TGI Strengthens Financial Inclusion In Cocoa Communities Through OFID Initiative

Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering inclusive rural economies through the successful launch of the Osun Financial Inclusion Drive (OFID). Implemented under its sustainable cocoa program and executed via WACOT Limited, a member of TGI Group, OFID empowers underserved farming communities with access to formal banking services, financial literacy tools, and digital platforms. The initiative directly supports TGI’s broader (sustainability agenda), ensuring that smallholder farmers are not left behind in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving financial landscape.

This financial inclusion drive builds on the success of the 2022 Kebbi Financial Inclusion Drive (KFID), which reached over 5,000 farmers across five local governments in Kebbi State with a high inclusion rate for women and youth.

TGI’s rural inclusion strategy focuses on getting rural economic players to participate in formal banking, financial inclusion, farmer empowerment, social and economic development in communities where they operate, embedding inclusion at the core of its agricultural operation across Nigeria.

“Reflecting on the broader impact of the initiative, Yosola Ononuga, head of Sustainability at TGI Group, commented:

“For us at TGI, inclusion starts at the grassroots. OFID is about equipping farmers with the tools to participate meaningfully in today’s economy. This is sustainability in action, creating access, building resilience, and empowering communities from within. Whether in Kebbi, Osun, or any other state where we operate, we are embedding financial inclusion as a critical pillar of our sustainability agenda.”

When people are excluded from basic banking services, their economic independence is limited. Through OFID, TGI is bridging this gap, supporting over 1,700 cocoa farmers across 92 Osun communities with the resources and knowledge needed to improve financial decision-making, build income security, and plan for long-term growth.

For many of the beneficiaries, it was their first interaction with structured financial services.

“Prior to this time, it has not been easy for me to manage my finances and this is my first time opening an account, so it’s indeed a great privilege for me,” shared Mr. Oladipupo Fatai, a cocoa farmer in Olosun Community, Akeredolu. “Now, I have a bank account and I’ve learned how to use my phone for payments.”

As part of the closing activities for the drive, over 100 cocoa farmers received Sustainability Differential (SD) payments, a financial incentive awarded to those who met traceable, responsible cocoa farming standards.

TGI Group will continue to expand financial inclusion activities across its agricultural value chains, reinforcing its belief that farmers should be empowered not only as producers, but as active participants in shaping Nigeria’s rural economy.