Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that about 100,000 women across the state have benefited from the World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP), describing women’s economic empowerment as a strategic tool for fighting poverty and strengthening families and communities.

Abiodun made this known on Monday when he received the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, who joined him in interacting with beneficiaries of the programme at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The governor said his administration deliberately embraced and took ownership of the programme because it provided an opportunity to reach women at the grassroots who might otherwise remain outside conventional structures of political and economic empowerment.

According to him, empowering women should go beyond appointing them to political offices to providing them with the resources, skills and opportunities required to build sustainable livelihoods, support their families and live with dignity.

“When the World Bank shared with us the Nigeria for Women Project, we did not only key into it; we took ownership of it.”

“We saw in that programme the opportunity to empower women because not all women can contest elections or be appointed Commissioners or occupy political offices. We saw the opportunity to touch the lives of these women, empower them to support their households and themselves, and give them a sense of dignity,” he said.

MEANWHILE, the UK Government, through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Digital Access Programme, has officially launched the Siun Community Self-Built Connectivity Hub in Obafemi Owode Local Council Area, Ogun State. This landmark initiative represents a significant step forward in expanding digital inclusion and strengthening connectivity for underserved communities across Nigeria.

The hub is one of 10 community-centred connectivity hubs being supported by the UK Government under its Digital Access Programme. Designed around a community-led model, the initiative aims to expand access to affordable internet services, strengthen digital skills, and create economic opportunities for rural and underserved populations, while placing ownership, management and long-term sustainability in the hands of local communities.

According to a statement yesterday, the inauguration brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, government officials, development partners, youth and women’s groups, as well as representatives of the FCDO and the Initiative for Digital Inclusion (IDI), the programme’s implementing partner.

Speaking at the event on behalf of the UK Government, First Secretary for Economic Partnership at the FCDO, Grace Bell, described the hub as a demonstration of the power of community ownership in driving sustainable digital transformation.