Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) held the 2025 Graduation Ceremony of its Vocational Training College on Friday, 19th December 2025, to celebrate the successful completion of training by beneficiaries who have acquired practical skills aimed at economic independence and self-reliance. The ceremony was held in Lagos in commemoration of International Human Rights Day and was themed Building Lives, Restoring Hope.
The graduation marked the completion of the ninth edition of WELA’s skills acquisition programme, with 17 beneficiaries graduating across four vocational departments. The event brought together human rights advocates, development practitioners, partners, supporters, and members of the legal community in a shared commitment to empowerment and social justice.
The graduates were trained in Fashion Design, Make-Up Artistry, Catering, and Arts and Craft. Those who completed the Fashion Design programme were Musa Zuhairah, Akane Jessica, Akinyemi Oluwayemisi, Olagbemi Adeola, who also served as Head Girl, Yekinni Babatunde Idris, Olatokun Funmilayo, and Onwe Samuel. Graduates of the Make-Up Artistry programme were Fauziya Musa Fatimo, Akintola Risikat Ajoke, Daniela Taiwo, Mohammed Ganiyat Taiwo, Oyindamola Ololade, and Kilani Oriyomi Adijat. The Catering programme was completed by Ekele Promise, Sowemimo Abiola Zainab, and Ogbebor Ifeoma, while Pomak Retmun Hope graduated from the Arts and Craft programme.
An exhibition of products made by the graduates formed part of the ceremony, with displays including clothing, handbags, wigs, and catering items, reflecting the practical skills acquired during the training period.
In her remarks, the Founder of WELA, Mrs. Funmi Falana SAN, reiterated the organisation’s long-standing position that economic empowerment is central to protecting human rights and enabling individuals, particularly women, to escape cycles of abuse, poverty, and dependency. She noted that WELA’s years of advocacy and litigation have consistently shown that access to justice is limited when victims lack the financial capacity to assert and enforce their rights. She further observed that the 2025 graduation recorded the smallest cohort so far compared to previous years, underscoring the need for increased support to expand the programme’s reach.
Mrs. Falana also highlighted WELA’s broader rehabilitation efforts, including its collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service to support the reintegration of ex-offenders. She explained that released inmates are accommodated at the WELA Home hostel in Agege or reunited with their families while undergoing a structured three-month rehabilitation process that includes skills training. Guests at the ceremony were shown updates on the ongoing construction of the WELA Rehabilitation Centre in Mowe, a major project designed to expand WELA’s interventions for drug addicts, homeless persons, survivors of abuse, and other vulnerable groups.
A major highlight of the event was the official launch of WELA Football Club (WELA FC), an initiative aimed at engaging rehabilitated youths through sports, discipline, teamwork, and structured activities as part of WELA’s crime-prevention and reintegration strategy.
The keynote address was delivered by child rights advocate and Founder of CEE-HOPE Foundation, Ms. Betty Abah, who described economic empowerment as one of the most practical responses to poverty, abuse, and systemic failure. She commended WELA’s vocational programme as a tangible intervention that produces measurable change and restores dignity to beneficiaries. Human rights activist Mr. Omoyele Sowore was also in attendance and spoke on the role of civil society in addressing gaps left by governance failures, commending WELA’s sustained commitment to empowerment and justice.
The ceremony was further enlivened by a musical performance from Falz, whose presence added celebration and colour to the event. Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Mrs. Olagbemi Adeola encouraged her fellow graduates to see themselves as entrepreneurs and change-makers within their communities, noting that they were graduating as job creators rather than job seekers. Other graduates also shared testimonies on how the programme strengthened their confidence, skills, and belief in their own potential.
The graduation ceremony reaffirmed WELA’s mission to empower the disadvantaged through skills development, rehabilitation, legal support, and advocacy. By equipping beneficiaries with tools for self-reliance and dignity, WELA continues to demonstrate that empowerment is not charity, but a pathway to justice, freedom, and lasting social change.