An initiative designed to help women-led businesses engage in global digital trade, the Women Exporter in Digital Economy (WEIDE) grant was recently launched in Abuja. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO) officiated the launch. Nigeria has been selected as a pilot beneficiary of the fund, with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) being one of only four global Business Support Organizations (BSOs), and the sole African representative, chosen to implement the first phase.
This grant aligns with the NEPC's ongoing efforts to empower women in the export sector. According to Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director, NEPC the council has already trained over 100 women-led businesses on increasing the value of spice and herb exports. This was achieved through the use of aggregation centers that streamline supply chains and connect producers to both local and international markets.
Ayeni highlighted, these efforts are part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to integrate women and youth into the export ecosystem. The NEPC also hosted a forum to help women-led businesses capitalize on opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The goal of these initiatives is to enhance the export competitiveness of women; improve their access to market information and trade facilitation services; boost data collection on women-led non-oil export activities and advocate for more gender-responsive trade and export policies.
In the first half of the year, the NEPC registered 2,285 new exporters and conducted 252 capacity-building programs for over 27,000 participants. These programs covered essential topics like documentation, export readiness, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Warehousing Practice (GWP), and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
The council also facilitated free international certifications, such as FDA and HACCP, for 200 exporters, which helps them meet global standards, reduce product rejections, and boost competitiveness. As a part of its Corporate Social Investment, the NEPC distributed over 23,000 hybrid seedlings to more than 3,000 farmers to improve the quality and volume of produce for export.
