Women exporters to access grant – NEPC
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed that Nigerian women entrepreneurs will soon access between $5,000 to $30,000 grant funded by the World Trade Organisation and the International trade center to support women businesses in digital trade. Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during the women exporters’ […]
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed that Nigerian women entrepreneurs will soon access between $5,000 to $30,000 grant funded by the World Trade Organisation and the International trade center to support women businesses in digital trade.
Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during the women exporters’ conference where she noted that women make up about 40% of SMEs in Nigeria.
“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.
“In 2024, in Abu Dhabi, a major announcement was made, the launch of a 50 million dollar fund by the WTO and ITC to support women in digital trade. NEPC was selected as one of only four Business Support Organisations worldwide to implement phase one. When we called for applications in Nigeria, over 67,000 women applied. That alone tells you the level of interest and the scale of need. From that number, 146 women were selected.
“They will receive training, personalised coaching, mentorship, and grant support ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 dollars. More importantly, they are being positioned to compete, not just locally, but globally, and through digital platforms. We are proud of what this represents. It is not just a programme, it is a pathway,” she said
Ayeni added that the conference is not just a gathering, but a working platform that will address practical issues such as export readiness, standards compliance, access to finance, digital trade, and market access.