The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, has commended Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his commitment to women’s economic empowerment through the Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP).
Mohammed gave the commendation on Monday when she joined Abiodun to interact with beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported programme at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Speaking during the engagement, Abiodun disclosed that about 100,000 women across the state had benefited from the programme, which he described as a strategic intervention for tackling poverty, strengthening families and promoting community development.
The governor said his administration deliberately embraced and took ownership of the programme because it offered an opportunity to reach women at the grassroots who might not have access to conventional political or economic empowerment opportunities.
According to him, empowering women should not be limited to appointing them to political positions, but should also involve providing the resources, skills and opportunities needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
“When the World Bank shared with us the Nigeria for Women Project, we did not only key into it; we took ownership of it,” Abiodun said.
He added that the initiative had demonstrated that investment in women could have a wider impact on households and the economy, noting that empowered women were better positioned to support their families and contribute to community development.
Abiodun also disclosed that the Ogun model had attracted delegations from more than 25 states seeking to study the state’s approach, expressing hope that the programme would be expanded across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Mohammed, who praised the governor for providing seed funding and political support for the programme, said the achievements of the beneficiaries demonstrated what women could accomplish when provided with the right opportunities.
“You have shown that you started small and you are growing, and what we want is for every woman in Ogun State who can benefit to have that benefit,” she said.
The UN official said she would take the Ogun experience back to her home state as an example of how deliberate investment in women could transform communities.
“A country is as strong as its women,” Mohammed added.
The State Coordinator of the Nigeria for Women Programme, Mrs. Bola Fadairo, said Ogun was among the first six pilot states when the programme commenced in 2020.
Fadairo disclosed that the state had exceeded its target by 105 per cent, with 8,759 Women Affinity Groups comprising 247,273 women established across the 20 local government areas.
She added that beneficiaries had received training in financial management, record keeping, gender awareness and life skills, among other areas, to equip them with the knowledge and capacity to build sustainable livelihoods.
The coordinator said the scale of participation demonstrated Ogun State’s commitment to creating sustainable economic opportunities for women, improving household incomes and strengthening communities.
