Nigerian women entrepreneurs will soon have access to a $5,000–$30,000 grant from the World Trade Organization and the International Trade Center to boost their enterprises in digital trade, according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
During the women exporters’ conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Nonye Ayeni, the executive director and CEO of NEPC, said that approximately 40% of SMEs in Nigeria are run by women.
Through the creation of jobs, revenue, and company development in important industries, women-led enterprises significantly boost Nigeria’s economy. They are involved in trade, services, processing, and agriculture. They are establishing companies, adding value, and occupying important roles throughout the export value chain.
A significant statement was made in Abu Dhabi in 2024 on the establishment of a $50 million fund by the WTO and ITC to assist women in digital trade. Only four Business Support Organizations globally were chosen to carry out phase one, including NEPC. More than 67,000 women in Nigeria responded to our call for applications. That on its own indicates the degree of interest and the scope of the demand. 146 ladies were chosen from that total.
They will be provided with training, individualized coaching, mentorship, and a grant of between $5,000 and $30,000. More significantly, they are positioned to compete not only locally but also internationally and on digital platforms. We are pleased with what this stands for. It is a road rather than merely a curriculum, she stated.
According to Ayeni, the conference is more than simply a get-together; it’s a working platform that will tackle real-world problems including market access, digital trade, export preparedness, standards compliance, and financial access.
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