Nigeria, June 24 -- The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to ending harmful widowhood practices and expanding economic opportunities for widows, saying widowhood should never result in poverty, exclusion or discrimination.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, made the pledge on Tuesday as Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 International Widows' Day.

International Widows' Day is observed every year on 23 June, and the theme for this year's observance is "Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows."

In a statement issued to mark the day, Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim described widows as critical to the well-being of families and communities, despite the challeng...