The Ogun government says it has reached a significant milestone in women empowerment with the formation of 1,613 Women Affinity Groups.
The formation was under the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), emerging as a national reference point for inclusive grassroots development.
Mrs Adijat Adeleye, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, disclosed this while addressing a delegation of officials from visiting state at the implementation support mission for Southern States held in Abeokuta on Thursday.
Adeleye stated that the state's achievement had drawn the attention of other states, whose delegations were currently on a study visit to the state to understudy its implementation model.
The commissioner attributed the success to the sustained commitment of the state government under the leadership of Gov. Dapo Abiodun, likewise the wide acceptability of the project's vision majorly by the community leaders, traditional rulers and market groups.
"Women affinity groups are the backbone of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up Project (NFWP-SU) because they provide the primary platform through which women are mobilised, empowered, and reached at the grassroots.
"They foster trust, collective savings, peer learning, and accountability, enabling women to access financial literacy, business support, and livelihood opportunities in an inclusive and sustainable way.
"By strengthening social capital and giving women a collective voice, affinity groups ensure effective programme delivery, ownership, and long-term impact of NFWP-SU interventions within implementing local government areas," she said.
Adeleye noted that the present administration had consistently demonstrated strong belief in women’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development, providing the policy support and institutional backing required for women-focused interventions to thrive.
She disclosed that the state had exceeded benchmarks at the Scale-Up stage, becoming the only participating state to surpass the formation of 1,000 Women Affinity Groups, with figures now approaching 1,700.
"Our feat in Ogun NFWP-SU reflects both effective programme execution and the growing confidence of women across communities in the initiative," she said.
The commissioner commended the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up team in Ogun State, led by the State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, for their dedication and professionalism.
She added that the willingness of women to form additional groups beyond prescribed limits underscored their strong buy-in and belief in the project's impact.
The commissioner explained that the experience in the state reinforced the principle that investing in women translates into broader societal progress.
In her remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo noted that the engagement with the states was a moment of active interaction for the project team with delegation of officials from the Federal Government, Ekiti, Abia, Kwara, Kogi, Delta, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Anambra and Ondo States.
Fadairo noted that the understudy mission would further make the project team gear up it activities, with a view to further surpassing the expectations of the implementing partners while ensuring a more responsive women empowerment model.
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