By Olukayode Idowu
Nigerian women have been asked to move up by engaging competitively in the intra African trade and in the global market place.
Delivering a speech at the International Trade Centre (ITC) hosted training workshop on “Trade Competitiveness, Export Readiness and Visibility: Diagnosing and Supporting Women Businesses to Maximize the Opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA)” in Abuja, the National Coordinator, Nigerian Network of Women Exporters of Services (NNWES), Barrister Nkiru Okpala-Perkins said the programme was designed to aid women identify their business strengths and weakness; and pick up power-tools that will support their economic growth, guide them in engaging competitively in the intra African trade, and indeed, the globe market place.
She said the programme is coming at a time when it is imperative that women must be at the frontline of trade.
She noted that the International Trade Centre, (ITC) Geneva, a joint agency of the United Nations (UN), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has developed the SheTrades African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Project for African Women in Business, with Nigeria being a beneficiary of it, and “we are here to ensure its smooth implementation.”
Okpala-Perkins explained that the major objectives of this SheTrades AfCFTA Project are to help women have increased understanding of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the opportunities related to their countries and sectors; create awareness and better understanding of export requirements, procedures, and solutions; have proper assessment of their company’s readiness to enter regional markets, become aware of the potential export strategies and gain insight into their business weaknesses and strengths.
She revealed that ITC has redesigned the former SheTrades Platform with a new one launched on the 8th day of March, 2022, on the International Women’s Day.
She said: “That was a huge and pleasant gift from ITC Geneva to women across the globe. This one of its kind Project is supported by the ITC Trade Impact for Good, the Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB), and the SheTrades AfCFTA, It is housed by the Women and Trade Unit of the International Trade Centre, Palais Des Nation, Geneva, Switzerland.”
She stated that NNWES is here to ensure that Women in Business across Nigeria benefit maximally from the Project, adding that: “We shall first, be deep-diving with 40 Export Ready/Export Willing Women.”
Okpala-Perkins noted that the seven pillars of the SheTrades are created to enable women champion quality data, support women in advocating for the enactment of fair policies, help women secure government contracts (affirmative procurement, educate women on how to strike huge business deals.
She added that others are to grant them market access, train them on how to unlock financial services, and support them to secure the grant of ownership of rights.
She said: “Our hash tag for this year’s International Women’s Day is: #BreakTheBias. This calls on people to work towards a world that is equitable, inclusive, and free from bias or discrimination and ensure a level-playing ground for all. So, without bias ITC is poised at speeding up the integration of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) into Regional and Global Value Chains. Women abound in the SME world. With the support of ITC and our Wonderful MDAs in Nigeria, including our efforts as focused and proactive Women, we shall make trade work for growth, jobs creation, national development and ultimately for poverty reduction and possibly eradication in Nigeria.“
