Mrs Ngozi Aneke, the National President, Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA), has decried the persistent exploitation of widows, describing the practice as inhumane and unacceptable.
She made the remark in Abuja during a NAFOWA humanitarian and medical outreach organised for widows of fallen Nigerian Air Force personnel and wives of serving officers, in commemoration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
The wife of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) called on Nigerians to stop taking advantage of widows, stressing that their vulnerability should not be used as an opportunity for exploitation.
“Widows are unseen heroes who endure sleepless nights, emotional pain and enormous responsibility while raising their children alone. Exploiting them in any form must be condemned and eradicated,” she said.
Aneke explained that the outreach was deliberately designed to support widows and military families, noting that the welfare of widows remained close to her heart due to personal experiences within her family.
She said NAFOWA remained committed to humanitarian service, social responsibility and community development through medical outreach, welfare support and empowerment programmes.
As part of the intervention, she said food and non-food items were distributed to no fewer than 500 widows, alongside free medical consultations and health screenings aimed at improving their well-being.
According to her, the initiative aligns with the first key driver of the CAS, which prioritises personnel welfare and well-being for enhanced operational effectiveness.
Aneke expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Air Force leadership, medical personnel, volunteers and partners for their support in making the outreach a success.
She reassured beneficiaries of NAFOWA’s continued commitment to their welfare, empowerment and inclusion, urging them to remain hopeful and resilient.
The event also featured a one-minute silence in honour of fallen heroes, in remembrance of their sacrifices to the nation.
The resource persons who spoke to the widows urged them to be resilient and be self reliant to be able to be able cater for their children and avoid being exploited by men.
Mrs Chinyere Apesoro, who spoke on, “Building Personal Resilience in Difficult Times” urged them to learn to be industrious and focused.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured free medical check-up and distribution of large quantities of food items.
Each beneficiary went home with a 50kg bag of rice, a bag of semovita, carton of indomie, 5 litres of vegetable oil, beans, gari, tomatoes paste, maggi and other items.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Grace Akpan, To resident of NAF Widows Association, expressed appreciation to the NAFOWA President for the gesture.
She prayed for successful tenure for the air chief and long life for all serving and retired NAF personnel.
(NAN)
