FG, WTO partner to empower 146 Nigeria women

…100 women to get $5,000 each for start ups- Okonjo- Iweala

The federal government and the World Trade Organisation WTO, have concluded plans to empower a total of 146 Nigerian women.

Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation WTO, said the federal government and the WTO launched a women exporters fund for the digital economy, to empower Nigerian women.

Speaking with the State House journalists after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, Okonjo- Iweala, as said the Nigerian women will benefit from the funds managed by the WTO and the International Trade Center ITC.

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The WTO DG, who applauded President Tinubu’s economic reforms, Well. It was a very good visit, and thanks to Mr. President for making the time. we came to brief him about something very joyful that we did today, with the help of the First Lady.

She disclosed that the fund is jointly managed by the WTO, the World Trade organiser, and the ITC, the International Trade Center in Geneva.

“The idea is to help support the economy and support women, to be able to weather the storms of the economy and be able to create jobs for themselves for others,” she said.

“This is part of a social safety net, to help support Nigerian women to contribute more to the economy and to themselves.

“So we came to brief Mr. President about this fund, which we launched and which the Minister of Trade and Investment has been shepherding in Nigeria, along with the Nigeria export promotion Council.”

About 67,000 Nigeria women had competed out of which 146 won globally to be part of this new initiative.

“We had 67,000 Nigerian women who applied for this and 146 won,” she said.

” Can you imagine 67,000, 146 won and they are going to have money disbursed directly to them.”

She disclosed that ” 16 of them, won what we call the booster track. Those are women who already have businesses and whose businesses will be scaled up.

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” They will receive technical and business support for 18 months from the WTO and the ITC and working with the ministry, so we will all work together to make sure that their businesses expand, employ more people, put more money in their households pocket and in the nation’s pocket,

According to her, ” Another 100 women will get directly, $5,000 to scale up to start and strengthen their businesses again with 12 months of business support.

” So, with 146 women beneficiaries. This is just the beginning” she said.