Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, yesterday urged Nigerian women to be prudent in the management of resources to survive the precarious situation triggered by the current economic downturn in the country.

The governor’s wife stated this in his year’s edition of Muslim Sisters Seminar with the Theme: ‘Holding Fast to the Rope of Allah’: Key To Surviving Turbulent Times, hosted by the Office of the Lagos First Lady.

In her keynote address at the event held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu noted that the seminar is aimed at supporting the state government in the development of the tate and its people by sensitizing Muslim Women on contemporary social issues that affect communities, and proffer solutions.

The governor’s wife, who reiterated the need for sound mental health, promised to build on the gains of the interaction to positively affect the home and the society at large.

She said: ‘’Since inception, we have kept faith with the objective of using this Seminar to sensitize Muslim women on contemporary social issues that affect our communities, especially from the point of view of proffering solutions in order to engender sustainable and positive change in our dear state and country.

‘’I am particularly delighted to note the useful and credible intellectual conversations we have had today and my solemn pledge is to build on the gains of this initiative to continue to serve as the platform to expand the frontiers of the home front, thereby positively impacting the home and society at large.

‘’A peaceful home is the bedrock of a peaceful society. When we get it right at the home front, society is the ultimate beneficiary. Conversely, when we get it wrong at the level of the family, the larger society will be at the receiving end.

‘’This is why it becomes expedient and important to sustain a platform such as this Seminar to bring Muslim Sisters and women generally together under one roof with the objective of empowering them with skills and information to contribute their quota to national development, starting from the home front.’’

According to her, one of the sub-themes is focused on mental balance, noting that as women it is essential that they emphasize the need to always maintain work-life balance.

The Head of Department, Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, Prof. Jameelah Yaqub, who delivered a lecture on ‘Managing Family Finances in a Period of Economic downturn’, urged Muslim women to play a great role in ensuring that the finance of the family is well managed, by shunning wastages, planning purchases and trips and encourage their spouses and children to live within their means and avoid unnecessary pressure that can affect their health negatively.

Another Resource Person, Ameenah Yunus-Alli who listed types of mental challenges to include, Anxiety, Depression, Somatoform, Eating disorder, Postpartum depression, Post traumatic stress disorder and suicide, noted that maintaining mental health balance as Muslimah is fundamental to serving as the bedrock of the home.