The Ogun State Government has revealed its intention to formalise its Women Empowerment Scheme, Oko’wo Dapo, by transitioning it into a state-supported Women’s Trust Fund designed to expand long-term economic empowerment opportunities for women across the state.
The announcement was made at the launch of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), held at the Awujale’s Palace in Ijebu-Ode. The NFWP-SU, coordinated by the Federal Government, targets the economic advancement of 105,000 women across four implementing local government areas.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adeleye, explained that institutionalising Oko’wo Dapo would promote sustainability, ensure continuity and strengthen transparency, allowing women-focused initiatives to outlive political transitions. She described the move as a strategic shift that will broaden access to resources and income-generating opportunities for women statewide.
Adeleye highlighted that the achievements recorded during the first phase of the NFWP in Ijebu North-East, Odeda, Yewa North, and Ikenne encouraged the state to deepen its efforts. She reported that 3,792 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) and 61 Livelihood Collectives or hubs were created across the four LGAs. These hubs, she said, have become centres for innovation, savings, skills development and intergenerational knowledge-sharing, demonstrating the impact of well-structured, community-driven empowerment systems.
Under the Scale-Up phase, no fewer than 25,000 women are expected to be enrolled in Ijebu-Ode alone. Adeleye urged traders, artisans, entrepreneurs, professionals and women aged 18 and above to key into the programme. She noted that facilitators were selected from within local communities to guarantee accessibility, proper mentorship and strong community ownership.
The commissioner applauded Governor Dapo Abiodun for providing the leadership necessary to expand the scheme and commended the Multisectoral Coordination Structure chaired by Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Dapo Okubadejo, for effectively supervising both phases.
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Adeleye also stated that institutionalising Oko’wo Dapo alongside the NFWP-SU places Ogun State at the forefront of women-focused development models nationwide, helping preserve socio-economic gains while enhancing inclusion across various sectors.
In his remarks, Okubadejo noted that the project’s goals align with the government’s drive for inclusive and sustainable development. “A society that invests in women builds sustainable growth, resilient households and inclusive prosperity,” he said. He reaffirmed that Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) remains central to the state’s development priorities.
He confirmed the state’s preparedness to convert Oko’wo Dapo into a formal Women’s Trust Fund and disclosed that 420 ward facilitators would be responsible for forming 10 Women Affinity Groups each, comprising 25 women per group. This framework is designed to support the empowerment of 105,000 women across the four implementing LGAs.
Okubadejo added that beneficiaries would receive training in financial literacy, business development, grievance redress systems and essential life skills to strengthen their entrepreneurial capacity and contribution to Ogun State’s Gross Domestic Product.
Senior Social Development Specialist and Task-Team Leader for the Scale-Up Project, Micheal Ilesanmi, lauded the state’s strong performance during the first phase, noting that the World Bank had acknowledged Ogun as a top-performing state that attracted 16 others for peer-learning and capacity-building.
He further applauded the governor and key commissioners for maintaining robust oversight throughout the project and expressed confidence that the state would exceed its targets under the Scale-Up phase.
