Susan Abayomi
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that about 100,000 women across the state have benefited from the World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP).
Abiodun made the disclosure when he received the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, who joined him in interacting with beneficiaries of the programme at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The governor described women’s economic empowerment as an important tool for tackling poverty, strengthening families and promoting community development.
He said his administration deliberately embraced and took ownership of the programme because it provided an opportunity to reach women at the grassroots who might otherwise remain outside conventional political and economic empowerment structures.
According to Abiodun, empowering women should extend beyond political appointments to providing them with the resources, skills and opportunities needed to establish sustainable livelihoods, support their families and live with dignity.
“When the World Bank shared with us the Nigeria for Women Project, we did not only key into it; we took ownership of it,” he said.
Abiodun said the impact of the programme had strengthened his administration’s belief that investing in women also amounts to investing in the wider economy and the future of families.
He noted that women who are economically empowered are better positioned to support their households and contribute to the development of their communities.
The governor added that Ogun’s implementation of the programme had attracted delegations from more than 25 states seeking to study the state’s approach. He also expressed hope that the initiative would be expanded nationwide to enable more women to benefit.
“It is my prayer that this deepens across the length and breadth of the 36 states and the FCT,” Abiodun said.
Mohammed commended the governor for providing seed funding for the programme and supporting women to develop their businesses.
She also praised the beneficiaries for demonstrating resilience, creativity and enterprise, saying their progress showed what could be achieved when women are provided with appropriate support and opportunities.
Mohammed said she would take the Ogun experience back to her home state as an example of the impact that deliberate investment in women can have on communities.
Meanwhile, the State Coordinator of the Nigeria for Women Programme, Bola Fadairo, disclosed that Ogun was among the first six pilot states when the programme was launched in 2020.
Fadairo said the state had exceeded its target by 105 per cent, with 8,759 Women Affinity Groups comprising 247,273 women established across the 20 local government areas.
She added that beneficiaries had received training in financial management, record-keeping, gender awareness, life skills and other areas aimed at equipping them to build sustainable livelihoods.
According to her, the scale of participation and impact recorded under the programme demonstrates Ogun State’s efforts to create sustainable economic opportunities for women, improve household incomes and strengthen communities.
The development highlights the role of targeted economic empowerment programmes in helping women build livelihoods and contribute more actively to household and community development.
