‘Ogun, World Bank invest N5b in women empowerment, economic recovery’

Ogun State government and the World Bank Group have jointly invested over N5 billion in women-focused empowerment and livelihood initiatives over the past six years, Governor Dapo Abiodun has disclosed.
 
He made this known while receiving a delegation from the global lender, led by its Vice President, Galina Vincelette, at his office in Abeokuta.
   
Abiodun said the investment was deployed through the World Bank–supported Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) and the state’s domesticated empowerment scheme, Oko’Owo Dapo, which was established after the success of the initial programme.
    
According to him, the Nigeria for Women Project, implemented through Women Affinity Groups (WAGs), has significantly transformed the socio-economic lives of women across the state.
 
He added that the state government, subsequently, launched Oko’Owo Dapo to sustain and expand the gains of the initiative, noting that the programme has so far empowered about 55,000 women across Ogun
 
The governor also highlighted the achievements of OGCARES — the Ogun State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme — describing it as a critical intervention that strengthened household resilience and supported food system recovery during and after the pandemic.
 
On the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), the governor said the programme has recorded measurable progress in skills acquisition, agricultural productivity, and land administration reforms.
 
Speaking earlier, Vincelette reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting Ogun and Nigeria in addressing key development challenges.
   
Also speaking, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Matthew Verghis, disclosed that the financial institution is preparing a new Country Partnership Framework, with emphasis on job creation.