Yolamchi Ukaga, Aba
Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the country’s non-oil export agency, has advised women entrepreneurs in Abia state, especially those in Aba, the state’s commercial hub, to consider producing for export so as to earn the desired foreign exchange and grow their businesses.
Mr Olusegun Awolowo, executive director/chief executive officer of NEPC, gave the advice Thursday, in Aba, at a one-day capacity building workshop on women inclusion in the development of non-oil export, organised by its Aba Smart office.
The NEPC boss, who was represented at the forum, by Rosslyn Ekanem, head, Aba Smart office of the council, stated that the world was looking for emerging markets like Nigeria with transformed economy for direct foreign investment (DFI).
He affirmed that it was the right time to do business with global standards and urged the women to go into export to sustain their businesses.
Mrs Onyinyechi Nwachukwu, permanent secretary, ministry of women affairs in Abia state, who declared the forum open, stated that women formed a greater part of the population, but were always left out in policy-making. She went on to urge governments, at all levels, to include women in policy-making.
According to her, “if you remove women from the scheme of things, there will be no development.”
She observed that women were more involved in agriculture and urged the NEPC to find a way to help the small holder farmers to add value to their produce which, according to her, would not only empower the women, but contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.
While thanking the NEPC for understanding the importance of women in economic development, she, however, urged the council to help the women to form clusters to prepare their products for export.
A staff member of the Abia state ministry of trade, Mr Uduma Uduma, reaffirmed the ministry’s readiness to continue to partner NEPC to support exporters and intended exporters in the state.
Dr Grace Okaro, national public relations officer, African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP), while delivering a paper titled, “Women, catalysts in development of non-oil export in Abia State,” stated that Abia women were gifted in creative artistry and dominated most of the creative art production, cloth weaving, auto gele, beading, knitting and crocheting and fashion designing, among others.
She noted that career and motherhood, lack of finance, domestic violence, gender inequality and financial illiteracy had hampered women development in export trade.
Consequently, she recommended knowledge-sharing among women, including e-learning, collaboration, export trade, agricultural service enhancement, packaging and financial management, among others.
She urged the organised private sector, governments, development organisations, donor agencies and communities to increase digital technologies to unleash potentials of rural economy and bridge value chains for enhanced profitability.
She also recommended regular training to acquaint women with the necessary requirements to add value to their products to acquire exportable standards and make more profit.
This was as she urged government to see women in export trade as important partners that can help boost the economy of the state.
According to her, women leaders were dominating the entire world in all aspects of human endeavour and that it could even get better.
She appealed to Abia women to be more responsive to opportunities at their disposal as to join the moving train.
The theme of the workshop was, “Women as catalyst in non-oil export development in the state.”