Care4Her Initiative has trained 21 young women and girls in makeup artistry, business skills and sexual and reproductive health during a six day programme in the Iru community of Victoria Island, Lagos.
The training, held under its Project Empower 2.1 initiative, tagged “Brushes to Business”, combined practical makeup lessons with sessions on pricing, customer acquisition, brand building and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR).
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Oyinkansola Gbolagunte, founder and executive director of Care4Her Initiative, said the programme was designed to link economic independence with girls’ ability to make informed decisions about their lives.
“We don’t see economic empowerment and reproductive health rights as two different conversations,” said Gbolagunte, a public health professional and makeup artist at Anikemua who facilitated the makeup training.
“A girl who can earn is a girl with options, to say no to early marriage, and yes to a future she chooses for herself. That is the belief this entire programme is built on,” she said.
The participants learnt skin preparation, foundation application, soft glam and bridal makeup techniques. A business masterclass led by Tito Ibeleme, founder and creative director of T.A’lamode Beauty, covered pricing services, finding clients and building a business brand.
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Each participant received professional makeup products provided by Zaron and Msmetics to support further practice and help them begin offering services after the training.
The programme also addressed sexual harassment and abuse, consent, menstrual health and hygiene, contraceptive misuse and referral channels for people seeking support. The session was facilitated by Opeyemi Makanjuola Adesanya, executive director of Bridge the Gap.
The initiative was held to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, whose theme calls for an end to child marriage and greater investment in girls’ rights.
Care4Her worked with Iru Victoria Island Local Government on community outreach and the selection of participants. Other partners, including Anikemua, BasicsByHos, Zaron Cosmetics, Nigerian NGO, T.A’lamode Beauty, Wiicreate, Msmetics, Double Excel Cosmetics and Bolanle Obidare, contributed products, services or expertise.
Bamidele Oyewunmi, co-founder of Care4Her Initiative, said at the closing ceremony that the organisation would provide graduates with mentorship and help connect them to potential markets. He added that it planned to extend the programme to other underserved communities.
The training comes as Nigeria’s National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy seeks to address gaps in skills development, entrepreneurship and access to economic opportunities for women and girls.
Whether the training translates into lasting income will depend partly on the graduates’ ability to attract clients and sustain their businesses, as well as the delivery of the mentorship and market support promised by the organisers.
Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
