World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where she commended the administration’s economic reforms for restoring stability to Nigeria’s economy.
Following a “very good” meeting with the President, Okonjo-Iweala praised his graciousness, especially after he received her shortly after the launch of the Women Exporters Fund.
The Women Exporters Fund, a joint initiative by the WTO and the International Trade Centre, aims to empower Nigerian women entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary tools to grow their businesses, create jobs, and increase household incomes in the digital economy. According to Okonjo-Iweala, “Nigeria competed and emerged as one of only four countries globally selected for this new programme… Out of 67,000 Nigerian women who applied, 146 were chosen as beneficiaries.”
The programme offers different levels of support, including technical and business assistance, direct funding, and business development support. As Okonjo-Iweala noted, “This is just the beginning,” highlighting the programme’s potential to expand Nigeria’s economic base and empower women.
On the economy, Okonjo-Iweala credited the Tinubu administration with achieving stability, a crucial foundation for growth. She emphasized that “you cannot really improve an economy unless it’s stable… The President and his team have worked hard to stabilize the economy. The reforms have been in the right direction. The next step is growth, and alongside that, building social safety nets so those feeling the pinch of reforms can get support.” She added that growth, job creation, and income expansion must be accompanied by measures to cushion the impact of ongoing reforms on vulnerable Nigerians.
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