Ogun to Institutionalise ‘Oko’wo Dapo’ as State-Backed Women’s Trust Fund

In a major move to bolster women’s economic empowerment, the Ogun State Government has announced plans to institutionalise its Women Empowerment Scheme, ‘Oko’wo Dapo’, into a formal State Women’s Trust Fund Policy.

The initiative is designed to ensure the continuity and sustainability of women-focused programmes, making them resilient to political changes. The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, during the official flag-off of the scale-up phase of the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP-SU) in Ijebu-Ode.

Commissioner Adeleye stated that the institutionalisation of ‘Oko’wo Dapo’ is a strategic step to expand access to opportunities and resources for women across the state. She highlighted that the state’s own scheme was originally inspired by the success of the first phase of the NFWP in four pioneer local government areas.

“The hubs have evolved into thriving centers for innovation, savings, skills development, and intergenerationcentresning,” Adeleye said, noting that 3,792 Women Affinity Groups and 61 Livelihood Collectives had already been established.

Echoing this commitment, the State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr Dapo Okubadejo, affirmed the state’s readiness to establish the Trust Fund. He emphasised that the administration prioritises Women’s Economic Empowerment as a key pillar for development.

Okubadejo, who also chairs the project’s Multisectoral Coordination Structure, revealed that the scale-up phase targets 105,000 women beneficiaries across four local government areas: Ijebu North-East, Odeda, Yewa North, and Ikenne. He explained that 420 Ward Facilitators will form Women Affinity Groups, who will receive training in financial education, business skills, and life skills to enhance their entrepreneurial capabilities.

The scale-up initiative received external validation from Michael Ilesanmi, the Senior Social Development Specialist and Task-Team Leader from the World Bank. He appraised Ogun State’s performance in the first phase as exemplary, noting that it was designated a leading state, with about 16 other states seeking to learn from its model.

The event, held at the Awujale Interregnum in Ijebu-Ode, signals Ogun State’s strengthened position as a national reference point for women-centred development initiatives.