The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has launched the Olowu Hope Initiative (OHI) Women Empowerment Fund, a flagship programme aimed at transforming the Owu Kingdom and serving as a model for community-driven development across Nigeria.
The initiative, founded by the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba (Prof) Saka Matemilola, builds on a successful pilot phase and targets reaching more than 50,000 women within its first decade. It is part of a wider vision to impact one million lives through four interconnected pillars: microcredit and economic empowerment, vocational training, education, and healthcare.
At the unveiling ceremony, the minister commended Oba Matemilola for his vision and commitment to grassroots progress. She assured that the Federal Government would strongly support the programme, noting that such initiatives represent the true drivers of societal transformation.
“This is exactly the kind of grassroots empowerment that transforms societies. We will ensure this initiative touches the lives of every woman in Owu Kingdom and beyond,” she said.
Oba Matemilola described the programme as a legacy movement rather than just another intervention. According to him, the OHI was designed to go beyond charity by equipping women with rights, resources, and respect to shape their futures.
“True empowerment means not just giving women rights but also providing the resources to define their destinies. A world that empowers women is more prosperous, just, and humane,” he declared.
The governance of the initiative is structured to guarantee transparency and sustainability. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Balogun of Owu Kingdom, chairs the Board of Trustees as Grand Patron. Other members include Oba Matemilola, Dr Mutiu Sunmonu, Aare Tony Attah, and Aare Chike Nwosu.
The Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Sunmonu, features accomplished professionals across diverse fields such as energy, business, education, and community leadership, all tasked with ensuring long-term impact. “This is about building lasting legacies, not short-term solutions,” Sunmonu said.
Central to the launch is the Women Empowerment Fund, described as the “engine room” of the OHI. The fund, chaired by Dr Akintoye Akindele and supported by members including Stephenie Coker Rank and Olori Adijat Bamidele Matemilola, will provide interest-free loans, business support, and capacity-building programmes in partnership with World Citizen. Its core target is to empower 50,000 women within five to ten years.
Akindele explained that the fund represents more than financial assistance. “This is an investment in Nigeria’s most untapped resource, our women. The ripple effects on the economy and society will be monumental,” he said.
The OHI operates on a two-tiered model that combines financial capital with support capital such as pro-bono services and donated goods, ensuring maximum reach and sustainability. The pilot phase already demonstrated the model’s success, and with strengthened governance and partnerships, the programme is now positioned for nationwide influence.
The ripple effects of empowering women, the initiative projects, will extend beyond business growth to stimulate local economies, improve nutrition, expand access to healthcare, enhance educational opportunities for children, and ultimately break cycles of poverty. With its ambitious vision, the OHI aims not only to empower women but also to foster generational change across Nigeria.
