• Friday, March 29, 2024
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NEPC sensitises Abia women entrepreneurs on export

NEPC sensitises Abia women entrepreneurs on export

Olusegun Awolowo, executive director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has advised women entrepreneurs in Abia State, especially those in Aba, the State’s commercial hub, to consider producing for export to earn the desired foreign exchange.

Awolowo, gave the advice Thursday, in Aba at a-day capacity building workshop on women inclusion in the development of non-oil export, organised by the Council’s Aba Smart office.

The NEPC boss, who was represented at the forum, by Rosslyn Ekanem, head of, Aba Smart office of the council, stated that the world is looking for emerging markets like Nigeria with transformed economy for direct foreign investment (DFI).

He affirmed that now is the time to do business with global standards and urged the women to go into export to sustain their businesses.

Read Also: NEXIM launches export facility for youth, women exporters in Kebbi

Onyinyechi Nwachukwu, permanent secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Abia State, who declared the forum open, stated that women
form a greater part of the population, but are always left out in policymaking and urged government at all levels to include women in policymaking.

According to her, if you remove women from the scheme of things, there will be no development.

She observed that women are more involved in agriculture and urged the NEPC to find a way to help the smallholder farmers to add value to their produce, which according to her would not only empower the women but contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

While thanking the NEPC for understanding the importance of women in economic development, however, urged the council to help the women to form clusters to prepare their products for export.

Uduma Uduma, a staff of the Ministry of Trade, Abia State, reaffirmed the ministry’s readiness to continue to partner with NEPC to support exporters and intended exporters in the State.

Grace Okaro, national public relations officer, African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP), while delivering a paper titled, “Women catalyst in the development of non-oil export in Abia State”, stated that Abia women are gifted in creative artistry and dominate most of the creative art production, cloth weaving, auto gele, beading, knitting and crocheting, fashion designing, among others.

She however noted that carrier and motherhood, lack of finance, domestic violence, gender inequality and financial illiteracy have hampered
women development in export trade.

Consequently, she recommended knowledge sharing among women, including e-learning, collaboration, export trade, agricultural service enhancement, packaging and financial management, among others.

She urged the organised private sector, governments, development organisations, donor agencies and communities to increase digital technologies to unleash the potentials of the rural economy and bridge value chains for enhanced profitability.

She also recommended regular training to acquaint women with the necessary requirements to add value to their products to acquire exportable standards and make more profits.

This is as she also urged the government to see women in export trade as important partners that can help boost the economy of the State.
and make the needed investment, including infrastructure

According to her, women leaders are dominating the entire world in all aspects of human endeavour and can get better.

She appealed to Abia women to be more responsive to opportunities at their disposal as to join the moving train.

The theme of the workshop was, “Women as a catalyst in non-oil export development in the State”.