Ogun State has emerged as a model for women empowerment and effective project implementation, following a high-level assessment by a World Bank delegation on the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP).
The delegation, led by Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS), Ms. Gallina Andronova Vicelette, alongside Country Director Mr. Mathew Verghis, and Task Team Leader of the NFWP, Mr. Michael Ilesanmi, visited selected project sites across the state to evaluate the impact of the NFWP Scale-Up initiative and engage directly with beneficiaries.
During the visit, the team interacted with Women Affinity Groups, including members of the Odeda Tailoring Collective in Odeda Local Government Area.
They observed group operations such as savings contributions, loan applications and repayments, and discussed how these groups serve as platforms for last-mile service delivery.
The delegation also witnessed the adire-making process and use of shared tailoring equipment provided to beneficiaries.
Officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, led by Commissioner Hon. Adijat Adeleye, and the Ministry of Health, represented by Dr. Tomi Coker, accompanied the team throughout the visit.
Describing the programme as transformational, Mr. Ilesanmi said, “This flagship programme empowers women through access to finance and markets, while challenging social norms that limit women and girls.
The women are clearly happy, and the impact extends to their households.
Testimonies from partners, faith leaders, and community heads show that as women’s livelihoods improve, household incomes rise, and joint decision-making strengthens.”
He highlighted that Ogun State has remained a flagship state for the project, recording 3,600 Women Affinity Groups involving 60,000 women in the first phase, with an additional 40,000 women reached under the scale-up phase. Projections indicate that between 200,000 and 300,000 women will be directly empowered within the next 18 months. He also commended the state government for demonstrating strong ownership through significant counterpart funding.
Commissioner Adeleye praised the state’s commitment to women empowerment, describing Ogun as “a state of great minds with a consistent record of excellence across sectors.”
She stressed that the administration approaches governance with deliberate passion and remains focused on empowering women at both grassroots and middle-class levels.
Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, State Project Coordinator for the NFWP Scale-Up, explained that the World Bank visit was intended for first-hand assessment of project sites and beneficiary engagement, which would help identify best practices for replication in other states.
Beneficiaries also testified to the programme’s transformative impact. Chairperson of the Ifesowapo Odeda Fashion Designer Collective, Mrs. Mariam Bolatito Okunoye, said the group received modern fashion equipment, including industrial sewing machines, stoning machines, and monogramming tools, which significantly boosted productivity.
She emphasized that the programme is free, inclusive, non-political, and genuinely focused on women’s economic empowerment.
