The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government and the World Bank, has started disbursing a ₦6 billion Community Investment Fund to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups across four local government areas under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up. This initiative aims to expand women-led businesses, strengthen household livelihoods, and increase women's participation in economic activities. The program was launched at a flag-off ceremony in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, represented by Motunrayo Adeleye, stated that the fund was designed to enable women to move from subsistence activities to sustainable enterprises. He mentioned that the beneficiary groups demonstrated their readiness by meeting key program requirements, including regular participation, savings, internal lending, opening bank accounts, and preparing Micro-Investment Plans. Abiodun highlighted that the women had collectively saved ₦2.6 billion in seven months and accessed over ₦4 billion in loans.
Abiodun clarified that the ₦6 billion CIF is not an outright grant but a sustainable revolving financing facility for establishing and expanding businesses, creating employment, and improving household welfare. This intervention is an extension of the Nigeria for Women Project, which started in Ogun State in December 2020, following the signing of the project between the World Bank and the Federal Government in 2018. The parent project established 3,792 WAGs across 1,003 communities.
The Scale-Up phase of the program has expanded to seven local government areas, including Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta North, Ipokia, and Remo North. A total of 5,394 WAGs have been formed, reaching 124,062 women as of September 21, 2026. The program has covered 3,489 communities, with 664 trained Ward Facilitators. About 26 states have visited Ogun to understudy its model, and the World Bank has adopted the state as a training hub.
The WAG model goes beyond providing access to finance, incorporating financial literacy, savings, responsible borrowing, collective accountability, business and entrepreneurial skills, gender awareness, and life skills. Beneficiaries are also exposed to opportunities relating to health insurance, climate adaptation, strategic partnerships, and National Identification Number enrollment. Abiodun reaffirmed his administration's commitment to providing policy support and institutional collaboration.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the initiative as a strategic economic intervention consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu. She commended Ogun State for its leadership in implementing the program and urged beneficiaries to sustain the momentum. The World Bank Task Team Manager, Michael Ilesanmi, said the program helps bridge financial access gaps for women while strengthening their capacity to withstand economic pressures.
Some beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, stating that the fund would help women strengthen their businesses and improve their livelihoods. They commended the WAG model for promoting savings, internal lending, financial discipline, and collective responsibility. The Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Dapo Okubadejo, noted that the intervention underscores the importance of deliberate investment in women.
Key points
- Ogun State Government, FG, and World Bank disburse ₦6bn to 3,855 women's groups.
- The program aims to expand women-led businesses and strengthen household livelihoods.
- The initiative is part of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up.
