The Diocese of Lagos West Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in partnership with Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA) has launched a transformative skills development program to equip young women with skills in the arts, business management and content development.
Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, the initiative seeks to empower participants with the knowledge needed to thrive in digital economy, while fostering entrepreneurship.
The training, held at the Caroline Adebiyi Women Development Centre, Ipaja, Lagos, attracted dozens of young women who enrolled in different courses including scriptwriting, animation and creative entrepreneurship.
In her keynote, President of the Diocesan Women’s Organisation and wife of the Bishop, Dr. Lydia Odedeji, said equipping women with valuable skills will strengthen both their households and communities.
She said: “At this critical moment, our nation needs women who can shine as beacons of light in substance and in character.”
In his response, the priest, who represented the Diocesan Bishop, Kolawole Ariire, noted that the programme complemented the church’s existing vocational skills acquisition centre, as well as reflected the commitment of the church to youth development.
According to TAFTA’s Director of Programmes, Chinedu Isagbah, “For the past three years, we have trained more than 42,000 women across Nigeria . Beyond training, we assist them in business registration and to access loan facilities to kickstart their ventures.”
The event drew participants from different Dioceses, many of whom expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to improve their creative talents.
Some of the participants, including law graduate, Esther Omoregie, said the programme has laid a solid foundation for her career, adding that the scriptwriting training was particularly valuable for her.
Another attendee, Oluwatishe Osinaike, in her excitement, said the initiative has assisted her to leverage on valuable knowledge to refine her creative writing skills and explore new opportunities.
The initiative, according to the organisers, aligns with the church’s mission to empower young women not only as homemakers, but also as spiritual nurturers and agents of positive change.
