500 women-owned businesses to benefit from new UN initiative

An initiative that would enhance the enabling environment for women to work and be financially independent has been targeted for about 500 women-owned enterprises.

The launch of the women’s economic empowerment project also aims to strengthen government officials’ capacities in developing and executing gender-responsive policies that will allow women to thrive in business in Nigeria.

Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of female entrepreneurs in the world but women owned businesses find it quite difficult to secure procurement contracts.

This situation suggests that a systematic gender disparity is in play in the procurement systems of both government and private sector organisations.

This is why experts were present at the launch of the women’s economic empowerment project implemented through affirmative procurement reform in west and central Africa

Experts are pushing for better reforms and incentives to ensure equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs and their male peers.

This new project seeks to support institutional strengthening in order to improve women led businesses access to public procurement and the development of gender responsive procurement imitative as part of the Covid-19 response strategies.

This will be done through state by state collaborative support

The general consensus is that the country will continue to be regarded as having one of the greatest numbers of female entrepreneurs on the African continent if it continues to prioritize the economic empowerment of women as one of its most critical areas of focus.