Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
The World Trade Organisation, (WTO), Director General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has said she would help build the capacity of Nigerians women to get to their next levels in entrepreneurship.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala who was on a visit to Nigerian from Geneva with her team made this know when she visited the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development where a rousing reception was organised for her by the Minister, Mrs. Pauline Tallen.
She said her visit is to see how WTO can engage with Nigeria to try to help improve the economy and trade adding that the challenge on how to assist women entrepreneur so that they move from the small thing they are doing to the next level is part of her priority.
She also said moving to the next level would help then to attain the quality that is required to be able to penetrate regional and international market.
“We are already working in Nigeria. I found out that we have been assisting a cooperative of women producing shea butter in Shaki, Oyo state and we helped them to upgrade. They could not export before because the quality of their products was not good enough, so they were banned from the UK and US markets. But working with them, that is the International World Trade Centre, which is an off shoot of the WTO has helped them in 2014 to upgrade the quality of their products and today they are exporting to Egypt, Dubai, Jordan, US and UK to cosmetic producers and they have
gone from just a few tonnes to several tonnes of shea butter.
“Infact, what they are facing now is the problem of success, they now need to expand, they need new equipment, capacity building and so on.”
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala also said WTO is about trade policy, trade rules, trade arbitration, but it is also about trying to find a small holders, the women entrepreneur and trying to help them penetrate markets.
“I have listened to the challenges by the Minister, FMWASD, Mrs.Tallen and we will take note and try to figure out how we can build capacity, how we can expand to encompass more women.
“We have worked with women entrepreneur before and women under You-Win programme were given grants from small to fairly large to be able to invest in businesses and expand. So, this is an area that I am
very much interested in.”
She also said that WTO is involved in several other things; e-commerce adding that they are negotiating a round of e-commerce rules that can underpin trade on the internet so that it is fair and balance because our female owner enterprises, some of them are already trading on the internet and this is an area we are going to work with you to see how you can penetrate markets through the internet.
“The WTO wants to redress inequality through trade, wants to see trade
as an engine of economic growth which is what we need during this
pandemic. By the way, the WTO is also make access to vaccines,
therapeutic and diagnosis to help with the pandemic.”
The first lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari who was represented by the Special Advise to the President on Administration, Office of the First Lady, Hajo Sani said, Nigerian women are very proud of Okonjo-Iweala as our image in the world.
“Your appointment is a well-deserved one because you served your country very well with humility, skills and knowledge and all it takes to drive the
responsibilities given to you. You are a role model. We want women in
position to actually play their role as models so that younger generation of women can emulate and follow suit. All Nigerian women are looking up to
you to see what you can do not only for Nigeria, but the world.”
The Minister, FMWASD, Mrs. Tallen
urged all Nigerian women to give the WTO DG all the necessary support so that she will make Nigeria, Africa and the world proud.
“Women aspirants, and we are working and making plans to see how
Nigerian women are great entrepreneurs, they have done so much and so many of them have been so frustrated in their various businesses. God has brought you to this seat to salvage us, to salvage great Nigerian women entrepreneurs, who have left their marks.
“We will compile and showcase all their products and make sure we send them all out to you because out products are international standard.”
