Lagos Anglican West Diocese empowers 126 women with Creative Arts training

The Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, in partnership with Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), has launched a transformative skills development program aimed at equipping young women with expertise in arts, business management, and content development.

Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, the initiative seeks to empower participants with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the digital economy while fostering entrepreneurship.

The training held at the Caroline Adebiyi Women Development Centre in the Ipaja area of Lagos State attracted dozens of young women enrolled in courses covering scriptwriting, animation, and creative entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, the President of the Diocesan Women’s Organisation and wife of the Bishop, Dr Lydia Odedeji, stressed the importance of equipping women with valuable skills to strengthen both their households and communities.

She said: “This is not just about skill acquisition; we are nurturing these young women to become innovators and leaders in various fields of human endeavour.

“At this critical moment, our nation needs women who can shine as beacons of light in substance and in character.”

TAFTA, an academy dedicated to equipping youth with practical skills for Nigeria’s growing creative industry, highlighted the program’s broader impact.

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TAFTA’s Director of Programmes, Chinedu Isagbah, said: “Over the past three years, we’ve trained more than 42,000 women across Nigeria.

“Beyond training, we assist them in business registration and accessing loan facilities to kickstart their ventures.”

Participants, drawn from across the diocese, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to hone their creative talents.

Esther Omoregie, a recent Law graduate, said the programme laid a solid foundation for her career.

“The scriptwriting training was particularly valuable,” she stated.

Another attendee, Oluwatishe Osinaike, said: “This initiative has helped me leverage on valuable knowledge to refine my creative writing skills and explore new opportunities.”

For the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, the initiative aligns with its mission to empower young women as not only homemakers, but spiritual nurturers and agents of positive impact.

“This program complements our existing vocational skills acquisition center and further reflects our commitment to youth development,” said Kolawole Ariire, a clergyman in the Diocese who represented the Bishop at the event.

The Star