By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Ogun State has recorded a significant increase in the formation of Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), reinforcing its commitment to women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

As part of efforts to consolidate the gains, the state government convened strategic review meetings in Ijebu-Ode and Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Areas to assess implementation progress and broaden beneficiary reach.

Speaking during the sessions, the State Project Coordinator, Bolanle Fadairo, who was accompanied by the Project Procurement Officer and the Project Secretary, commended the synergy between Local Field Supervisors and Women Affinity Group Supporting Officers, describing their efforts as instrumental to the programme’s growing success.

Fadairo disclosed that real-time data monitoring indicates that 852 WAGs have been established in Ijebu-Ode, while 777 groups have been formed in Ado-Odo/Ota. She attributed the impressive figures to the dedication of field officers and the increasing acceptance of the World Bank-supported initiative among women in the state.

According to her, national performance statistics currently rank Ogun among the leading states in programme implementation, stressing the need for sustained commitment to maintain the standard.

“These review sessions are designed to evaluate progress, address identified gaps in meeting procedures and record-keeping, and ensure strict compliance with operational guidelines,” she said.

She further urged facilitators to deepen advocacy on savings culture among members, ensure accurate documentation — particularly proper passbook management — and maximise the use of the programme’s toll-free support line for feedback and assistance.

Highlighting the role of technology in driving transparency and efficiency, Fadairo explained that real-time monitoring tools are being deployed to track enrolment and implementation processes, noting that adherence to established guidelines has positioned Ogun as a model state under the NFWP-SU framework.

In their separate remarks, the Local Field Supervisors for Ijebu-Ode and Ado-Odo/Ota, Omoju Olugbenga and Kayode Kikisagbe, lauded the Ogun State Government and the programme team for prioritising women’s economic empowerment.

They pledged to intensify grassroots mobilisation and sustain quality implementation to ensure the continued success of the initiative across the benefiting local government areas.