As part of efforts to reduce poverty and support small businesses in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Olowu of Owu Abeokuta, Oba Saka Matemilola, has given hundreds of women interest-free loans and skill training in the past year.
Speaking in Abeokuta on Monday during the 2025 Odun Omo Olowu celebration, the monarch explained that his foundation, the Olowu Hope Initiative (OHI), focuses on four main areas — Health and Well-being, Education, Environment and Climate Change, and Enterprise and Skills Development.
Sharing the foundation’s progress, said that 150 women have received interest-free loans worth hundreds of millions of naira through a partnership with Lotus Bank. In addition, 1,200 women have been trained in different trades, while about 80 youths have received digital skills training.
The OHI Women Empowerment Programme aims to support 50,000 women with interest-free loans, skills training, and mentorship. Working with Lotus Bank and World Citizen, the programme helps women start or grow businesses and become financially independent. It also offers mentorship, scholarships, and access to healthcare.
Oba Matemilola noted that many women struggle to get affordable loans, and OHI is helping to solve this problem by providing microcredit and training to prepare them for bigger financial opportunities.
On September 30, 2025, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, officially launched the OHI Women Empowerment Fund — a community-based project designed to transform the Owu Kingdom and serve as a model for other communities across the country.
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