Aiyedatiwa Allocates ₦50m Empowerment Grants for 1,200 Women, Launches O’Datiwa Women Cooperative

Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the sum of ₦50 million as International Women’s Day empowerment grants, with 1,200 women across the state set to benefit from the intervention. At the 2026 IWD celebration held at The Dome, Akure, the governor disclosed that ₦40 million is earmarked for direct financial empowerment of women, while the remaining ₦10 million will seed the O’Datiwa Women Cooperative Multipurpose Society to promote shared growth and financial sustainability.

Aiyedatiwa described the intervention as a practical tool to expand access to finance, strengthen women‑led enterprises and deepen economic resilience amid prevailing economic challenges. He stressed that the grants are not mere policy statements but deliberate instruments of transformation aimed at lifting women out of poverty and positioning them as key drivers of the state’s economic growth.

“Give to Gain” themes investment in women

The 2026 celebration in Ondo was themed “Give to Gain”, which the governor linked to global advocacy under the United Nations’ framework on “Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls.” He explained that investing in women through education, healthcare, leadership development and economic empowerment yields multiplied returns for families, communities and the nation. The theme, he added, aligns with the state’s “OUR EASE” development agenda, which prioritises affordability, opportunity and social inclusion.

Listing ongoing women‑focused programmes, the governor highlighted the O’Datiwa Skills Empowerment Programme, Women Agricultural Support Programme, Nigeria for Women Programme Scale‑Up, O’Datiwa Care and Inclusive Initiative, and Vulnerable Widows Empowerment Programme. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to gender inclusion in governance, pointing to increased representation of women in political appointments and decision‑making structures.

First Lady commits to financial autonomy, 1,200 beneficiaries

The Wife of the Governor, Mrs Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, in her keynote address, branded this year’s theme “Give Today” as a call for greater financial autonomy to respond to household economic realities. She restated her commitment to women empowerment, noting that women remain central to Ondo’s development as economic drivers, home builders and key players in agriculture, trade and professions.

Mrs Aiyedatiwa announced that the ₦40 million grant component will be distributed to 1,200 women spread across traders, professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs, security agencies, civil society groups, students and vulnerable women. She described the initiative as an extension of the 2025 edition that empowered 1,000 women, underscoring the administration’s growing commitment to women’s economic independence. She urged women to consistently demand rights and justice, encouraged young girls to be ambitious, and called on men and stakeholders to support women through concrete, non‑rhetorical action.

Women Affairs Commission details inclusive blueprint

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Seun Bosede Osamaye, disclosed that the ministry’s interventions are anchored on the O’Datiwa Women Initiative Blueprint, which covers economic empowerment, education, healthcare, mentorship, agriculture and governance participation. She said the 2026 edition of the celebration, themed “Give to Gain,” reflects a deliberate effort to ensure that no category of women is left behind, including widows, elderly women and persons with disabilities.

Osamaye listed skills acquisition programmes, small business support, agricultural schemes and targeted assistance for vulnerable groups as core components of the state’s women‑focused agenda. She also highlighted mentorship and youth programmes such as the Teen Girls Conference, Tech‑a‑Girl initiative, Back‑to‑School for adult women and continuous campaigns for girl‑child education and health awareness.

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Icon Awards, special recognitions

The ceremony also featured the conferment of Icon Awards on five distinguished women for their contributions to women’s empowerment and development in Ondo State. They are: former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Jumoke Akindele; Rev. Dr. Damilola Oshin; Mrs Jumoke Anifowose; Mrs Kosemani Kolawole; and Bishop Funke‑Felix Adejumo.

Special recognition awards were presented to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his Chief Press Secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, and philanthropist Chief Margaret Ebun Oladunni for their contributions to women’s development. Attendees included Deputy Governor Dr Olayide Adelami and his wife, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, former Secretary to the State Government, traditional rulers, chiefs imam, commissioners’ wives, local government chairmen, lawmakers, paramilitary agencies, women groups, artisans and students.