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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State Government has commenced the disbursement of the N6b Community Investment Fund (CIF) to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) across four Local Government Areas under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU).
The financial intervention aimed at expanding women-led businesses, strengthening household livelihoods and deepening women’s participation in economic activities was in partnership with the Federal Government and the World Bank.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the programme held in the Ijebu-Ode, the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, represented by the immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, explained that the intervention was designed to give women greater capacity to move from subsistence activities to sustainable enterprises, while improving incomes and strengthening families.
“Today, we gather not merely to mark the disbursement of a fund, but to celebrate another important step in our deliberate journey of empowering women, strengthening families and expanding opportunities for sustainable livelihoods,” the governor said.
He noted that the occasion was not merely about releasing funds but about creating an enabling platform for women to grow their businesses, generate income and contribute more significantly to their families and communities.
According to Abiodun, the 3,855 beneficiary WAGs, drawn from Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu, qualified for the intervention after meeting established programme requirements, including regular participation, savings and internal lending, opening of bank accounts and preparation of Micro-Investment Plans.
Abiodun disclosed that the women had demonstrated remarkable financial discipline, collectively saving ₦2.6 billion over the past seven months, while total loans accessed through the groups had risen to over ₦4 billion.
“These figures are more than statistics; they are compelling evidence of the financial discipline, trust, commitment and readiness that the Women Affinity Groups have developed under the programme,” he said.
Abiodun explained that the Community Investment Fund is not an outright grant but a sustainable revolving financing facility, designed to provide capital for establishing and expanding businesses, generating income and employment, improving household welfare and increasing women’s participation in economic activities.
“I am delighted to formally flag off the disbursement of Six Billion Naira (₦6,000,000,000) under the Community Investment Fund. This fund is not an outright grant; it is a sustainable revolving financing facility designed to provide capital for establishing and expanding businesses, generating income and employment, improving household welfare and increasing women’s participation in economic activities,” the governor stated.
He further explained that the current intervention builds on the gains of the parent Nigeria for Women Project, which was signed between the World Bank and the Federal Government in 2018 and commenced implementation in Ogun State in December 2020.
“The parent project was initially implemented in Odeda, Ikenne, Ijebu North East and Yewa North, where 3,792 Women Affinity Groups were formed across 1,003 communities, while 368 Ward Facilitators were trained and deployed to the grassroots. In April 2022, 67,094 women beneficiaries received individual grants under the project.”
“Building on those gains, the Scale-Up phase expanded the programme to seven Local Government Areas, Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta North, Ipokia and Remo North As of September 21, 2026, the State had formed 5,394 WAGs, reaching 124,062 women beneficiaries across the seven participating LGAs.”
“The Scale-Up programme has also covered 3,489 communities, with 664 trained and equipped Ward Facilitators serving as the grassroots workforce across the participating LGAs. The Governor noted that the progress recorded has positioned Ogun State as a reference point in the implementation of the programme, with about 26 states having visited Ogun to understudy its model, while the World Bank has adopted the State as a training hub for the programme in Nigeria”, Abiodun stated.
He, however, stressed that the WAG model goes beyond access to finance, as it promotes financial literacy, savings, responsible borrowing, collective accountability, business and entrepreneurial skills, gender awareness and life skills.
“The programme also provides opportunities for women to access health insurance, understand climate change and adaptation measures, benefit from strategic partnerships and enrol for the National Identification Number (NIN).
“In other words, the programme is building not only businesses, but knowledgeable, financially disciplined and economically resilient women,” Abiodun said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing the policy support, institutional collaboration and enabling environment required to complement interventions such as the NFWP-SU, expressing optimism that the investment would yield stronger businesses, increased household incomes, improved livelihoods, more jobs and resilient communities across Ogun State.
The Governor also specially appreciated the World Bank, Federal Project Coordinating Unit and other partners for their technical and financial support, while congratulating the 124,062 women already reached under the Scale-Up phase.
Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Princess Jummaih Idonije, described the initiative as a strategic economic intervention consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that expanding women’s economic opportunities was central to inclusive national development.
The World Bank Task Team Manager, Michael Ilesanmi, underscored the broader significance of the intervention, noting that the programme was helping to bridge financial access gaps for women while building their capacity to withstand economic pressures.
The Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor and Chairman of the Multi-Sectoral Committee of the NFWP-SU, Dapo Okubadejo, said the intervention reflected the importance of deliberately investing in women, who play significant roles as traders, farmers, processors, artisans, entrepreneurs and community builders.
Okubadejo, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Adebimpe Obienu, commended the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other stakeholders for their contributions to the implementation of the programme, while acknowledging the support of community leaders for the acceptability of the programme from its early stages.
The beneficiaries unanimously pledged to utilise the funds responsibly for productive economic activities, sustain the culture of savings and accountability promoted by the programme, and ensure that the intervention translates into stronger businesses, increased household incomes and improved livelihoods for their families and communities.
