One hundred women entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Niger have secured Halal certification, enabling them to export locally made products to Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

The ‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌‍‌⁠‌‌‍‍‌founder of Made-in-Niger Goods and president, Association of Nigerian Exporters, Niger chapter, Hajiya Saudatu Aliyu-Mu’azu, disclosed this during a training programme for the 100 women entrepreneurs in Minna on Saturday.

Ms Aliyu-Mu’azu said the training focused on the importance and requirements of Halal certification.

She said it was also designed to equip women-owned businesses with the knowledge needed to meet international standards and access wider markets.

She said the participants were trained on certification procedures, product standards, packaging and other requirements for exporting Halal-compliant products.

Ms Aliyu-Mu’azu said the initiative aimed to promote locally made products from Niger to the global market.

She listed some of the products assessed, including Niger-made gari, rice, ‘kuli-kuli’ and cooking oil.

“The 100 products we selected are produced in Niger State,” she said.

She added that the training  highlighted the economic benefits of supporting women-led SMEs through access to certification, improved production standards and international markets

According to her, Niger is blessed with numerous women entrepreneurs producing quality goods that can compete favourably in the international market, but many of them lack the necessary certification to export their products.

Ms Aliyu-Mu’azu stressed the importance of Halal certification in opening new opportunities for businesses seeking to access international markets.

“Halal certification centres on examining the hygiene and safe handling of products during production, to protecting consumers and safeguarding public health,” she said.

She said that many quality products were being produced daily in Niger, but that the absence of Halal certification had limited their ability to penetrate some international markets.

She urged the entrepreneurs to take advantage of the training and ensure that their products met the required standards for export.

Ms Aliyu-Mu’azu said the initiative was part of activities planned for 2026 to identify, screen and promote Made-in-Niger products in the international market.

“Part of our 2026 activities is the screening of Made-in-Niger goods and taking them to the international market.

“We have passed the screening stage and selected 100 outstanding products.

“You will not believe that these products were produced in Niger State. They include bags, shoes, cookies and other value-added products made by women within and around our communities,” she said.

The entrepreneur said the selected products had also undergone certification by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

“The next step is to obtain international certification, including Halal certification, to enable the products to gain access to Islamic markets.

“Our target markets are Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia and Malaysia; the Halal certification was secured at a highly discounted rate,” she said.

Ms Aliyu-Mu’azu said the assessment considered factors such as product packaging, content, processing methods, international demand and traceability.

“Helping businesses obtain the necessary certifications will increase their competitiveness, create jobs and contribute to economic development in the state,” she said.

The keynote speaker and executive chairman of Dar Al Halal Certification Limited, Abuja, Dr Asheikh Maidugu, said SMEs needed support from the government and citizens to grow.

He said the 100 entrepreneurs have been trained on the requirements for Halal certification to help them take advantage of the vast export opportunities in the Middle East and other Muslim countries.

“These entrepreneurs have been trained on how to perfect and improve their products so that they can access foreign markets and earn foreign exchange, which will contribute to their personal development and the development of the country,” he said.

Mr Maidugu said several gaps had been identified before the training, including the need for standardisation and certification of locally produced goods.

“We realised that there was a need for standardisation of these products.

“For some time now, some of our small and medium enterprises have not been meeting global requirements.

“We also observed a lack of certification because, without certification, products may not be accepted in foreign markets.

“Today, these entrepreneurs have been empowered and trained to meet foreign market requirements,” he said.

The Niger focal person for the National Social Investment Programme, Hauwa Bako-Muhammad, described certification as critical to helping SME owners expand their businesses.

She said the Niger State government has keyed into the certification programme of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to enable small business owners to expand beyond Nigeria.

She added that the Halal certification would enable local producers to position their products for the global market.

(NAN)