Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion economy depends on productive enterprise, investment, innovation and the capacity of citizens to create value, stressing that government cannot achieve the target alone
He also warned aspiring exporters against allowing their businesses to be used for illicit drug trafficking, saying a single contaminated shipment could lead to imprisonment, destroy an entrepreneur’s reputation and damage Nigeria’s international image.
Shettima and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, spoke on Wednesday at the Aspire Women Forum masterclass on export readiness, global market access and economic empowerment in Abuja.
The event, themed “From Survival to Thriving: Empowering Women and Youth for Export Readiness, Global Market Access and Prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” was held at the Presidential Villa.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Inna Binta Audu, the Vice-President said the transition from survival to economic prosperity was both a national development priority and an economic imperative.
He said women and young people must play central roles in building an economy capable of generating employment, increasing household incomes and creating opportunities for future generations.
“Our ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy cannot be realised by government alone. It requires an ecosystem in which businesses can emerge, grow, compete and contribute to national development,” he said.
Shettima said economic inclusion must go beyond training programmes and empowerment announcements to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, institutions and markets needed to translate their skills into sustainable income.
He said the success of the masterclass should be measured by the number of businesses strengthened, entrepreneurs accessing new markets and livelihoods improved through the knowledge acquired.
The Vice-President commended the Founder and President of Aspire Women Forum, Dr Zainab Marwa, and its partners for organising the initiative.
In his remarks, Marwa urged women and young entrepreneurs seeking access to international markets to protect their businesses from drug trafficking, warning that traffickers could exploit their financial pressures and aspirations for quick gains.
He said no promised payment was worth the consequences of being used to transport illicit drugs.
“Know exactly what you are shipping. Verify your partners and your transactions. Never carry a package you did not pack, and never let your goods be used for trafficking,” he warned.
Marwa said a shipment contaminated with illicit drugs could cost an exporter their freedom and family reputation while jeopardising access to markets painstakingly developed by Nigerian businesses.
He stressed that successful exporting required integrity, reliable products, compliance with applicable standards, accurate documentation and dependable service.
The NDLEA chairman also warned participants against substance abuse, describing drug use and trafficking as threats capable of undermining their ambitions and economic progress.
“Do not let pressure, disappointment, curiosity or the desire to belong draw you into drugs. Drugs solve no business problem and end no hardship; they only multiply them,” he said.
Marwa, however, assured people struggling with drug dependence that seeking help was an act of courage rather than shame.
He urged them to contact the NDLEA’s toll-free helpline, 0800 1020 3040, which he said operated round the clock, with trained professionals providing assistance in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
He also called on parents, mentors and community leaders to guide people requiring assistance towards treatment rather than isolating them.
Marwa said the agency was ready to collaborate with Aspire Women Forum through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative.
He urged participants to translate the training into practical action by formalising their businesses, improving record-keeping, strengthening digital skills and preparing their products for wider markets.
Earlier, Dr Marwa said many Nigerians worked long hours producing goods and providing services but earned little because of gaps in business management, inadequate record-keeping, lack of registration, unsuitable financing, poor packaging and limited access to buyers.
She commended the Federal Government’s economic inclusion initiatives under President Bola Tinubu, including financing support for small businesses through the Bank of Industry and efforts to promote skills development and digital enterprise.
She said the masterclass was designed to help entrepreneurs understand and access available opportunities to grow their businesses.
According to her, the Forum deliberately included young men alongside women and young women because unstable incomes affect entire households.
Dr Marwa said the organisation would sustain engagement with participants beyond the event through mentoring, referrals and further learning opportunities.
She expressed appreciation to Shettima for the support of his office, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Founder of Women in Agribusiness, Trade and Export, Dr Queen Onyinye Okpa, among other supporters.
