The Akwa Ibom State Government has unveiled a comprehensive economic empowerment programme aimed at improving the livelihoods of widows of fallen military, police, and paramilitary personnel through sustainable income-generating initiatives.
Governor Umo Eno announced the initiative on Wednesday during the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph on Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo. As part of the programme, the state will construct 150 lock-up stores, with 100 designated for widows of fallen military personnel and 50 for widows of deceased police and paramilitary officers. Beneficiaries will also receive take-off grants to establish and sustain small-scale businesses.
Governor Eno emphasised that the initiative represents a deliberate shift from one-off financial aid to long-term economic empowerment for families of fallen heroes, ensuring lasting stability and opportunity.
In addition to the empowerment package, the Governor announced immediate financial support totalling N120 million for serving personnel, N10 million for officers on parade, N20 million for widows present at the ceremony, and another N20 million for Nigerian Legionaries. He recalled that in the previous year, the government disbursed N250 million in welfare support for widows of fallen security personnel.
The construction of the lock-up stores will commence as soon as the relevant service formations provide land for the project. Oversight will be coordinated jointly by the Office of the First Lady, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Bureau of Cooperatives.
Governor Eno also urged political leaders to view politics as a platform for service rather than conflict, praising the attendance of party chairmen at the remembrance ceremony and calling for peaceful engagement across party lines. On national security, he commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for decisive leadership and highlighted ongoing state interventions, including completion of internal roads at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia and the imminent commissioning of the Command and Control Centre.
The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is observed annually to honour Nigerian military personnel who died in service, as well as veterans and their families. Governor Eno called on corporate organisations to support security agencies and stressed that the sacrifices of the nation’s fallen heroes must never be forgotten.
