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| Olusegun Awolowo, CEO, NEPC |
The
Executive Director of NEPC, Olusegun
Awolowo, in a key note address presented at the event in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State, said the training was aimed at improving on the understanding of
women entrepreneurs and business support organizations on the Shetrades
initiative. He said Nigeria is expected to take at least 200,000 women to the
international market, in line with the initiative.
Represented
by NEPC Deputy Director, Head Trade Information Department, Princess Estelle Igwe, Awolowo noted
that the business of most women ends at the informal level, stating that
businesses does not make much impact at the informal stage. He said, when
business becomes formal, it goes global and thereby, adds to the nation’s GDP
which will in turn bring about robust economy, which the Council tends to
achieve.
Awolowo
said, a recent ITC survey shows that women entrepreneurs own and manage only
one in five exporting firms. He listed the obstacles preventing women from
participating in international trade value chain to include cultural and
regulatory barriers, limited access to productive resources, information
networks, credit facilities and skill mismatch saying that ‘Empowering Women to
Trade Program’ seeks to address the unacceptable situation.
He
said: “In seeking to mobilize partners around the world
to collaborate towards achieving the economic empowerment of women through
trade, ITC launched the SheTrades initiatives in September 2015.
“The call to action was developed through an extensive consultation
process. In July 2016, the International Trade Centre launched the Nigeria Chapter
of the SheTrades initiatives in Abuja as part of ambitious global agenda to
take at one million women from developing economy and economy in transition to
the market by the year 2020”
“Of this target figure, Nigeria is expected to take at least 200,000
women to the international market.”
He
said that that NEPC has created “ Women in Export Desk” at the council’s head
office and all the regional and smart offices where issues relating to gender
activities in trade are being handled.
Also
speaking, the Council’s Coordinator in the South-South regional office, Mrs. Azuka Ikejiofor, expressed hope
that the training will give women entrepreneurs maximum exposure in the
International market arena.
She
said, “This is not time for men to continue to dominate
the economy , NEPC is determined to fish out female entrepreneurs, pull them
together and give them the necessary trainings and support to break records in
international trade”
Also
the NEPC has unveiled a new window of opportunity through its SheTrades
initiative to empower women entrepreneurs in Kano. The new initiative was part
of NEPC’s national action plan on Zero Oil Growth through women inclusiveness
for global export trade.
Unveiling
the new platform for the Northwest regional stakeholder’s workshop for women
entrepreneurs in Kano during the weekend, Executive Director of the council
Olusegun Awolowo explained that the SheTrades initiative was targeted at
increasing women participation in non-oil export activities, economic diversification
and growth.
Awolowo
recalled that the council was partnering with International Trade Center (ITC)
global agenda plan for one million women entrepreneurs that will be selected
from developing economy for empowerment in 2020.
According
to the NEPC boss, Nigeria will select about 200,000 women to attend the
international market in Washington.
The ED
who was represented by head of Women in Export Desk, Mrs Onu Latica, said the launch of SheTrades for women
entrepreneurs in Kano would further expose the nitty-gritty required for
exporting local made products and bridge needless barriers against women in
international trades.
He said:
“The stakeholders meeting organized by the women in
export desk in NEPC to drive the Shetrades initiative to educate and enhance
capacity of women on how to make their trade international standard. Our Target
include women clusters on some product sectors such as Hibiscus, Sesame seed,
Cotton and Maringa.
“We are also working to achieve zero oil growth through women Inclusiveness
in Global Export Trade Forum, targeted at non-oil export stakeholders which
include Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Conglomerates, exporters, banks,
shipping lines and host of other. (Guardian)
Have you heard this? Many
Nigerian exporters have been defrauded of huge amount of money in the process
of exporting commodities to foreign countries. Do you know why? They were not
trained on export operations, management, documentations and the best methods
of payment in export trade. This is terrible!!! Nigerians cannot continue to
lose money to foreigners in the course of export business. Exporters, why don’t
you get a practical manual that teaches the stages of export trade from
processing and packaging of commodities to receipt of payment by the foreign
buyers. It teaches export operations, export management, export documentations
and methods of payment in export trade? It is a contemporary step-by-step guide
to export trade. It tells all the contemporary dynamics in export trade. To get
it, click on the link below:
Hmmm!!! Folks, have you ever
imagined how the financial status of your firm will be when more than 20,000
CEOs and other key decision makers of blue-chip corporations pay for your
products and services or even give you very juicy deals. The link below will
tell you more: http://www.tectono-business.com/2015/07/tectono-business-review-in-conjunction_21.html
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