NEPC scales up training, certifications to empower women exporters

…WTO urges financial discipline, visibility for women entrepreneurs

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has intensified efforts to empower women exporters through expanded training programmes, international certifications, and targeted initiatives aimed at boosting Nigeria’s non-oil export performance.

Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, disclosed this at the Women Exporters Conference held on Tuesday in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to explore strategies for strengthening women-led businesses for resilience, recovery, and inclusive economic growth.

Ayeni noted that while Nigeria possesses vast natural resources and entrepreneurial capacity across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, and services, its share of global trade remains low.

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She cited 2024 figures showing global merchandise exports at about $24.5 trillion, with Africa contributing just 3.5 per cent and Nigeria accounting for only 0.26 per cent.

 

 

According to her, the gap presents a significant opportunity for growth, especially if the country leverages the potential of women entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up about 96 per cent of businesses in Nigeria, with women account for roughly 40 per cent of these enterprises and play critical roles across the export value chain.

 

 

“Women led businesses make significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy through employment generation, income creation, and enterprise development across key sectors.

They are active across agriculture, processing, trade, and services. They are building businesses, creating value, and holding key positions across the export value chain.

 

 

“Did you know that NEPC has a dedicated desk for women in all our 36 state offices and here at the headquarters? Did you also know that in 2025 alone, NEPC conducted 728 capacity building programmes across all our states and here in Abuja? These training covered good agricultural practices, good handling practices, packaging, labelling, export documentation, mentorship, quality and standards, and more. In all, we impacted over 97,000 people across the export value chain,” She stated.

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She said initiatives such as the Women in Export Development Programme and the SheTrades Nigeria Hub, implemented in collaboration with the International Trade Centre have supported thousands of women with skills, access to markets, and business development opportunities.

 

 

On access to finance and digital trade, Ayeni highlighted Nigeria’s participation in the Women Exporters and Digital Economy Initiative (WEIDE), a $50 million fund launched by the World Trade Organization and ITC.

 

 

She said NEPC was selected as one of only four business support organisations globally to implement the programme’s first phase.

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According to her, over 67,000 Nigerian women applied for the initiative, with 146 selected to receive training, mentorship, and grant support ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 to scale their businesses and access global markets through digital platforms.

 

 

Ayeni emphasised that empowering women entrepreneurs is central to achieving inclusive economic growth, job creation, and export diversification in line with national development priorities.

 

 

She urged participants to take advantage of the conference to build networks, improve export readiness, and strengthen their businesses, noting that the future of global commerce would favour those who innovate and seize opportunities.

 

 

Also speaking, Nichole Mensa, Special Assistant to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, said women entrepreneurs across Africa particularly in Nigeria are playing a critical role in driving innovation, creating jobs, and sustaining households, but remain under-recognised and under-supported.

 

 

She said this gap informed the launch of the Women Exporters and the Digital Economy Initiative (WEIDE) by the WTO and ITC, designed to help women-led businesses in developing countries access international markets, especially through digital trade, while building resilience and long-term sustainability.

 

 

Mensa described Nigeria as a key partner in the initiative, noting that its collaboration with NEPC demonstrates the impact of aligning national and global development agendas.

 

 

She revealed that NEPC was selected from over 600 business support organisations worldwide, making Nigeria the only African country chosen for the first phase of the programme.

 

 

“These women are not only growing their businesses; they are positioning themselves to access new markets and compete globally through digital trade,” she said.

 

Read also: Global markets now demand certification, not just quality – NEPC

 

Mensa, however, stressed the need to address foundational challenges limiting business growth, particularly among women.

 

 

She identified poor financial management practices, such as mixing personal and business finances as a major constraint, urging entrepreneurs to adopt proper record-keeping, financial discipline, and digital bookkeeping systems to improve access to finance and scalability.

 

 

She also called for greater visibility of women-led businesses, encouraging entrepreneurs to confidently present their performance data, including revenue, growth, and impact, to strengthen credibility with financial institutions, partners, and policymakers.

 

 

According to her, there is also a need to shift perceptions about women-owned enterprises, noting that they should not be viewed merely as small businesses but as key economic actors contributing significantly to GDP, exports, and job creation.

 

 

“We need to shift the narrative. Women-led businesses are not small by default. When we think about women-led businesses, we often think of MSMEs and small businesses.

 

“No. They’re economic actors, they’re contributing meaningfully to GDP, they’re exporting and they’re creating jobs. And this is one thing I want to talk about, that Nigeria’s greatest asset is its youthful and dynamic young population,” she said

 

 

She emphasised that resilience in business requires proper structuring, market connectivity, and access to finance, noting that ongoing collaboration between the WTO, ITC, and NEPC will continue to focus on positioning women not just as participants, but as leaders in global trade.