Opening Remarks by the National President of the Police Officers' Wives Association (POWA), Chief Mrs. Mutiat Olufunmilola Disu, at the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 POWA National Convention, Held on Thursday, 16 July 2026.

Protocol.

It is with immense gratitude to Almighty God that I warmly welcome you all to the 2026 POWA National Convention.
Today is more than the opening of another convention. It is the gathering of women whose stories are rarely told, whose sacrifices are often unseen, yet whose strength quietly keeps the Nigeria Police Force standing.
Every police officer wears a uniform. But behind every uniform is another uniform that no one sees. It is the invisible uniform of the wife who waits. The wife who sleeps with one ear open because her husband may be called out at midnight. The wife who celebrates birthdays without him because duty came first. The wife who raises children alone while he protects other families. The wife who answers difficult questions from her children when their father cannot come home.
And sometimes... the wife who receives the knock on the door that every police family prays will never come.
That woman is the reason we are gathered here today.
To every wife of a police officer here today, this Convention is about you!
It is about reminding every police officer's wife that while society may not always see her sacrifices, POWA does.
This year's theme, "The Resilient Woman: Navigating Life's Challenges with Strength, Purpose and Grace," is not just a conference title. It is a reflection of our lives.
Resilience is choosing hope in uncertainty, finding strength in difficult moments, and refusing to allow life's challenges to define your future. But resilience should never mean suffering in silence.

But resilience should never mean suffering in silence.
That is why this Convention has been carefully designed not merely as a gathering, but as an investment in every woman here.

Over the next three days, we will invest in your health, emotional well-being, economic empowerment and personal growth because a stronger woman builds a stronger family.
And before we leave, we will celebrate one another, because women who spend so much of their lives caring for others also deserve moments of joy, recognition and renewal. At POWA, we are determined that our work must move beyond words.

Since assuming office, we have chosen to listen before acting.
In Abuja, we reached over a thousand police families through healthcare interventions, providing free medical consultations, eye screening and corrective eyeglasses.
In Lagos, we expanded that vision through the POWA CARES Initiative, combining healthcare with economic empowerment, scholarships, and direct support for families.

Just a few days ago, my team and I walked quietly through the markets in our police barracks here in Abuja. We did not announce our visit because we wanted to see life exactly as our women live it.
We saw shops with only a few items on the shelves.
We met women with remarkable determination but limited capital.

We listened to widows whose greatest desire was not sympathy, but an opportunity to stand again.
Those visits reminded me of something very important:
Sometimes, the greatest act of leadership is not speaking. It is listening.

Behind every challenge was someone simply waiting to be seen.
That experience has strengthened my resolve that under my leadership, POWA will continue to build programmes that respond to real needs, not assumptions.

Healthcare, education, mental wellness, economic empowerment and support for widows and children are not just programmes; they are promises.

Promises that no police family should feel forgotten.
I wish to express my profound appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, whose unwavering support continues to strengthen the work of POWA and our shared commitment to the welfare of police families.

I also extend our deepest gratitude to our Special Guest of Honour, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose unwavering commitment to women, families, and vulnerable communities through the Renewed Hope Initiative continues to inspire countless Nigerians. Your presence today is a powerful reminder that when women support one another, families become stronger, institutions become healthier, and nations become more prosperous.

To our speakers, panellists, partners and every woman who has travelled from across the Federation to be here, thank you for believing in the vision of a stronger, healthier and more empowered POWA.
As we begin this Convention, I ask every woman here to make one promise to herself.
Do not leave exactly the way you came.

As we begin this Convention, I ask every woman here to make one promise to herself: leave stronger than you came. Leave knowing that your story matters, your sacrifices are recognised, and your future is filled with hope. Because when a police officer's wife rises, a family rises; when families rise, our Police Force grows stronger; and when the Police Force is stronger, Nigeria is safer.

It is therefore my honour and privilege to formally welcome you all to the 2026 POWA National Convention and declare it open. May God bless every police family, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you, and welcome.