The Federal Government has urged Nigerian women to explore business opportunities and take advantage of available grants and funding programmes to grow their enterprises and contribute meaningfully to national economic development.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, made the call while speaking during activities marking International Women’s Day in Abuja. She said empowering women with access to business opportunities, funding, and enterprise support is essential for strengthening Nigeria’s economy.
According to her, women must position themselves to benefit from government initiatives designed to support entrepreneurship, trade, and small business growth.
She encouraged women to equip themselves with the knowledge and practical tools required to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities and policy support.
“The future of Nigeria’s economy will be shaped by how well we empower women to participate fully in trade, industry, and investment,” Oduwole said.
She stressed that women entrepreneurs should actively explore opportunities across key sectors of the economy, particularly agribusiness, manufacturing, and export trade.
Oduwole also advised women to take advantage of grants, cooperative initiatives, and other funding programmes created to support business expansion and enterprise development.
She noted that access to financial support and capacity-building programmes can help women-led businesses scale their operations and create jobs.
In addition to funding opportunities, the minister urged women to embrace digital innovation, continuous learning, and multiple income streams to remain competitive in the modern global economy.
She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to creating policies and programmes that improve women’s participation in trade, industry, and investment.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nura Rimi, said the ministry had continued to prioritise gender inclusion in its programmes despite financial challenges.
“Even with the funding challenges we face, our commitment to ensuring that women-focused programmes remain a priority in this ministry has not wavered,” Rimi said.
Earlier, the Head of the Gender Unit in the ministry, Hauwa Sarki, explained that initiatives organised around the event were designed to expose women to practical economic opportunities.
“Our goal is to equip women with practical knowledge, mentorship, and the confidence to translate policy opportunities into real economic empowerment,” she said.
