Daud Olatunji
The Ogun State Government has unveiled a major women empowerment initiative aimed at transforming the livelihoods of over 105,000 women across four Local Government Areas — Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, and Ado-Odo/Ota — under the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU).
Speaking at the project’s official launch held in Akute, Ifo Local Government Area, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, said the initiative would deepen women’s access to finance, business skills, and social networks, describing it as a “bold step toward institutionalizing women’s economic empowerment across the Gateway State.”
According to her, the project will engage 420 Ward Facilitators, each responsible for forming 10 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) — non-political learning and savings groups comprising 25 women each. The effort will lead to the creation of 4,200 WAGs across the four participating LGAs, building a strong network of economically active women.
“These Women Affinity Groups are not just gatherings,” Adeleye said.
“They are safe, transparent, and non-political spaces where women will learn financial literacy, entrepreneurship, savings, and investment. For many unbanked women, this will serve as their first connection to the formal economy — a veritable platform to save together, grow together, and rise together.”
The Commissioner noted that the scale-up phase builds on the success of the project’s first phase, which was implemented in Odeda, Yewa North, Ijebu North-East, and Ikenne Local Government Areas. That phase, she said, earned national recognition from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and other States who came to understudy Ogun’s model.
Adeleye commended Governor Dapo Abiodun, Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the State’s Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser Dapo Okubadejo, and the State Project Coordinating Unit led by Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, for their commitment to grassroots transformation.
She called on traditional rulers, community leaders, and local stakeholders to support the initiative, stressing that the project is “not just a government programme but a movement to empower women and strengthen communities.”
In her remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, explained that the NFWP-SU, a Federal Government initiative implemented in partnership with the World Bank, is designed to promote women’s economic empowerment through structured support systems.
Fadairo said the new phase would focus on intensive training for facilitators and the formation of more Women Affinity Groups to boost women’s access to savings, credit, and enterprise support.
“The aim is for these women to rise together, scale up together, and sustain their growth through shared learning, savings, and enterprise support,” she stated.
She added that upon completion of the training modules, the groups would receive investment grants to strengthen their businesses and expand women-led economic activities at the grassroots.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Moradeun Ogundele, Chairman of the Akute Central Community Development Council, commended the initiative, noting that it would “significantly improve the socio-economic condition of women while promoting financial independence and stability at the grassroots.”
The Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) is part of the broader national agenda to empower women economically, reduce poverty, and strengthen inclusive community development through collective finance and enterprise growth.
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