Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said about 100,000 women have benefited from the World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Program (NFWP), reaffirming his administration’s commitment to using women’s economic empowerment to fight poverty and strengthen families.
Abiodun said Ogun deliberately took ownership of the initiative to provide women at the grassroots with resources, skills and opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods, support their households and live with dignity. He added that Ogun’s success has attracted delegations from more than 25 states seeking to understudy its implementation model.
The governor disclosed this while receiving the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, where they interacted with beneficiaries of the program.
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Commending the initiative, Mohammed praised the Abiodun administration for providing seed funding and believing in the capacity of women to grow businesses and transform their communities. She described Ogun’s experience as a model worthy of replication across Nigeria, declaring that “a country is as strong as its women.”
The State Coordinator of the program, Mrs. Bola Fadairo, said Ogun, one of the six pilot states at the program’s launch in 2020, has exceeded its target by 105 percent, establishing 8,759 Women Affinity Groups involving 247,273 women across all 20 local government areas.
She added that beneficiaries have received training in financial management, record-keeping, gender awareness, life skills and other areas aimed at building sustainable livelihoods and improving household incomes.
