for us to take care of ourselves. We should create a time for rest and relaxation,” she said.
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