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 on Monday when he received the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Mohammed joined the governor in interacting with beneficiaries of the programme, which is aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities and strengthening livelihoods at the grassroots.
Abiodun said his administration deliberately embraced and took ownership of the initiative because it provided an avenue to reach women who might otherwise remain outside conventional political and economic empowerment structures.
He stressed that empowering women should go beyond appointing them to political positions, arguing that they also needed access to resources, skills and opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods and support their families.
“When the World Bank shared with us the Nigeria for Women Project, we did not only key into it; we took ownership of it.
“We saw in that programme the opportunity to empower women because not all women are able to contest elections or be appointed Commissioners or occupy political offices. We saw the opportunity to touch the lives of these women, empower them to support their households and themselves, and give them a sense of dignity,” he said.
The governor said the impact of the programme had strengthened his administration’s belief that investing in women was also an investment in the wider economy, families and communities.
He noted that women with stronger economic capacity were better positioned to provide for their households and contribute to the development of their communities.
Abiodun added that Ogun’s implementation model had attracted delegations from more than 25 states seeking to learn from the state’s experience, stressing that political commitment was essential to replicating the programme’s success.
He expressed the hope that the initiative would be expanded across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory 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. I am filled with so much joy today that you are here and that you can see first-hand what we have been able to do with women empowerment,” Abiodun said.
In her remarks, Mohammed commended the governor for providing seed funding for the programme and supporting women to develop sustainable businesses.
The UN official also praised the beneficiaries for their resilience, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, saying their progress demonstrated what could be achieved when women received the necessary support and opportunities.
“You have shown that you started small and you are growing, and what we want is for every woman in Ogun State who can benefit to have that benefit,” she said.
Mohammed said she would take the Ogun model back to her home state and share the experience as an example of the impact that deliberate investment in women could have.
“I will take this initiative back to my state so that everyone will know that a seed was sown in Ogun State for the women of Nigeria, and that seed is growing. A country is as strong as its women,” she added.
The State Coordinator of the Nigeria for Women Programme, Mrs Bola Fadairo, said Ogun was among the first six pilot states when the programme was launched in 2020.
She disclosed that the state had exceeded its target by 105 per cent, with 8,759 Women Affinity Groups comprising 247,273 women established across the state’s 20 local government areas.
According to Fadairo, beneficiaries had received training in financial management, record-keeping, gender awareness, life skills and other areas aimed at helping them build sustainable livelihoods.
She said the scale of participation and the impact recorded across Ogun demonstrated the state government’s commitment to creating sustainable economic opportunities for women, improving household incomes and strengthening communities.
