The Founder of Women in Export Trade and Investment (WETI), Efe Usin, has called for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s export framework, warning that structural and policy constraints are limiting women’s participation in international trade. She made the call during WETI’s third anniversary, highlighting challenges such as limited access to finance, weak policy enforcement, and cross-border trade restrictions that affect women-led businesses.
Challenges in the Current Export Framework
Usin stated that Nigeria’s current export framework does not sufficiently support small and women-led businesses. She pointed out that the existing structures are tailored for large-scale commodity exporters and do not reflect the realities faced by SMEs. Additionally, she noted that the system restricts small exporters’ access to their earnings, with many struggling to retrieve funds after transactions.
She also highlighted trade barriers within African markets, including export difficulties to countries like Algeria, regulatory issues in Ghana, and cross-border restrictions with Cameroon, despite the presence of regional and continental trade agreements. While frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are in place, she observed that implementation remains weak, particularly in logistics, documentation, and cross-border coordination for small businesses.
Logistics and Access to Finance
Usin identified logistics as a major constraint, noting that shipping delays, documentation issues, and clearance bottlenecks often disrupt export timelines and affect deliveries to international markets. On access to finance, she said women entrepreneurs often face rigid lending requirements, with many struggling to meet documentation standards, bookkeeping expectations, and certification requirements while running their businesses. She highlighted that decision-making remains a significant challenge for many women in business, especially when entrepreneurs face uncertainty in transactions where payment and returns are not guaranteed. She also raised concerns about payment defaults in export transactions, noting that some buyers receive goods but fail to honour agreed payments, leaving women-led businesses vulnerable to financial losses.
WETI’s Achievements Over Three Years
The organisation, she said, has over the past three years supported women-led businesses through market access initiatives, including facilitating participation in international trade engagements, with products from about 40 women represented at a trade fair in Algeria; establishing a retail presence in the U.S.; and commissioning a workspace hub in Nigeria as a central point for product aggregation and logistics.
Government and Stakeholder Responses
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, highlighted that women are vital in the agricultural value chain, especially in production, processing, and trade. She emphasised that enhancing export competitiveness depends on improving quality, consistency, and value addition, pointing out that locally made products can compete internationally when properly processed, packaged, and certified. She urged stakeholders to support women-led businesses, encouraging investors to create customised financing solutions, policymakers to eliminate export barriers, and industry players to enhance partnerships that foster growth and boost global competitiveness.
Also speaking, product identification consultant at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Tosan Akin-Akosile, said compliance with the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) remains low, noting that it stood at about eight per cent in 2024, largely due to the dominance of small and medium-scale enterprises and the absence of standards for many locally produced goods. Akin-Akosile explained that certification under the scheme requires structured production systems and adherence to established industrial standards, noting that products without defined standards cannot qualify, while many small-scale producers lack the facilities and processes needed to meet certification requirements.
Business growth and investment expert Grace Ofure added that Africa must rely on its own people to drive growth, noting that the continent is endowed with the resources needed for development.
