Ogun Records Sharp Rise In Women Affinity Groups Under NFWP-SU

Ogun State has reported a major increase in Women Affinity Group (WAG) formation under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), as officials push wider financial inclusion and income opportunities for women across communities.

During review meetings in Ijebu-Ode and Ado-Odo/Ota local government areas, the State Project Coordinator, Bolanle Fadairo, said implementation teams are seeing stronger participation and better programme acceptance among women at the grassroots level.

Fadairo attended the sessions alongside the Project Procurement Officer and Secretary. The meetings, according to project officials, were organised to review ongoing work, close identified gaps, and improve the consistency of delivery in implementing communities.

She said field data being tracked in real time shows clear progress in both councils. “Through the real time data monitor, 852 WAGs have been formed in Ijebu-Ode, while 777 groups have been established in Ado-Odo/Ota, these figures are a yielding result of the dedication of field officers and the growing acceptance of the world-bank sponsored programme among women,” she said.

Fadairo added that current national performance rankings place Ogun among leading states in the programme. She said this standing must be protected through stronger supervision, accurate records, and disciplined implementation by local teams.

“These review sessions were designed to assess progress, correct identified gaps in meeting procedures and record-keeping, and ensure strict adherence to operational guidelines,” she said.

She also stressed savings mobilisation and administrative discipline at the group level. “We are here to encourage facilitators to promote savings culture among members, ensure proper documentation, particularly passbook management and maximize the use of the programme’s toll-free line for support and feedback,” Fadairo said.

The coordinator said technology is now central to delivery, with real-time monitoring tools being used to track enrolment and operational performance. She said compliance with the programme framework has helped Ogun maintain strong implementation results.

In separate remarks, Local Field Supervisors Omoju Olugbenga (Ijebu-Ode) and Kayode Kikisagbe (Ado-Odo/Ota) commended the state government and programme team for sustaining attention on women’s economic empowerment. Both officials said they would intensify mobilisation and maintain implementation quality to keep progress steady in participating communities.