The Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, was a featured guest this morning on the breakfast show Your Side Mirror, broadcast live on Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1 FM.
Speaking on the programme, Hon. Dada shed light on WAPA’s dual role of promoting women’s welfare while also driving poverty alleviation programmes across Lagos State. She emphasized that although WAPA primarily focuses on women, it also delivers inclusive empowerment support for vulnerable men and young adults.
“WAPA is not just about women. Our poverty alleviation department ensures that men, especially those who are vulnerable, also benefit through our empowerment programmes and the Micro Enterprises Support Initiative,” she explained.
According to her, graduates from the Ministry’s skills acquisition centres receive both vocational training and start-up tools to help them launch their businesses immediately. “We don’t just train people; we give them the tools they need to start work right away. That’s how we promote economic independence,” Hon. Dada said.
She noted that the Ministry collaborates with several structures to identify beneficiaries. “We work with the social register under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, as well as with registered women groups, community development associations, landlord associations, and other recognised community bodies,” she stated.
Hon. Dada also spotlighted the Livelihood Economic Empowerment Programme, a targeted four-week training initiative carried out across the five IBILE divisions of Lagos. This poverty alleviation strategy, she said, provides practical vocational skills to indigent residents at the grassroots level.
“Our goal is simple — to make sure no one is left behind,” she reaffirmed. “We even reach rural and riverine communities. Our staff travel across waterways to deliver support and training directly to people in hard-to-reach areas.”
The Commissioner assured Lagosians of the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to sustainable empowerment, job creation, and inclusive growth. Through these efforts, WAPA continues to support economic development, social inclusion, and financial empowerment across the state.
In other news, Lagos Govt has released 2025/2026 harmonised academic calendar for schools.