The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), has disclosed that it expended approximately ₦1.9 billion on various empowerment initiatives targeting women and youths across the state within 2024.

This was revealed by the Commissioner for WAPA, Cecilia Bolaji Dada, during a press briefing held to outline the ministry’s activities and achievements over the past 12 months.

According to Dada, the state disbursed about ₦1.5 billion under the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative and another ₦400 million through the Livelihood Empowerment Programme, bringing the total expenditure on empowerment projects to nearly ₦2 billion.

She also announced that the state government awarded grants of ₦250,000 each to 250 youth- and women-focused Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) within the same period.

Debunking reports of multiple disbursements to a single beneficiary, Dada emphasized that the ministry uses the official social register housed in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget for all beneficiary selections.

“For the record, we have never had a case where a beneficiary received empowerment packs multiple times,” Dada stated.

“Our distribution is strictly based on validation and verification processes. Beneficiaries—especially those graduating from our Skills Acquisition Centres—receive equipment like pepper grinding machines to help kick-start their small businesses.”

She revealed that over 10,000 women and youths have graduated from WAPA’s vocational training programs within the last two years, with many receiving starter packs to aid business take-off.

Addressing the limited distribution of cooking gas stoves recently received from the Federal Government, Dada said the state currently has 1,000 stoves, which are yet to be distributed due to overwhelming demand.

However, she assured that distribution would commence once Lagos receives an expected six million additional stoves through the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Change.

“We received 1,000 gas stoves and informed the governor. However, during our event at the stadium, we had over 10,000 vulnerable women in attendance. We’ve advised them to be patient. Once we receive the six million stoves promised by the Federal Government, distribution will be scaled up,” she explained.

The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to poverty alleviation through skills acquisition, financial empowerment, and sustainable support mechanisms for vulnerable groups, especially women and youths.