Empower Soldiers’ Wives to Boost National Security, Says DEPOWA President

Linus Aleke in Abuja

President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Mrs. Oghogho Musa, yesterday stated the nation must empower soldiers’ wives to strengthen national security and ensure lasting peace in the country.

The DEPOWA President explained that when the wives of non-commissioned officers are equipped with skills and entrepreneurial know-how, their families are strengthened, and by extension, the entire Armed Forces community is uplifted.

Mrs. Musa expressed this position in Abuja yesterday during a personal development training session for the Defence Non-Commissioned Officers’ Wives Association (DENCOWA), held at the DEPOWA Nursery, Primary and Secondary School Auditorium, Mogadishu Cantonment.

She noted that, at DEPOWA, there is a strong belief that true empowerment begins at home and extends into business, community, and the nation at large.

She said: “That is why we are committed to supporting DENCOWA. As the saying goes, ‘If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.’ I would add: ‘If you empower the wife of a soldier, you strengthen the backbone of national security.’

“Parenting, entrepreneurship, and self-care are not competing demands; they are interconnected. You cannot pour into your children or your business from an empty cup. Self-care is not selfish, it is survival, it is strength.

“I thank the facilitators who will guide today’s sessions, and I urge you, dear sisters, to take these lessons home, not just for yourselves, but for your families and communities.”

Highlighting the central theme of the capacity-building event, “Balancing Intentional Parenting, Entrepreneurship, and Personal Well-being,” Mrs. Musa emphasised that it reflects the everyday realities of the trainees as wives, mothers, and women of strength.

Presenting a paper titled “Entrepreneurship Development for Economic Empowerment,” a resource person, Mrs. Linda Ekeator, emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship and the economic emancipation of women on the home front, particularly within the military environment, where men are often absent due to operational engagements.

She traced the origins of women’s quest for employment back to the Second World War, advocating for military wives to be productive in order to help improve the economic well-being of their households.