Richard Akinnola Foundation plans financial, other succour for journalists’ widows
The Richard Akinnola Foundation has promised to give succour to the widows of journalists and human rights activists. Ahead of its 16th annual empowerment programme in Lagos, the foundation is
- Founder seeks organisations’, philanthropists’ support
The Richard Akinnola Foundation has promised to give succour to the widows of journalists and human rights activists.
Ahead of its 16th annual empowerment programme in Lagos, the foundation is focusing attention on the quiet hardships many families face after losing their breadwinners in the media industry.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, and will feature medical outreach, renewal of health insurance for beneficiaries and a new financial empowerment component aimed at helping widows build sustainable sources of income.
The foundation’s founder, Akinnola, said the programme was conceived to support the families often left without structured assistance after the death of journalists who spent their careers serving the public interest, despite modest earnings and limited welfare protection.
In a post on his verified Facebook page on April 16, Akinnola announced the skills acquisition and financial support for small agro-businesses to targeted widows, appealing to friends and well-spirited individuals to support the initiative.
The respected journalist and renowned human rights activist wrote: “My Foundation for Widows needs a substantial amount of money to meet certain needs. So, l checked my contact list and discovered that l have 3,605 numbers on the contact list, hoping l could contact about 10 people.
“Then, I developed cold feet even when the weight of the load I have been carrying for 16 years was getting too heavy. I’m not used to soliciting funds because nobody sent me.
“However, if you are willing to help out, please kindly reach out to me inbox so that l can send you the account details. Thanks.”
For many of the widows drawn from different parts of the country, the annual intervention has become a dependable source of relief, covering medical needs, school expenses, rent and emergency support at critical moments.
At last year’s edition, about 40 widows received food items, cash support and renewed health insurance coverage.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Roselyne Aladelu, whose husband died 15 years ago, recalled how the foundation intervened during a serious health emergency earlier in the year.
“This foundation did not allow me to die. I was so sick I couldn’t take myself to the hospital. I sent a message to Daddy Richard, and he immediately sent money,” she said.
Another widow, Mrs. Toyin Amadi, also described the intervention as a steady source of encouragement after her husband’s death, noting that the programme helped her regain stability at a difficult period in her life.
Akinnola said the foundation introduced the acquisition of skills, such as snail farming, agriculture, and bakery, this year to enable beneficiaries to earn income beyond the annual support they receive.
He said the initiative has largely been sustained through personal resources and contributions from a small circle of friends over the years, despite the increasing number of widows requiring assistance.
The respected journalist added that while media practitioners devote their careers to covering elections, exposing wrongdoing and holding institutions accountable, their families are often left to cope alone after their death, making collective support for widows both necessary and urgent.
As preparations continue for the 16th anniversary programme, the foundation urged well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations and media stakeholders to partner with it in sustaining assistance for the widows and preserving the dignity of families left behind by journalists who served society.
