The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening women-led participation in digital trade, as stakeholders reviewed progress and emerging challenges under the Women Exporters in Digital Economy (WEDF) programme.
The renewed partnership came to the fore during a town hall meeting of women exporters, convened by NEPC in collaboration with the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC), to assess implementation of the initiative launched in August 2025.
Speaking at the forum, NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, said the meeting was designed to create space for reflection, feedback and strategic adjustment, noting that the programme had moved from concept to implementation within a short period.
Ayeni explained that the WEDF initiative was conceived to respond to long-standing barriers facing women in trade, particularly limited access to finance, skills gaps, regulatory hurdles and weak market linkages. According to her, the town hall was necessary to ensure that beneficiaries fully understood the programme’s objectives and maximised the opportunities it offers.
“We said we could not close the year without coming together to ventilate ideas, identify challenges and see how we can improve on what we are doing,” she said. “This programme is not just about grants. What is more important is the skills, the knowledge and the capacity you apply to grow your businesses and compete globally.”
Ayeni disclosed that since its launch, the programme has delivered training across financial literacy, taxation, bookkeeping and export readiness, while also integrating certification and compliance support for participants.
She stressed that beneficiaries should not focus solely on financial support but embrace the broader capacity-building framework embedded in the initiative.
Highlighting the wider impact of women exporters on Nigeria’s trade performance, the NEPC boss revealed that non-oil exports grew by 20 per cent in 2024, the highest growth rate in the country’s history, closing the year at $5.4bn. She added that formal trade in the first half of 2025 recorded $3.22bn, representing a further growth of 24.7 per cent.
“These achievements are driven by exporters across the value chain, and women exporters are a critical part of that success,” Ayeni said, commending participants for their contributions to national economic growth.
She also noted that Nigeria was selected as the only African beneficiary and one of four countries globally participating in the WEDF programme, a decision she attributed to the credibility of NEPC and the demonstrated potential of Nigerian women entrepreneurs.
Also speaking, Head of the WTO Trade and Gender Unit, Ms. Anoush der Boghossian, said the initiative was anchored on the belief that while talent is widespread, access to opportunity remains unequal.
She said the partnership aims to close gaps in capital, mentorship and market access that have historically limited women’s participation in global trade.
“Our shared vision is a future where underrepresented entrepreneurs are no longer rare but fully recognised, supported and expected to lead,” Boghossian said. “We want a future where capital flows more equitably and where success is measured not just by financial returns, but by impact on communities, industries and the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
She described the programme as more than a milestone, calling it a momentum that should be harnessed to build sustainable businesses and long-term trade competitiveness for women-led enterprises.
In his remarks, Director of Trade Information at NEPC, Mr. Ndubueze Okeke, said the town hall marked a moment of alignment and renewed commitment among global institutions, national agencies and programme beneficiaries.
He explained that the WEDF initiative is a flagship programme of the WTO and ITC, designed to address the structural barriers women-led businesses face in accessing global markets. According to him, the overwhelming response to the programme, with over 67,000 applications nationwide, underscored both the demand for such support and the scale of the challenge.
“The success of this programme will not be measured by grants alone, but by markets accessed, jobs created and enterprises that become more resilient, compliant and globally competitive,” Okeke said.
He added that NEPC remains committed to supporting beneficiaries throughout the programme cycle but emphasised that success would also depend on participants’ responsiveness, compliance and willingness to apply the knowledge and tools provided.
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