NEPC & ITC Empower 4,000 Women Entrepreneurs Globally

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) are working on a new program to empower women entrepreneurs and drive them to global market success. The collaboration intends to empower over 4,000 women-led enterprises, promoting development and export preparedness.

Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, unveiled the idea during a preparedness workshop titled "Positioning Women-led Businesses for African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Success" in Abuja. NEPC, as the program's host institution, is committed to promoting women's involvement in non-oil export firms.

Nonye emphasized that since 2016, the work with ITC has connected over 4,000 women-led enterprises to the SheTrades Initiative. Women entrepreneurs have learned crucial insights and skills through webinars, market access initiatives, and sector-specific training.

The ITC is executing the Empowering Women and Boosting Livelihoods through Agricultural Trade (EWAT) initiative in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This program intends to empower women in agricultural and agro-processing value chains by using AfCFTA potential.

The workshop participants reviewed the problems that women entrepreneurs face, such as the necessity for processing facilities, government involvement in machinery, regulatory issues, financial help, access to genuine buyers, and a comprehensive feedback mechanism. The initiative is in line with the SheTrades Commonwealth project, which aims to remove obstacles to women's involvement in global commerce while also building a more equitable and sustainable global environment.