The Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, has urged women entrepreneurs across Africa to take advantage of government intervention initiatives designed to strengthen their participation in building a more inclusive global economy.
She made the appeal in Abuja at the 2025 Annual Conference of the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), themed ‘Together We Rise: Women’s Collective Impact’.
Represented by the Director of Planning and Statistics at the Mariam Babangida Women Development Centre, Ijeoma Duru, she described African women entrepreneurs as resilient and productive, stressing the need to equip them to boost the continent’s economic growth through export-driven ventures.
Hajiya Nana Shetima commended AWEP for consistently empowering African women and amplifying their voices through export opportunities. She reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to harnessing women’s economic potential in line with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
On her part, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, also restated the administration’s resolve to provide a conducive environment for women-owned enterprises to flourish. Represented by the Head of Fender in the Ministry, Hawa Zainab, she noted that several programmes and initiatives have been introduced to promote women’s empowerment and economic inclusion under the renewed hope agenda.
In her keynote address, Dr. Zainab Marwa emphasized the importance of solidarity among women, urging them to support one another in pursuit of their goals. She encouraged women to act as “destiny helpers”, share opportunities, and maintain a positive mindset as they work towards fulfilling their aspirations.
Presenting a paper titled Women’s Impact in a Developing Economy, the President of the Nigeria Entrepreneurs Forum (NEF), Dr. Sidney Inegbedion, outlined major infrastructural challenges limiting women entrepreneurs. These include inadequate roads, unreliable water supply, insufficient power for domestic and industrial use, and currency instability. He called on the government to address these gaps, adding that NEF will continue its advocacy, training, and capacity-building efforts to enhance awareness of Nigeria’s business opportunities.
Dr. Inegbedion also pledged NEF’s continued support for AWEP in achieving its mandate.
Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to partnering with AWEP to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs. She noted that the agency has already trained several women on export processes under the NEPC’s Non-Oil Export Initiative.
Earlier, National President of AWEP Nigeria, Dr. Grace Okaro, highlighted the organization’s strides in advancing its vision of economically and politically empowering women to become agents of change. She explained that AWEP operates through five major business clusters—Agriculture/Food Processing, Fashion and Apparel, Hair and Body, Light Manufacturing, and Services—and maintains a presence across all six geopolitical zones.
The event featured a panel discussion, exhibitions, certificate presentations to mentees, and the association’s Annual General Meeting.
