NEWS
Mrs Otti Supports 400 Women With Disabilities With N20m, Food Items
Mrs Otti Supports 400 Women With Disabilities With N20m, Food Items
The Wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has supported 400 women living with disabilities with N20 million in cash and food items as part of efforts to promote inclusion, dignity and economic empowerment among Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
Mrs. Otti made the gesture on Friday during a support outreach programme for women with disabilities held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Speaking at the event, the Governor’s wife reaffirmed her commitment to the welfare of PWDs, stressing that the true measure of a society lies in how it supports those facing the greatest barriers.
She said she was delighted to reach out to vulnerable citizens, particularly men and women living with disabilities, assuring them that the intervention would become a regular programme.
“This has been a long time coming, and this is just the start. I want to promise you that this will be a very frequent intervention from my office,” she said.
Mrs. Otti, through her foundation, the Safe Tent Care Initiative, said the programme was deliberately designed to ensure that women with disabilities were not left out of the support and empowerment programmes extended to other women during the 2026 August Meeting.
“My dear brothers and sisters living with disabilities, you matter, you are seen, and you belong to our state. In times of hardship, compassion must not be distant. It must be present, it must be practical, and it must reach the people who need it most,” she said.
She stressed that the intervention was not intended to encourage dependency, but to demonstrate solidarity while creating opportunities for beneficiaries to become self-reliant.
“This is not charity and not an end in itself; it is solidarity in action. We do not just believe in handouts. We believe in teaching our people to fish and not handing them fish,” Mrs. Otti said.
According to her, PWDs continue to face challenges including unemployment, financial insecurity, medical expenses, limited mobility, poor accessibility, stigma and social exclusion.
She recalled that her office had maintained direct engagement with the disability community since 2023, adding that more than 600 PWDs benefited from food and cash support in 2024, while about 100 entrepreneurs with disabilities received business support in 2025 through a partnership with her office.
Mrs. Otti also disclosed that her office had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to train 200 women in vocational skills for three months and provide starter packs to successful participants, assuring that a quota would be reserved for persons with disabilities.
She further disclosed that the National Community Food Bank for the South-East, recently launched by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, would also benefit vulnerable groups, including PWDs, widows, the elderly, nursing mothers and children.
Mrs. Otti assured that Abia would soon launch its own programme, adding that persons living with disabilities would be included among the beneficiaries.
She appreciated Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her annual intervention programmes for PWDs and commended the State Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as the Abia State Disability Commission, for their partnership.
“We do not stand with you because we see you as weak. We stand with you because we recognise your strength in your disability,” she said, urging stakeholders to sustain efforts towards inclusion.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Blessing Ngozi Felix, said the state government had given persons with disabilities a stronger sense of belonging, assuring them that their voices mattered in government.
The Commissioner, who was represented by Mr. Imo Obinna, said the present administration had demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to carrying PWDs along.
“This initiative is a bold step towards building a more inclusive society where no one is left behind,” she said.
She commended Mrs. Otti for her consistent support and advocacy for vulnerable persons in the state, noting that the intervention would go a long way in improving the living conditions of the beneficiaries.
The event featured the distribution of cash and food items to 400 women living with disabilities from across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
By Chibunna Ikeokwu
