The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to restoring dignity, protecting the rights and creating economic opportunities for widows and senior citizens across the state.

Mrs. Otti made the commitment during events organised to mark the 2026 International Widows Day and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Speaking at the International Widows Day event, held under the theme, “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows,” the governor’s wife said widowhood should not condemn women to hardship, stressing that ensuring justice for widows was a moral responsibility rather than an act of charity.

She announced the empowerment of 600 indigent widows across the state with N50,000 business support grants.

“Every human being deserves dignity, and no woman should be diminished because she has lost her husband,” she said.

Mrs. Otti described the theme of the year's International Widows Day as a call to conscience, urging society to move beyond sympathy and translate concern for widows into meaningful action.

“The theme of this year’s International Widows Day is more than a call to reflection, it is a call to conscience. It challenges us to replace indifference with compassion and promises with purposeful action,” she said.

She also highlighted the Dignity Homes Project as one of the flagship initiatives of the administration of Governor Alex Otti.

According to her, the N50,000 grants are intended to support nano businesses operated by widows across the state, in line with the administration's people-centred development agenda.

“The N50,000 grant is aimed at supporting nano businesses run by widows across the state, in line with our administration’s people-centred development agenda under Governor Alex Otti,” she stated.

Mrs. Otti disclosed that 35 indigent widows drawn from the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia had already received fully completed homes through the Dignity Homes Project.

She added that plans were underway to construct at least one additional home in each of the 17 LGAs next year.

The governor's wife said the government's support for widows goes beyond housing, noting that beneficiaries had also received cash and food assistance. She added that widows were deliberately included in skill acquisition and economic empowerment programmes designed to promote self-reliance.

She commended the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, as well as its Commissioner, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, for their efforts towards strengthening social protection in the state.

At another event organised to mark the 2026 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Mrs. Otti reaffirmed the state government's commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of senior citizens.

She said the enactment of the Abia State Senior Citizens Law 2023 was aimed at ensuring that ageing would not mean being forgotten or neglected.

“Our elderly citizens are living proof of wisdom, experience, sacrifice and resilience. They nurtured families, built communities, and laid the foundation upon which we stand today,” she said.

She, however, noted that many elderly people still face challenges including neglect, abuse, isolation, inadequate healthcare and financial insecurity.

“Yet many of them still grapple with neglect, abuse, isolation, poor healthcare, and financial insecurity,” Mrs. Otti said.

She stressed that the challenges faced by senior citizens should concern everyone, adding that the Senior Citizens Law was enacted to provide greater protection for the elderly.

“These realities should trouble every conscience and that is why the Abia State Senior Citizens Law 2023 was enacted to ensure that growing old no longer means being forgotten,” she added.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, commended Governor Otti for making social protection a key component of his administration.

Felix also praised Mrs. Otti for her humanitarian interventions, particularly the Dignity Homes Initiative, which she said had provided 35 homes for indigent widows across the state's 17 LGAs.

She added that the state government's support for widows extends beyond housing to include vocational training, financial empowerment, healthcare outreach and advocacy for inheritance rights.