Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation was established in 1999. Prior to its becoming a full -fledged Ministry, it had passed through various stages of evolvement. Initially, it used to be a Department of Women and Children in the Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Welfare. It was later upgraded to a Bureau under the Governor’s Office. Subsequently, it metamorphosed into Women Commission in 1993 by Decree 42 of 1992.
It eventually became a full- fledged Ministry by virtue of Lagos State Official Gazette No 7, Vol. 34 of 22ND March 2001. Since then, the scope of its activities has continued to expand to cover a wide spectrum of sectors in the State.
Vision
TO BE THE LEADING MINISTRY IN SUSTAINABLE POVERTY REDUCTION AND WOMEN PROTECTION IN NIGERIA
Mission
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT AND ERADICATION OF GENDER- BASED VIOLENCE, THROUGH REGULAR WOMEN FOCUSED PROGRAMMES AND INTERVENTIONS
DEPARTMENTS, UNITS AND AGENCY
The Ministry comprises of the following Departments
Administration and Human Resources
Women Affairs
Poverty Alleviation
Planning, Research and Statistics
Accounts
Units;
Skill Acquisition Development Unit (SADU)
Procurement
Audit
Public Affairs
Legal
Skills Acquisition Development Unit: The unit is charged with the responsibility of empowering women and young adults economically, through Long- term Skills Acquisition trainings for financial sustainability. The target is to ensure financial stability of women Residents as contributors towards economic growth.
One of the major initiatives taken by the Unit, was the expansion of the scope of the programmes to include the production of Industrial Gas Cooker and Oven by the Welding and Fabrication Department, for the purpose of technological advancement being directed at financial proficiency .
So far, this unit controls a total of 20 Skills Acquisition Centres where no fewer than 20 vocations are taught tuition-free, to ensure Lagos State Government’s goal on Poverty reduction becomes a veritable tool of societal change. The Ministry has continued to maximize the available resources for the exponential populace , in order to achieve financial success .
In collaboration with Lagos State Technical and Vocational Board (LASTVEB), the Ministry reviewed the training syllabus which has led to the award of highly recognized Certificate of Competence to Graduates of these Centres. This has further created a seamless movement for interested Graduates of Skills Centres who are willing to further their Vocational training up to Tertiary Institution , to proceed without inhibition.
Poverty Alleviation Department
This Department is charged with improvement on the living conditions of indigents and vulnerable citizenry, through social intervention programmes as; Livelihood support programmes; the Micro-Enterprise Scheme Initiative (MESI) and the Women – in -Agriculture Initiative The Micro – Enterprise Support Initiative is being organized four times as an annual programme, which adequately caters for the needs of Lagos women residents . Beneficiaries of this Initiative are empowered with working tools as Milling Machines , Sewing machines, Professional Hair dryers, Barbing set with Sterilizers and Generators, Barbecue grillers, pop-corn machines , Snail pens, Industrial cookers, Tile laying Machine processing equipment, Android phones, to enhance digital marketing of their products and services for easy accessibility to their prospective clientele.
The Women in Agriculture Initiative is a quarterly training empowerment programme for Women on farm cultivation of crops at Avia farm , Badagry, Participants are each empowered with a parcel of Land to cultivate and harvest their crops for financial sustainability. These are also granted opportunities of large scale production of farm produce, using clustered processing machinery which are provided to graduands by MWAPA, under the MESSI programme
Other farming techniques by the department include: cat – fish breeding, Snail rearing and grass – cutter farming
Women Affairs Department
The Women Affairs Department handles issues of womanhood, widowhood and economic Stability of indigent and vulnerable women as a developmental concern in Lagos State. Intervention programmes are economically patterned to empower women through Short-term Skills Acquisition programmes . This is a 4 week Short-term Skills Acquisition programme aimed at training and empowering indigents and active adults, towards financial sustainably . Participants are given start-up packs upon completion of trainings, on 9 respective vocations. It is quite noteworthy to state here , that all trainings and start – up packs are given free of charge to successful trainees at the end of the 4 – weeks training. Other intervention strategies include; the International Widows’ Day which as a global event, affords widows’ plights a form of cushioned financial support, for small scale entrepreneurial ventures. The International Day for Rural Women celebration is being coordinated from this department, with specific target at highlighting the roles which grassroots women play in economic advancement of Lagos State.
The Department also organizes WAPA Connect, a programme aimed at providing the platform for the State Governor on Private / Public Partnership liaison with women entrepreneurs
As a form of reaching out to the grassroots, Women Assembly; is sought as an annual programme , wherefore selected number of women across 57 Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas, form a working synergy in addressing trivial issues with vested interest of financial advancement , even as free medical check – ups are being conducted at the event, to identify participants’ health status towards qualitative medical care.
The Food and Nutrition programme , is a poverty alleviation strategy to educate women and girls, on maintaining healthy Lifestyles using staple dietary processes.
Admin and Human Resource
Administrative support to all Directorates and units by providing professional guidelines and procedures on specific services of the directorates and units of excellent service delivery. Services include; General Administration, Workforce planning and Recruitment, Learning and Development, Employees and Industrial Relations, HR Measures and Accountability
Finance and Account Department
Ensures accessibility of funds for projects and programmes. Services include; Fund management, Employee benefits, Store Management, Revenue generation
Planning, Research and Statistics Department
The department provide seamless delivery of equitable distribution of resources to Department/Units for efficient and impeccable service delivery.. Services include: Medium – term sector, Strategy and Medium – term expenditure frame work, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Procurement Unit
The unit adheres to the procurement policies under the extant rules of Public Service. It Services include; Procurement Plan, Monitoring and evaluation, Ministerial Tender’s Board meeting, Bid documents.
Internal Audit
Provide effective internal control and serve as management eye of the Ministry. Services include; Payment voucher, monitoring of Ministries activities, auditing of revenues, Protection of Government assets.
Legal Unit
The Unit provides Legal services for effective and efficient service delivery. Services include; Legal matters, vetting contracts and Legal instruments document, Counseling and mediation services, Sexual Abuse and Domestic/ Gender-based violence, Handling of court related issues
Information and Communication, Technology
The Unit is responsible for utilization of modern technology for effective management of Government business. It Services include; hardware’s, Soft wares installation and maintenance.
Public Affairs Unit: The Unit plays a focal role of using deliberate and sustained means in maintaining media relations , through Public Relations processes in portraying the image of the Ministry , for mutual understanding with its Public.
The Public Affairs’ Unit’s purview specifically combines Government relations, Media communications, crisis/issue management, Corporate and Social responsibility, information dissemination and strategic communications advice within the Ministry, It Services include; Information gathering and dissemination processes, media relations, research , public relations tour, post events analysis, Communication tools, Press relations etc.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT
Introduction: Domestic Violence is willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern or power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another
Roles of Domestic Violence Unit: involve curbing the abusive behavior of perpetrators and protection of survivors from all forms of violence through rescue and or special intervention
Services offered by the Unit in the Ministry
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION UNIT (NGO)
Introduction: The Non-Governmental Organization Unit (NGO) in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation strategizes and collaborates with women focused Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to effectively address issues that affect women in Lagos State.
AGENCY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF WAPA
Women Development Centre (WDC), Oba Ogunji Street, Agege.
Homes under the supervision of the Ministry
Ketu Special Children Center (KSCC), Agboyi, Ketu, Lagos.
Motherless Babies Home, Lekki, Lagos.
Transit Home/Shelter, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos.