The Ogun State Government has trained and empowered 33,530 women on financial education, business, gender and life skills across the state.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, said the women were empowered under the Ogun State Women Empowerment Scheme (Okoowo Dapo).

She spoke in Abeokuta during the workshop for 150 newly engaged ward facilitators of Oko'wo Dapo under the third phase.

According to her, the scheme was conceived as a strategic social intervention designed to stimulate women's participation in economic

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activities by providing them with the necessary financial support, capacity building, and entrepreneurial opportunities to improve their livelihoods and that of their families.

Adeleye said since its inception in 2022, the scheme has extended hands of hope and tools for self-reliance to thousands of women across our 20 Local Government Areas, unlocking opportunities that have turned humble ideas into thriving enterprises.

The Commissioner said when women are empowered, communities prosper, households thrive, and the larger society becomes stronger and more resilient.

"During the first and the second phase of the project, a total of 430 Ward Facilitators were engaged to form and strengthen Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) across our communities. They successfully formed 1,616 WAGs which comprise of 33,530 women beneficiaries.

"The 33,530 women beneficiaries were exposed to training and re-training programs on Financial Education, Business Skill and Gender and life skill. Testimonials

abound across the State on how the project has transformed the means of livelihood of our women and their entire household," she said.

Adeleye said 150 newly engaged Ward Facilitators are expected to meet the target of formation of 770 Women Affinity Groups

(WAGs) which will comprise of 20,000 women beneficiaries across the Gateway State within the project time frame.