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Targets 105,000 women
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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Ogun State government says it has finalised plans to institutionalise the State Women Empowerment Scheme, otherwise known as ‘Oko’wo Dapo’, as a state-backed Women’s Trust Fund Policy, as part of efforts to further strengthen women’s economic empowerment across Ogun.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, stated this during the official flag-off of the NFWP Scale-Up Phase, held in Awujale Interregnum, Awujale’s Palace, Ijebu-Ode.
The Commissioner noted that the policy, when implemented, will complement the gains of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), a Federal Government-led women empowerment project aimed at empowering 105,000 women beneficiaries across the four implementing local government areas in the state.
She explained that the institutionalisation of ‘Oko’wo Dapo’ would guarantee continuity, sustainability, and transparency for women-focused initiatives, ensuring that empowerment programmes remain active and impactful beyond political cycles.
Adeleye further described the new policy as a strategic step to expand access to opportunities and resources for women in the state.
She added that the earlier establishment of the state scheme was consequent upon the success recorded in the first phase of the NFWP held in the four pioneer LGAs — Ijebu North-East, Odeda, Yewa North, and Ikenne — disclosing that 3,792 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) and 61 Livelihood Collectives/Hubs had been established across the four local government areas.
According to her, the hubs have evolved into thriving centres for innovation, savings, skills development, and intergenerational learning, demonstrating the transformative impact of structured, community-driven empowerment programmes.
The Commissioner, who announced that the scale-up phase targets the enrolment of no fewer than 25,000 women in Ijebu-Ode, encouraged traders, artisans, entrepreneurs, professionals, and women aged 18 and above to participate actively, noting that the facilitators for the programme were carefully selected from the local communities to ensure accessibility, proper guidance, and community ownership.
Adeleye also commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for providing the political will and visionary leadership that has enabled the project’s expansion.
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She further praised the Multisectoral Coordination Structure, chaired by Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, for its strategic oversight, which she said has been critical to achieving the milestones of both the first phase and the scale-up initiative.
“The institutionalisation of Oko’wo Dapo, together with the NFWP Scale-Up, positions Ogun State as a reference point for women-centred development initiatives nationwide. The move is key to sustaining socio-economic gains, expanding livelihood opportunities, and promoting inclusion for women across diverse sectors of the economy,” Adeleye submitted.
In his speech, the State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Dapo Okubadejo, who doubles as the Chairman of the Multisectoral Coordination Structure (MCS), posited that the Project Development Objective of the NFWP-SU aligned seamlessly with the present administration’s vision.
“A society that invests in women invests in sustainable development, stronger households, and inclusive growth. This administration has consistently prioritised Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) as a key pillar for removing the structural, social, and economic barriers that limit women from participating fully in economic activities,” he noted.
Commending the State Project Coordinator, Mrs Bolanle Fadairo, with affirmation of the readiness of the state government to institutionalise Oko’wo Dapo into a state-wide Women Trust Fund, the Commissioner added that the scale-up phase would deepen and expand the state’s capacity to reach more women, more households, and more communities.
He added that the 420 Ward Facilitators serving as the primary foot soldiers of the project would work towards the formation of ten (10) Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) which will comprise twenty-five (25) WAG members per facilitator, resulting in a total of 105,000 empowered women beneficiaries across the four implementing LGAs.
“The 105,000 women beneficiaries will be exposed to a series of training and retraining programmes on Financial Education, Business Skills, GRM, and Life Skills among others to enhance and influence entrepreneurial skills for improved women’s contribution to the State Gross Domestic Product. Equally educate them on how best to handle personal and business challenges of life,” Okubadejo stated.
In his remarks, the Senior Social Development Specialist and Task-Team Leader for the Scale-Up Project, Micheal Ilesanmi, appraised the performance of the state during the first phase of the project, noting that the state was designated by the World Bank as a leading state, resulting in about sixteen states approaching the state for peer-learning and capacity building of their respective project workforce.
He applauded Governor Abiodun and the State Commissioners for Finance and Women Affairs and Social Development, affirming that they have provided strong guidance, coordination, and oversight throughout the lifecycle of the first project, expressing optimism that the state government would surpass the set target in the scale-up phase.
