A commerce mission aimed toward boosting worldwide market entry for women-led companies kicked off in Abuja on Tuesday.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council with funding from the UK and the Worldwide Commerce Centre, allows feminine entrepreneurs to advertise their merchandise and join with worldwide consumers.
The occasion unites exporters, UK importers, and companions in commerce growth, emphasizing the enlargement of alternatives for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises aiming to entry high-value export markets
Talking on the opening session, Minister of Trade, Commerce and Funding, Jumoke Oduwole, reaffirmed the Federal Authorities’s dedication to empowering women-owned companies beneath President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She mentioned, “Girls stay the spine of Nigeria’s financial system, and strengthening their entry to international markets is crucial to reaching non-oil export diversification.”
Oduwole highlighted progress achieved by means of focused export help initiatives, revealing that 146 women-led companies have already benefited from the WTO/ITC Girls Exporters within the Digital Economic system Fund, designed to assist feminine entrepreneurs undertake digital instruments and improve their on-line presence.
“These ladies are actually higher outfitted, higher knowledgeable, and higher positioned to enter high-value export markets,” she mentioned. “Our imaginative and prescient is obvious: to diversify our financial system, empower SMEs, and elevate Nigeria as a worldwide chief in non-oil exports.”
The minister additionally pointed to a current milestone in UK–Nigeria commerce relations, noting that in October, the UK granted Nigeria tariff aid on practically 3,000 product traces beneath its Creating International locations Buying and selling Scheme.
Describing it as a “main alternative for Nigerian exporters, particularly women-led MSMEs, to scale production, scale back market-entry prices, and enter one of many world’s best markets,” Oduwole burdened the sensible advantages of the commerce mission.
She outlined three central alternatives for members in the course of the three-day occasion: increasing real-time market entry, strengthening partnerships between Nigerian exporters and UK importers, and growing the worldwide visibility of Nigerian manufacturers.
“When Nigerian manufacturers are seen, they’re valued. And when valued, they appeal to funding,” she mentioned, urging ladies entrepreneurs to leverage the platform totally.
In her welcome tackle, NEPC Government Director/CEO, Nonye Ayeni reiterated the council’s dedication to increasing Nigeria’s presence in international non-oil markets.
She described the commerce mission as “a celebration of shared values, mutual {economic} aspirations, and a dedication to inclusive and sustainable commerce.”
Ayeni emphasised the SheTrades Nigeria Hub, which is run by NEPC in collaboration with ITC and funded by the UK authorities, as a significant factor in enhancing the capabilities of feminine entrepreneurs.
Nigerian women-led enterprises have benefited from the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme by having access to new markets, bettering product requirements, and growing export preparedness.
She additionally highlighted NEPC’s capacity-building packages, which embrace instruction in digital commerce, packaging, branding, and export protocols.
Beneath the council’s “Go World, Go Certification” venture, greater than 400 MSMEs have obtained help to acquire internationally acknowledged certifications reminiscent of HACCP, FDA, HALAL, and ISO 22000, with 80 % of beneficiaries being ladies.
“These certifications open doorways to international markets and guarantee our merchandise meet worldwide requirements,” Ayeni defined.
The NEPC chief additionally invited UK traders and importers to discover Nigerian merchandise, noting that the nation’s non-oil export sector holds huge untapped potential.
The commerce mission continues by means of Thursday, that includes exhibitions, B2B conferences, and sector-specific workshops focusing on exporters in agribusiness, magnificence and wellness, and processed meals.