A new UK-backed initiative is drawing attention to the untapped opportunities within Nigeria’s public procurement market, a space valued at trillions of naira every year. Although the federal government has introduced many reform policies over time, slow implementation has left women-owned businesses with limited access to contracts that support local development and job growth.
Next week, the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN), in partnership with civil society group DO Take Action and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), will host a two-day programme in Port Harcourt aimed at changing this situation. The event forms part of the Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment through Affirmative Procurement (SWEEAP) programme, which promotes gender-responsive procurement as a tool to create jobs, improve service delivery, and strengthen economic resilience at state level.
The programme opens on 11 December with a train-the-trainers session for procurement officers, gender focal persons and civil society organisations. This workshop is expected to highlight how ministries, departments and agencies in Rivers State can adopt Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) and Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) in their systems to increase fairness and inclusion.
The second day will include a high-level stakeholder forum bringing together government officials, policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners and women entrepreneurs. Organisers say the forum goes beyond policy conversations and is designed to build alliances capable of driving institutional reforms, attracting investment, and encouraging women-owned and women-led businesses to take advantage of public sector opportunities.
According to the UK government, the programme aligns with its evolving development strategy in Nigeria, which now prioritises strengthening institutions rather than direct financial support. “This project embodies our commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and fostering policy dialogue necessary for inclusive economic growth and gender equality,” said Oluwafunmilayo Ladepo, Chevening programme officer at the British High Commission.
CAAN president Kester Osahenye noted that the initiative shows how alumni networks can contribute to transformation. “Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of both government institutions and women-owned businesses so that gender-responsive procurement becomes a norm, not an aspiration,” he said.
Across Nigeria, women-owned businesses encounter many obstacles when trying to access public contracts. These include lack of access to bidding information, absence of certification, strict prequalification requirements and weak financial documentation. SWEEAP aims to help close this gap through targeted training and mentorship. Participants who complete the programme will graduate formally at the forum and form part of a growing pipeline of emerging suppliers equipped to compete for government opportunities.
Precious Ebere Chinonso, chief executive of DO Take Action, described the initiative as a focused effort to “break long-standing barriers that have kept women at the margins of public procurement,” adding that continuous capacity building and collaboration will be key to ensuring women are not only included but prioritised.
