Church donates relief items to families in 5 crisis-hit states
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated food and non-food items to the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) for onward distribution to vulnerable families in Sokoto, Plateau, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, and Enugu States.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, Elder Isaac Morrison, Second Counsellor in the Africa West Area Presidency of the Church, said the gesture was driven by the Christian duty to love and serve others.
“We believe that service to God can only be achieved through service to mankind,” he said. “When we heard about the challenges facing these states, we were moved with compassion to express love, give hope, and share the compassion of Jesus Christ with those affected.”
Elder Morrison noted that beyond immediate aid, the Church also runs long-term empowerment initiatives such as The Gathering Place for skills acquisition and Succeeding in School programmes that support youths with training in tailoring, catering, computer skills, and extra lessons to strengthen their education.
President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Princess Ednah Azura, expressed gratitude to the Church, recalling that the partnership began in June 2024 under the leadership of the late NCWS President, Hajia Adamu Lau. She said the initiative was continued after her swearing-in in January 2025.
“We wrote to the Church requesting support for 18 states, and they began with the five in greatest need due to insurgency, kidnappings, and farmer-herder clashes. This assistance has wiped away our tears,” she said.
She assured that the relief materials would reach the intended beneficiaries and expressed optimism that more phases of support would follow.
The Representative of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Evelyn Modu, and the Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development both commended the initiative.
They urged other religious organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the initiative in uplifting the poor and strengthening communities.
