The Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA) has empowered 36 wives and widows of officers under the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, with vocational skills and start-up kits to enable them establish small-scale businesses and improve household income.
Beneficiaries received items such as sewing machines, catering tools, gas cookers, hairdressing kits, bead-making tools, make-up equipment, and gele-tying accessories. Widows also received additional food support including bags of rice, groundnut oil and cash assistance to ease economic pressure while sustaining livelihoods.
Speaking at the event held at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, said the initiative is driven by the association’s mandate to strengthen financial stability among women, promote capacity building and scale income-generating activities. “To empower women is to empower a nation. We have not given you these skills to become proud, but to support your partners and build sustainable livelihoods,” she said.
Customs Area Controller, FOU Zone A, Mohammed Shuaibu, said the empowerment programme goes beyond charity, noting that vocational training and small business support can transform families economically. “We have witnessed the transformative power of empowerment, as wives who were once dependent are now entrepreneurs, contributing meaningfully to their households and society at large,” he stated.
Acting Chairperson of COWA FOU Zone A, Dr. Juliet Eya, confirmed that beneficiaries will not only receive tools to start their enterprises but that members already engaged in business will also have access to financial grants to scale and strengthen operations. She added that widows and retired members will continue to receive support to ensure no one is left behind.
COWA, established in 2009, is a non-governmental, non-political organisation focused on empowerment, humanitarian assistance, welfare and social support for wives of Customs officers nationwide. Through continued initiatives like this, the association says it aims to deepen financial inclusion, support MSME development among women, and improve economic resilience within families of security personnel across Nigeria.
