Ogun State Government through the State Women Empowerment Scheme “OKO’WO DAPO’ has trained 33,530 women on financial management and empowered them with loans to boost their businesses, improve livelihood which will in turn reduce poverty in the State.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, stated this during a training programme for the 3rd Phase of the State Women Empowerment Scheme, Oko’wo Dapo in Abeokuta.
She noted that the empowerment under the scheme was aimed at elevating existing businesses, start up and grow new ones with knowledgeable ideas and strategies to enable consistency in their businesses.
Hon. Adeleye, revealed that the training had 150 ward facilitators selected across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State, maintaining that the programme had helped train children in academic pursuit, making them standout in the society and rebuilt confidence among their peers.
“Over 33,000 women have been empowered to the tune of over N2bn. For you to benefit from the scheme, you must have something you’re doing or you have the intention of starting a business and with this training, our ward facilitators would move round their individual Local Government and wards to create Women Affinity Groups(WAGs) involving people of like minds to start contributions, then at some point the State will give them grant,’’ she said.
The Commissioner advised the beneficiaries to better equip themselves and use the money judiciously, adding that it was not meant for “Aso-Ebi” or other frivolous activities.
In her address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Adejumoke Adewole, stated that the training was a testament to the Governor’s commitment to the empowerment and advancement of women, particularly at the grassroots level.
Adewole noted that the State Women Empowerment Scheme (Okoowo Dapo), since its inception in 2022, had remained an initiative designed to enhance the economic capacity of women, promote financial independence and improve the overall livelihood of underserved women across the State.
Speaking, Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ayotunde Lawal, urged the women to take advantage of the training in order to have a positive impact on their various communities saying that ‘’when a woman is empowered the whole nation is empowered’’.
Earlier, the State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, noted that at the end of the training, the women were expected to meet the set targets of 770 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) which would comprise of 20,000 women beneficiaries across the 20 LGAs in the State.
On behalf of other participants Mrs. Ganiyat Busari from Ogun waterside and Mrs. Mutiat Lawal from Odeda, appreciated the Governor for the initiative, saying that, the training had broadened their horizon on how to better manage their businesses, keep records and invest more.
