Chief Philip Agbese understands that empowering a lady means empowering a whole community. Given that it generates waves of transformation that reach much beyond single beneficiaries to families, communities and the whole constituency, Okanga’s dedication to women’s economic independence and social upliftment has become a cornerstone of his leadership. He employs focused programs including poultry farming, vocational skills training and the distribution of basic tools such as sewing and grinding machines. Not only has Okanga provided women the tools they need to flourish, but he has also started a movement of self-sufficient, financially independent women who are changing the course of Enone.
The poultry farming program has been one of Okanga’s most powerful measures for women. Knowing that many rural women have few job options, his government started a broad program offering free training in modern poultry farming methods, then live chickens, coops and feed to launch their businesses. This project offers a long-term approach to poverty reduction rather than only charity.
Women who were once dependent on subsistence farming or low-paying employment can now operate successful poultry businesses supplying local markets with meat and eggs. The ripple effects are significant: families have more meals, women’s financial independence increases, and children’s school costs are covered. These women are community pillars and business owners, not only recipients.
The government of Okanga has also given women vocational tools that convert abilities into money. Sewing machines that let many women start tailoring businesses from their homes have been given to them. These machines have become engines of financial independence in an area where school uniforms, traditional wear and everyday clothes are in continuous demand.
In generating lucrative businesses, grinding machines have also freed women from the labour of manual food processing. Women used to spend hours manually grinding grain; now, with motorized grinders, they process food for their families and for sale, earning regular income.
Central to Okanga’s grassroots support is the Okanga Sisters, a vibrant group of women spread out over Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo who are fiercely committed to his vision. Many of these women, many of whom have directly benefited from his empowerment initiatives, have become champions of his development plan. They act as a link between the people and their representatives, organize community mobilization campaigns and push women’s involvement in government.
More than mere political supporters, the Okanga Sisters are evidence of the influence of inclusive leadership. Their steadfast devotion comes from lived experience; they have seen firsthand how Okanga’s initiatives have moved women from poverty to wealth, not from blind loyalty. Their rallies celebrate actual progress, not simply political gatherings.
Okanga’s commitment to women goes beyond only money; it also involves dignity, independence, and the breaking of the dependence cycle. He has opened a torrent of local economic activity which is supporting families and communities by providing women with skills, resources and chances. The Okanga Sisters are living examples of how society advances quicker, fairer and more sustainably when women are empowered.
One reality is clear as Enone keeps flourishing under this inclusive development approach: one of Okanga’s best legacies is the army of assured, self-sufficient women he has raised, women who are not only beneficiaries of change but also agents of it. Their achievements tales are the actual testaments of leading that really change.
