President Bola Tinubu on Thursday welcomed Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, to the Aso Villa in Abuja for a closed-door meeting also attended by Trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole. Their discussions focused on pressing trade matters at national, African, and global levels.
After the meeting, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala announced that Nigeria had been named one of just four countries worldwide selected for the newly launched Women’s Exporters’ Fund for the Digital Economy—a joint initiative by the WTO and the International Trade Centre.
She explained that the programme, backed by the First Lady, is designed to empower women, help them navigate economic challenges, and create sustainable jobs. Out of 67,000 Nigerian applicants, 146 women were chosen.
Sixteen participants, under the “Booster Track” category, will receive 18 months of technical and business support to scale existing ventures. An additional 100 women will each receive $5,000 in funding to launch or expand their businesses, followed by a year-long reform and growth plan.
