The executive director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, has said that women are key to Nigeria’s export enhancement and expansion, and called for stronger support to boost global competitiveness.

Ms Ayeni disclosed this at the women exporters conference, organised by the council, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the conference is “Strengthening Women-Led Businesses for Resilience, Recovery and Inclusive Economic Growth”.

She emphasised the importance of women in driving non-oil export growth and economic diversification, adding that non-oil exports remained critical to sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Nigeria.

She noted that Nigeria possessed vast resources, skills, and entrepreneurial capacity to compete globally in agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, and services.

According to her, global merchandise exports in 2024 stood at approximately $24.5 trillion. Africa accounted for just 3.5 per cent of that total with about $840 billion, and Nigeria’s share was only 0.26 per cent.

“Considering that Nigeria’s GDP is about $290 billion with over 220 million people, there is still a gap; however, that gap represents opportunity.

“Nigeria exported 281 products to 210 countries, including 36 African nations. Nigeria recorded $6.1 billion in non-oil exports in 2025, the highest in its history.

“We are proud of what this represents. It is not just a programme; it is a pathway. All of these efforts are already showing results. But we are not where we need to be yet. Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable non-oil export growth without the full participation of women, and that is why we are here today,” she said.

Ms Ayeni attributed the achievement to government policies, the president’s Renew Hope Agenda, Bola Tinubu, NEPC programmes, and the efforts of exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

She said that the SMEs accounted for about 96 per cent of businesses, while women made up about 40 per cent of the sector.

She noted that NEPC trained over 97,000 exporters in 2025 and supported international certifications, with about 50 per cent going to women.

“Programmes such as Women in Export Development and SheTrades Nigeria Hub have supported over 5,000 women,” she said.

The executive director added that the NEPC was selected to implement a $50 million World Trade Organisation-International Trade Centre (WTO-ITC) fund, with 146 Nigerian women beneficiaries.

She urged participants to utilise the conference to build capacity, access markets and strengthen business networks.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said the conference theme was timely, noting women’s resilience amid economic shocks and their role in sustaining families and communities.

Ms Suleiman-Ibrahim highlighted barriers facing women entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, markets, technology, and skills, and urged decisive action.

She said that empowering women was vital for economic growth and national prosperity, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to enabling policies, financing, and partnerships.

She urged stakeholders to act, promote inclusion, and support women entrepreneurs through innovation, networks and capacity-building programmes.

She was represented by Angeleen Nkwocha, assistant chief administrator officer of the Economic Service Department of the ministry.

The special adviser to the president on export, Aliyu Sherrif, said women drive innovation, production and exports, often with limited resources but strong determination, contributing significantly to national economic value.

Ms Sherrif said empowering women-led businesses is smart economics, noting that women’s success strengthens families, grows communities and boosts national earnings through expanded market access and export activities.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman/chief executive officer of the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), urged women to collaborate strongly to build and sustain a conducive business environment.

The International Trade Centre (ITC) representative, Nicole Mensah, said women-led businesses are central to economies, driving innovation, creating jobs and sustaining households across Africa, including Nigeria.

Ms Mensah said the WTO and the ITC Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund supported women entrepreneurs with digital skills, market access, and capacity-building to enhance resilience, competitiveness, and sustainable business growth.

(NAN)