The Ogun State Government and the World Bank Group have invested over ₦5 billion in women empowerment and livelihood programmes across the state, Governor Dapo Abiodun has said.
The governor disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from the World Bank Group, led by its Vice President, Ms Galina Vincelette, at his office in Abeokuta.
Abiodun said the investment, spread over the last six years, was deployed through the World Bank supported Nigeria for Women Project and the state’s home grown empowerment scheme, Oko’Owo Dapo, which was introduced after the success of the initial intervention.
According to him, the Nigeria for Women Project, implemented through Women Affinity Groups, has had a far reaching impact on the socio economic lives of women across Ogun State.
He explained that the programme strengthened financial inclusion, promoted social cohesion, and equipped beneficiaries with leadership and basic accounting skills needed to grow their businesses and livelihoods.
The governor said about ₦3 billion was disbursed under the World Bank supported project, while the Ogun State Government provided an additional ₦2 billion as counterpart funding, bringing the total investment to roughly ₦5 billion.
Abiodun added that the state government later launched Oko’Owo Dapo to consolidate and expand the gains of the project, noting that the programme has so far empowered about 55,000 women across the state.
He also spoke on the impact of the Ogun State COVID 19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme, describing it as a key intervention that strengthened household resilience and supported food security during and after the pandemic.
On the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project, the governor said the initiative has recorded visible progress in skills acquisition, agricultural productivity, and land administration reforms.
He noted that the state has significantly reduced the time required to process Certificates of Occupancy, while ongoing works under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project have seen the upgrading of about 209 kilometres of rural roads to connect farms to markets.
Abiodun further disclosed that Ogun State would soon commission its Electricity Distribution Company as part of efforts to improve power supply and boost industrial and economic activities.
He said the state has established the Ogun State Electricity Board and is pursuing several Independent Power Projects, following constitutional amendments that allow states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.
According to him, plans are also underway to construct mini grids across the state to address growing energy needs and support businesses.
Speaking earlier, Ms Vincelette reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s commitment to supporting Ogun State and Nigeria in addressing development challenges, particularly through public private solutions in the electricity sector and sustained investments in human capital.
Also speaking, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Matthew Verghis, said the Bank is preparing a new Country Partnership Framework for Nigeria with a strong focus on job creation.
He said job creation remains the most sustainable pathway to reducing poverty and improving incomes, adding that Nigeria currently has a World Bank portfolio valued at about $17 billion, one of the largest in the world.
