The V-Care Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on integrated health and empowerment, has sought a strategic partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) to expand empowerment programmes across the state.
The foundation made this known during a courtesy visit to the Ministry on Thursday, where it was received by the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada.
Welcoming the delegation led by Miss Mimansa Shukla, Hon. Dada commended the V-Care Foundation for its impactful interventions and encouraged the organisation to scale up its activities. She noted that WAPA currently operates 19 Skills Acquisition Centres spread across the five divisions of Lagos State, offering significant opportunities for collaboration.
The Commissioner outlined the Ministry’s empowerment priorities for the year, which include short-term four-week skills training programmes, the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI), targeted support for widows, and the provision of start-up kits and equipment to graduates of the Skills Acquisition Centres. According to her, the programmes are designed to empower women, young adults, men and rural communities.
Hon. Dada also highlighted WAPA’s agricultural empowerment initiatives, including community-based training in fish farming with the provision of essential materials. She further disclosed that the Ministry operates a farm in Avia, Badagry, where beneficiaries are trained in palm oil processing, garri production and vegetable farming, using demonstration plots, and are encouraged to form cooperative societies.
Emphasising the Ministry’s holistic approach, the Commissioner noted that WAPA also supports survivors of domestic violence through economic empowerment and psychosocial interventions, including a recent mental health awareness and counselling programme. She revealed plans for upcoming training in digital marketing and reiterated the Ministry’s openness to partnerships in Adire production, one of its key livelihood skills.
She also disclosed that WAPA collaborates with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to train parents of out-of-school children, aimed at boosting household income and facilitating school reintegration.
While reaffirming the Ministry’s readiness to work with credible partners, Hon. Dada stressed that any collaboration must align with WAPA’s mandate of empowering vulnerable groups and reducing poverty in Lagos State.
Earlier, the Head of V-Care Foundation, Miss Mimansa Shukla, expressed the organisation’s interest in sustaining a long-term partnership with the Ministry. She recalled the Foundation’s previous collaboration with WAPA through four Skills Acquisition Centres, where beneficiaries were trained in entrepreneurship and business plan development.
Also speaking, the Partnership Manager of V-Care Foundation, Mr. Muyiwa Bolarinwa, disclosed plans to expand the Foundation’s training programmes to more Skills Acquisition Centres in 2026, with sector-specific support tailored to WAPA’s initiatives. He said the visit was aimed at understanding the Ministry’s priorities for effective collaboration.
Mr. Bolarinwa described Lagos State as a pace-setter in skills acquisition and empowerment and expressed the Foundation’s interest in participating in the Ministry’s forthcoming digital marketing training and other empowerment programme.
