FG Declares War on Harmful Widowhood Practices, Unveils Fresh Push for Economic Empowerment By Raymond Enoch

The Federal Government has declared a renewed offensive against harmful widowhood practices across Nigeria, insisting that no woman should suffer abuse, discrimination or economic deprivation simply because she has lost her husband.

In a statement issued to commemorate the 2026 International Widows’ Day, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said widowhood must never become “a sentence to poverty, exclusion, discrimination or despair,” as she reaffirmed the government’s commitment to justice, dignity and economic empowerment for widows.

Marking the global observance under the theme, “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows,” the Minister described widows as silent nation-builders whose resilience sustains families and communities despite enormous personal loss.

“When a husband falls silent into eternity, a thousand burdens often rise upon the shoulders of the woman he leaves behind,” she said, noting that millions of widows continue to raise families, preserve hope and contribute to national development despite severe socio-economic challenges.

The Minister disclosed that Nigeria is home to more than two million widows, many of whom grapple with the loss of inheritance, economic security, shelter and social protection after the death of their spouses.

She condemned the continued existence of degrading widowhood practices in parts of the country, including forced confinement, disinheritance, property grabbing, compulsory remarriage, accusations over the death of spouses and other forms of psychological and economic abuse.

Describing such practices as “repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that they are criminal offences under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which prescribes penalties of up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to ₦500,000, or both.

She pledged that the Federal Government would intensify enforcement of the law while expanding public awareness to ensure that no widow suffers in silence.

Highlighting ongoing interventions, the Minister revealed that the Ministry, through its partnership with Helpline Support for the Needy, enrolled 17 clusters of widows into the National Health Insurance Scheme in 2025, improving access to affordable healthcare.

She further disclosed that each cluster received a ₦500,000 grant to strengthen cooperative businesses, improve livelihoods and promote sustainable enterprises, with many beneficiaries now embracing modern backyard urban farming to enhance food security and household income.

According to her, thousands of widows across the country have also benefited from vocational training, entrepreneurship support, digital skills acquisition, agricultural inputs, financial inclusion programmes, start-up grants, cooperative development and psychosocial support.

She described the interventions as evidence of a significant transformation “from vulnerability to productivity, from dependence to enterprise, and from survival to economic participation.”

The Minister noted that the initiatives align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises women, families and social protection as key drivers of national development.

She added that the declaration of 2026 as the Year of Families and Social Development further underscores the government’s recognition of families as the bedrock of national stability and widows as indispensable pillars within that structure.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim also linked the commemoration to the Ministry’s flagship National Women Mega Empowerment and Rally, themed “The Power of 10 Million: One Voice. One Movement. One Choice,” describing it as a platform that will unite women, including widows, in a coordinated movement for empowerment, inclusion and national transformation.

Calling on traditional rulers, religious leaders, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to join the campaign, the Minister urged all stakeholders to intensify efforts to eliminate harmful widowhood practices, strengthen legal protections and expand economic opportunities for widows.

She reaffirmed that under President Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria is working towards building a society where widowhood no longer translates into vulnerability but instead becomes a pathway to resilience, dignity and economic independence.