US govt pledges support for Nigerian women entrepreneurs

The United States Government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs in Nigeria to fulfill their economic potential, creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all.

It said the support would be through its Academy for Women Entrepreneurs. This was disclosed during a recent three-day programme in Lagos that brought together 150 alumni of the academy to advance their digital skills.

The initiative is focused on positioning the alumni at the forefront of the digital economy, fostering innovation and sustainable growth in their entrepreneurial ventures.

Speaking at the event, the United States Consul-General in Nigeria, Mr Will Stevens, said, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is the collection and incredible reunion of over 130 of the 150 women who graduated from the academy in the last few years.

“We have been doing this for the past few years since 2019. This is a programme that the US government sponsors to train women who already have small businesses and help their businesses to grow with the aid of further investments in technology, agriculture, and investment services.

“It helps them connect mentors in the United States at the graduate business school in Arizona and mentors in the private sector in the United States and among each other. These women across Nigeria are supporting each other and growing their businesses and employing Nigerians,” Stevens said.

He added that it is inspiring to witness women taking on the challenges of entrepreneurship and collaborating with the United States.

According to Stevens, every year the academy runs an intake for women interested in participating in the programme, adding that “we select between 30 to 50 women to participate.”

Stevens also mentioned that the programme has consistently played a pivotal role in empowering Nigerian businesswomen by equipping them with essential entrepreneurial skills.

Also speaking, the President of the AWE Alumni Association, Adebisi Odeleye, said, “Being a part of the academy in the past five years has been an incredible journey and it has helped women entrepreneurs’ businesses to scale. A lot of grants from the US government have increased the expansion of various businesses.”

In a related development, Women in Successful Careers in collaboration with United Nations Women, has announced the launch of an Affirmative Procurement Project which seeks to advance gender-responsive procurement practices and enhance women’s full participation in economic and public life.

A statement issued on Friday by WISCAR stated that the orgainsation is set to engage private sector partners across Lagos to commit to the women empowerment principles and prioritise gender equality throughout their procurement and supply chain processes.

‘The Affirmative Procurement Project comes at a time when global businesses increasingly recognise that pursuing gender equality is not only a moral obligation but a business imperative.

“Women-owned businesses, which comprise 40 per cent of small and medium enterprises worldwide, shockingly receive only one per cent of corporate procurement contracts,” the statement said.

It further stated that the disparity is a critical issue that the project seeks to address. It said over 200 companies in Nigeria have already signed up for the Women Empowerment Principles.

It mentioned that the Affirmative Procurement Project aims to rally even more businesses to join the movement.

The WEPs are seven guiding principles that provide businesses with a roadmap to promote gender equality and empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community.