Recently, Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori launched the Widows’ Welfare Scheme where 10,000 widows are being empowered every month to improve their livelihoods. In this interview PATRICK MGBODO and RITA OYIBOKA, the coordinator of the scheme, Dr Isioma Okonta talks about a possible expansion soonest as he brings us to speed on the journey so far. Excerpt:
Let us meet you.
I am Chief (Dr) Isioma Okonta. I’m the Executive Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Social Investment Programmes. I’m also the Technical Head of the World Bank Livelihood Support Programme, the State Coordinator of the Widows’ Welfare Scheme, and the focal person for federal government grants and loans.
Bring us up to speed on the recently launched Widows’ Welfare Scheme.
On August 18, the Governor precisely flagged off the Delta State Widows’ Welfare Scheme. He magnanimously approved the payment of three months’ arrears, that’s ₦45,000, to each of the widows approved across the 25 local government areas of the state.
We went through a period of screening and verification to ascertain the authenticity of their claims of being widows through our field offices. In the first instance, we were able to pay 9,006 widows out of the 10,000 approved.
So, we paid each of them ₦45,000 for three months’ arrears. And just last week, we paid another ₦15,000, the continuation of their monthly stipends.
The remaining 994 widows are still being assisted because some of them only had National Identification Numbers (NINs) without Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs). We’re helping them to get their BVNs. We didn’t just want to exclude them; instead, we’re helping to update their data because our goal is to support impoverished widows, particularly the poor and vulnerable ones. If a widow nominee comes to us without NIN or BVN, we don’t just turn her away; documentation is key. We help her get it and give her time. That’s why, as of now, we’re still working on some of them. Some widows also submitted BVNs that belonged to their relatives, and we cannot pay a widow unless the BVN belongs to her.
These are the initial challenges we’re resolving. By next week, by the grace of God, we’ll be done assisting them to get their proper data, after which we’ll pay them. When that’s done, we’ll pay both the three months’ arrears and the one-month payment that their colleagues received last week. That will complete the 10,000 as approved by the Governor. After that, every month, they’ll continue to receive ₦15,000.
Have you received any feedback from the widows?
Oh yes, when the governor first approved the scheme in August, there was a frenzy everywhere. Many widows trooped to the office, wanting to be part of the system. The Governor approved payment for 10,000 widows, but many others wanted to join. So, what we’re doing now is bringing them in, documenting them, and praying that one day the governor will increase the number. We’re expanding the net, hoping that the governor will consider more widows in due time.
Right now, we’re advising them: “Do you have your BVN? No? Do you have your NIN? Try to get them.” We write down their names in a register so that, when the time comes and the number is increased, we’ll already have them captured.
We have about 50,000 to 60,000 widows in Delta State. We arrived at that figure during an enumeration process in the previous administration. We have a full compendium of widows. The governor has started with 10,000, which means we still have about 40,000 to go. But, by the grace of God and as the state’s finances allow, the number will be increased, and more widows will be brought into the scheme.
Has your office written to the Governor to request that the scheme be expanded?
During the Okowa administration, we began with 5,000 widows, then expanded to 10,000, then 20,000. This Governor is starting with 10,000. We know he’ll eventually increase it.
Even when you empower youths, you don’t empower all the youths in Nigeria at once; it’s not possible. No system can empower all women, all pensioners, or all vulnerable groups simultaneously. But if you can start somewhere and grow, that’s progress. So yes, we’re hopeful and prayerful that the governor, who is a compassionate and generous man, will, by the grace of God, increase the number in due time.
Are there other challenges in the disbursement process?
The main challenge remains NIN and BVN. Initially, many widows didn’t realise that they’d need those documents. Some thought it would be a simple cash handout. But it’s not possible to run such a scheme without proper verification.
For instance, if someone came to our office asking for the list of the 10,000 widows, and we gave that list, then they asked for the payment records from the bank, imagine if we hadn’t verified the BVNs properly, whether they belonged to the widows’ sons or relatives. If payment is made to those accounts, it will reflect male names. That would amount to fraud. So, we’re being meticulous. Of the 9,006 widows paid, every single payment went to the widows themselves, not their sons, not their sisters.
Beyond giving out money, do you follow up on how the widows use the funds?
We’re not compelling them to use the money strictly for business. It’s livelihood support, to sustain their lives.
Some of them, especially those who fry akara (bean cakes) or trade in tomatoes or garri, used the money to boost their businesses. I believe that’s why the governor wisely instructed us to pay three months at once, so they’d have a tangible amount to work with. Some use it to hire labourers on their farms, others for household upkeep. As long as it improves their livelihood, it’s fine. Even if a widow uses it to pay her child’s school fees, that’s still an investment.
Going forward, is your office considering other packages for the widows?
Yes, it’s something we plan to propose to the governor. And knowing the kind of compassionate governor we have, I believe he’ll eventually ask us to prepare a memo for starter packs.
We haven’t made any proposal yet because we’re still completing this first phase. But in the previous administration, we provided starter packs after the monthly stipends. Those who got starter packs were mainly the younger widows, the more energetic ones who could work.
So, I believe that by the grace of God, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will also look in that direction, as it will further help the widows to fend for themselves.
Any words for those who feel left out of the scheme?
These widows have been waiting and praying for this programme. You know, at the end of the Okowa administration, the scheme stopped. In 2023, when the new governor came in, it hadn’t yet resumed. Even in early 2024, it hadn’t started. These widows kept calling me, asking, “When will the programme return?” I’d tell them, “Keep praying that the Governor brings it back soon.”
Now that it’s back, even if some haven’t yet benefited, they’re happy it’s real again. If your neighbour or relative is benefiting, it gives you hope that your turn will come.
We have about 400 widows per local government area benefiting, 10,000 divided by 25, roughly 400 each. So, almost every widow knows someone who’s receiving it. That’s proof the scheme is real, not politics.
Tell us about other social investment programmes under your office.
We have the World Bank–supported Delta State CARES Programme, which the state government also funds. There are six units in that programme. I head the Livelihood Support Unit. We’ve been running it since the Okowa administration, and Governor Oborevwori has graciously reappointed me to continue. The next empowerment phase starts in January 2026. We empower both male and female youths and women between the ages of 18 and 60 under the Livelihood Support Programme, a partnership between the World Bank and the Delta State Government.
There’s a trend where some beneficiaries sell their starter packs after empowerment. Have you encountered that?
I haven’t, from the programmes I’ve handled. The key is proper selection. If someone is a farmer and you give them a hairdressing kit, they’ll sell it, because it’s not what they need.
That’s why, in the upcoming phase, selection will focus on aligning beneficiaries’ actual skills with the tools they’re given. We’ll ask: “Are you a barber? Are you interested in the POS business?” Whatever you’re skilled in will determine the starter pack you get.
When names are raised without proper verification, you might end up giving a farmer a sewing machine, and he’ll sell it to buy a hoe. But if you give him farm tools, he’ll keep them because that’s his trade.
Finally, you’re the “widows’ man”. With 2027 approaching, do you think these widows will want this government to continue?
Let me tell you something, the widows in Delta State are very happy with Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori. I’ve seen it myself. Recently, in Isoko South, they passed a vote of confidence in him. They did the same in Aniocha North and Ughelli North. These are widows who prayed fervently in 2023 and 2024 for the Governor to remember them. Now, he has, and not only that, he started from ₦15,000, not ₦10,000, and even paid them three months upfront so they could do something meaningful with it. So, if an election comes in 2026 or 2027, do you think they’ll hesitate? They’ll vote massively for him. This Governor understands the pains of widows. Even before he became Governor, he supported widows when he was in the House of Assembly and later as Speaker. Now, as Governor, he can reach even more of them.
Look at what he’s doing in road infrastructure, hospitals, energy, pensions, and empowerment. He’s touching every critical area. He’s paying workers and pensioners promptly, when some states can’t even pay salaries.
So yes, Deltans, especially widows, are happy with him. My advice is that they should keep supporting and praying for the Governor, be patient, and take ownership of the projects in their communities. That way, the government will be encouraged to do even more.
Right now, I can confidently say the widows in Delta State, both those already benefitting and those waiting, will vote massively for Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori.
What the Governor is doing concerning road infrastructure development, what he’s doing about revamping the hospital sector, and what he’s doing to reform the energy sector all show the same level of commitment. You can also see the same energy he’s putting into empowerment. He’s touching every aspect of empowerment in Delta State. He’s reaching out to widows, the underprivileged, everyone.
Look at what he’s doing for pensioners in Delta State; he hasn’t left them behind. A lot of states have not even been able to pay their civil servants, let alone pensioners. But Governor Oborevwori is paying civil servants promptly, and he’s also paying pensioners. He’s touching every critical aspect of governance in Delta State.
So, I think Deltans are happy with him. What we just advised them to do is to keep working with the Governor, be patient with him, and provide the enabling environment for government projects to thrive. Let the communities drive the process. When projects are being implemented, the communities should take ownership of those programmes and projects, which will encourage the Governor and his team to do even more.
But as it stands, I can tell you that widows in Delta State, both those who are already registered and those yet to be registered, will vote en masse for Governor Oborevwori.
