OdimmaUmuada Igbo Women Hit Lagos with Empowerment Energy

Kehinde Adeleye

The OdimmaUmuada Igbo Prestigious Women Foundation was officially launched on Saturday in Lagos, marking a significant step forward for grassroots philanthropy and women-led community development efforts.

The inauguration, rich in cultural displays and heartfelt testimonies, attracted prominent members of the Igbo community and supporters from various walks of life. The event signaled a renewed focus on social impact powered by women.

As part of the launch activities, the foundation provided financial empowerment to over 20 underprivileged Nigerians, giving each recipient ₦100,000 to help them start small-scale businesses and improve their livelihoods.

In her keynote address, Mrs. Violet Uche-Obiora, the National President and Founder, stated:

“We are gathered here at a time when basic survival feels like a privilege. This foundation emerged from the urgent need to uplift others amid widespread economic challenges.”

Uche-Obiora, a former Women Leader of the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo (Lagos Chapter), shared how the foundation grew from cultural roots into a platform for humanitarian work. She outlined previous initiatives, including assistance to orphanages, schools for the blind, and disadvantaged women and children across Lagos. She also highlighted the foundation’s cultural troupe, which uses performances to raise funds for its charitable causes.

Underscoring her commitment, the founder personally funded the support given to the 20 beneficiaries at the event, reinforcing the foundation’s mission to provide immediate help to the vulnerable.

Looking ahead, she outlined the group’s ambitious plans:

Rescue 100 child street hawkers, Assist incarcerated women, Pay hospital bills for the poor, Strengthen small businesses owned by struggling women

“We can’t achieve these goals alone—we need the partnership of well-meaning Nigerians,” she appealed.

Ada Ofoegbu, the Planning Chairperson and Matron, highlighted the foundation’s authenticity and deep-rooted community focus.

“We’re not just another NGO. We are directly impacting lives,” she said, referencing a woman recently helped after a public legal ordeal.

The inauguration also included the induction of new members and a public unveiling of the foundation’s longstanding but previously quiet work. “This launch formalizes what we’ve been doing behind the scenes. From now on, when we reach out, people should know we’re not just asking—we’re delivering,” Ofoegbu declared.