The Ekiti State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, pledging continued institutional and policy support for the Nigeria for Women Program Scale-Up (NFWP-SU).
The Chief of Staff to the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo, gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from the Ogun State NFWP-SU Peer-to-Peer Support Team during a courtesy visit to his office in Ado-Ekiti.
Adebayo, who also chairs the state’s Multisectoral Coordinating Structure (MCS) for the programme, said empowering women has a multiplier effect on families, communities and the nation. He noted that economically empowered women contribute significantly to peace, stability and socio-economic development.
According to him, “the Nigeria for Women Program is designed to promote peace at the household level while strengthening women’s participation in community development initiatives. ”
Adebayo also highlighted Ekiti State’s history of productive engagement with multilateral agencies, attributing the success of such partnerships to effective governance and accountability structures.
Earlier, the Ogun State delegation, led by the State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, said “the peer-to-peer visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration and knowledge sharing between both states to enhance project implementation.”
Fadairo explained that the visit would enable both states to exchange experiences and lessons learned from implementing the Nigeria for Women Program Scale-Up. She stressed the importance of early enrolment of women into Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) to ensure beneficiaries access the full benefits of the programme, including capacity building, livelihood support and collective economic opportunities.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Olusola Adeluyi-Femi, described the programme as a strategic intervention that complements Ekiti State’s women empowerment agenda. She said it provides structured grassroots support, promotes social inclusion and strengthens household economic resilience.
The Ekiti State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Toyin Familoni, said Women Affinity Groups are voluntary, community-based groups established to promote savings, livelihood opportunities and peer support.
The visit ended with a technical session between both states on strategies for strengthening WAG formation and sustainability.