RismadarVoice Reporters
September 24, 2026
The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank, has commenced the disbursement of N6 billion to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups across four local government areas under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up.
The intervention is aimed at expanding women-led businesses, strengthening household livelihoods and increasing women’s participation in economic activities.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Ijebu-Ode, Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the immediate-past Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adeleye, said the fund was designed to help women move from subsistence activities to sustainable businesses.
“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,” he said.
Abiodun said the beneficiary groups had met key programme requirements, including regular participation, savings, internal lending, opening of bank accounts and preparation of Micro-Investment Plans.
He disclosed that the women had collectively saved N2.6 billion over the previous seven months, while loans accessed through the groups had exceeded N4 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,” the governor said.
Abiodun clarified that the N6 billion Community Investment Fund was not an outright grant but a revolving financing facility intended to provide capital for establishing and expanding businesses, creating employment and improving household welfare.
He said the intervention was an extension of the Nigeria for Women Project, which commenced in Ogun State in December 2020 following the signing of the programme between the World Bank and the Federal Government in 2018.
According to him, the initial project established 3,792 Women Affinity Groups across 1,003 communities in Odeda, Ikenne, Ijebu North-East and Yewa North local government areas.
He added that 368 Ward Facilitators were trained and deployed, while 67,094 women beneficiaries received individual grants in April 2022.
The governor said the Scale-Up phase had expanded to seven local government areas: Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta North, Ipokia and Remo North.
He disclosed that 5,394 Women Affinity Groups had been established under the scale-up phase, reaching 124,062 women as of September 21, 2026.
“The programme has also covered 3,489 communities, with 664 trained ward facilitators, while about 26 states have visited Ogun to study its model and the World Bank has adopted the state as a training hub,” he said.
Abiodun said the Women Affinity Group model went beyond providing access to finance, as it also incorporated financial literacy, savings, responsible borrowing, collective accountability, business and entrepreneurial skills, gender awareness and life skills.
He added that beneficiaries were being exposed to opportunities in health insurance, climate adaptation, strategic partnerships and National Identification Number enrolment.
“In other words, the programme is building not only businesses, but knowledgeable, financially disciplined and economically resilient women,” the governor said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing the policy support and institutional collaboration needed to complement the intervention.
He also appreciated the World Bank, Federal Project Coordinating Unit and other partners for their support towards the programme.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by her Special Assistant on Technical Management, Jummaih Idonije, described the initiative as a strategic economic intervention aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
She said expanding women’s economic opportunities remained important to inclusive national development.
The minister commended Ogun State for its implementation of the programme and urged beneficiaries to sustain the initiative and serve as models to other Women Affinity Groups across the participating local government areas.
The World Bank Task Team Manager, Michael Ilesanmi, said the programme was helping to bridge financial access gaps for women while strengthening 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 Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up, Dapo Okubadejo, said the intervention demonstrated the importance of investing deliberately in women.
Okubadejo, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Adebimpe Obienu, noted that women play significant roles as traders, farmers, processors, artisans, entrepreneurs and community builders.
He commended the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other stakeholders for their contributions to the programme, while acknowledging community leaders for helping to facilitate its acceptance at the grassroots.
Some beneficiaries, including Oyesanya Omotoke of Irede WAG in Sagamu, Ayomide Ogunleye of Ifeoluwa WAG in Ijebu-Ode and Adesola Teriba, Chairperson of Success WAG in Abeokuta North, expressed appreciation for the intervention.
They said the fund would help strengthen their businesses and improve their livelihoods, while commending the Women Affinity Group model for promoting savings, internal lending, financial discipline and collective responsibility.
