Ogun disburses N6bn investment fund to 3,855 women groups

The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government and the World Bank, has commenced the disbursement of the N6bn Community Investment Fund, CIF, to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) across four local government areas.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at Ijebu-Ode, on Wednesday, the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the intervention which is under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), aimed at expanding women-led businesses, strengthening household livelihoods and deepening women’s participation in economic activities.

Abiodun, who was represented by the immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, stated that the intervention is designed to give women greater capacity to move from subsistence activities to sustainable enterprises, while improving incomes and strengthening families.

The governor disclosed that the beneficiary women had collectively saved ₦2.6 billion over the past seven months, while total loans accessed through the groups had risen to over ₦4 billion.

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He described the figures as evidence of the financial discipline and commitment developed by the WAGs, stressing that the ₦6 billion CIF is not an outright grant but a sustainable revolving financing facility designed to provide capital for establishing and expanding businesses, generating income and employment and improving household welfare.

“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,” Abiodun  said.

He added that the beneficiary groups had demonstrated their readiness by meeting programme requirements, including regular participation, savings and internal lending, opening of bank accounts and preparation of Micro-Investment Plans.

The Governor explained that the intervention builds on the parent Nigeria for Women Project, which commenced implementation in Ogun in December 2020 after being signed between the World Bank and the Federal Government in 2018.

He said the parent project established 3,792 WAGs across 1,003 communities in Odeda, Ikenne, Ijebu North East and Yewa North, while 368 Ward Facilitators were trained and deployed, with 67,094 women beneficiaries receiving individual grants in April 2022.

According to him, the Scale-Up phase has expanded to seven LGAs including Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta North, Ipokia and Remo North, where 5,394 WAGs have been formed, 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 understudy its model and the World Bank has adopted the State as a training hub”, Abiodun stated.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing the policy support and institutional collaboration required to complement the intervention, while appreciating the World Bank, Federal Project Coordinating Unit and other partners for their support and congratulating the 124,062 women reached under the Scale-Up phase.

Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by the Special Assistant on Technical Management, 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.

She commended the state for always taking the lead, with an admonition to the beneficiaries to keep the flag flying by being good model to other WAGs in all the participating Local Government Areas.

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.

Meanwhile, 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.

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