A major initiative to strengthen trade ties and empower women entrepreneurs kicked off on Tuesday in Nigeria's capital. The UK-Nigeria Trade Mission, operating under the SheTrades Commonwealth Plus Programme, opened its doors for a three-day event aimed at significantly expanding Nigeria's non-oil export sector.
Ministerial Backing for Women Exporters
The event, hosted at the headquarters of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), brought together a powerful assembly of government officials, UK importers, trade specialists, and women-led businesses. In her keynote address, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, emphasized that the mission is a direct reflection of the Renewed Hope Agenda's core objective: to diversify the Nigerian economy away from its reliance on oil.
Dr. Oduwole firmly stated that women are central to the nation's productive capacity and must be equipped with the necessary tools, partnerships, and opportunities to succeed internationally. She pointed to tangible progress, revealing that 146 women-led businesses have already received crucial training and digital support to enhance their export readiness through collaborations with the WTO and ITC WEIDE Fund.
Unlocking Market Access with the UK
A significant breakthrough highlighted at the event was the United Kingdom's decision in October to grant Nigeria tariff relief on almost 3,000 products under its Developing Countries Trading Scheme. The minister described this as a golden opportunity for Nigerian exporters to lower their market entry costs and gain access to one of the world's most competitive consumer markets.
Dr. Oduwole outlined the three critical opportunities this mission provides for local businesses:
- Improved access to lucrative export markets.
- The chance to build stronger, direct relationships with UK importers.
- Increased global visibility and brand recognition for made-in-Nigeria products.
NEPC's Commitment to Sustainable Growth
Earlier, the Executive Director and CEO of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, set the tone in her welcome remarks. She described the mission as a continuation of the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between the UK and Nigeria. Ayeni reaffirmed NEPC's unwavering commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs through targeted programs like SheTrades Nigeria and the Go Global Go Certification project.
She provided impressive figures to back this up, noting that more than 400 MSMEs have so far received global certifications with NEPC's support, with women constituting the majority of the beneficiaries. Ayeni encouraged all participants to actively network, exchange ideas, and explore new markets, expressing strong optimism that the mission would lead to deeper partnerships and sustainable trade growth.
The trade mission, which runs through November 20, will feature intensive training sessions, one-on-one business meetings, and practical workshops on market entry strategies, all designed to translate discussion into concrete export deals.
