The President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), Mrs Kikelomo Adeniyi, on Friday inaugurated the association’s secretariat in Kaduna as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots operations and expand empowerment initiatives.
Adeniyi, wife of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, also launched a humanitarian outreach targeting widows and indigent families within the Customs community.
Food items such as bags of rice, semovita, vegetable oil and spaghetti were distributed to beneficiaries during the event.
“We do serious business in COWA; it is not just a gathering of women to gist. We are wives, mothers, and changemakers. Our mission is to support our husbands, promote wellness, and make lasting impacts in our communities,” she said.
She explained that the newly inaugurated secretariat would serve as a hub for coordinating programmes in Kaduna and the North-West. “This office will enable us to manage our welfare activities more efficiently and support those who need it most,” she added.
As part of the empowerment drive, Adeniyi inspected a free medical outreach for women and presented school bags and exercise books to students of the Customs Staff School in Barnawa, Kaduna.
She further revealed that the COWA Skills Acquisition Centre, which operates with eight departments, had graduated 100 women so far, with another 100 currently enrolled. “Our goal is to equip women with sustainable skills, especially when their husbands are not around. We’re not only teaching empowerment but also how to manage and sustain income,” she said.
The Kaduna State Chairperson of COWA, Mrs Fadila Abbe, described the event as a milestone, citing the new secretariat and medical outreach as symbols of compassion and commitment. “This secretariat will serve not just as an administrative base, but as a centre of unity for COWA’s operations in the region,” she said.
Also speaking, the Area Comptroller of the Kaduna Command, Mr Tijjani Abbe, announced that the Comptroller-General had approved a new school bus for the Kaduna Customs Staff School and would integrate its teachers into the Customs payroll. He said the school, established 34 years ago, was receiving unprecedented attention, including classroom rehabilitation and scholarship schemes for children of deceased officers.
A widow, Mrs Fatima Usman, who spoke on behalf of beneficiaries, said: “Our husbands may be gone, but through COWA, we’ve found renewed hope. Thank you for remembering us.”
(NAN)