- FG launched the $50m WEIDE Nigeria programme to train, fund, and connect 146 women-led businesses to global markets.
- The 18-month scheme will boost women’s role in digital trade, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s position under AfCFTA.
The Federal Government (FG) launched the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Nigeria (WEIDE) programme on Thursday, August 14. This $50 million scheme will train, fund, and connect women-led businesses to international markets.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole said the initiative, jointly developed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Trade Centre, will help Nigerian women entrepreneurs compete globally in the digital economy. Out of more than 67,000 applicants, 146 women-led firms were chosen, the highest among the four pilot countries, including Jordan, Mongolia, and the Dominican Republic.
“WEIDE is a global declaration that women must no longer be spectators in international trade but equal and proactive participants in the digital economy,” Oduwole said. The Nigerian Export Promotion Council will lead local implementation, providing capital, expertise, and global networks to women-owned MSMEs over an 18-month support period.
WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the programme will equip women with “the tools, the knowledge, the networks, and the resources they need to access global value chains.” Sixteen entrepreneurs in the Booster Track will receive up to $30,000 and intensive technical assistance, while 130 in the Discovery Track will get up to $5,000 and one year of business support.
Sectors covered include fashion, tourism, agriculture, IT, furniture, beauty, and food processing. Okonjo-Iweala urged Nigeria to address barriers such as low internet penetration, high connectivity costs, and unreliable power, praising the government’s planned $2 billion fibre-optic rollout as a step forward.
The UAE, State of Qatar, and the FIFA–Qatar World Cup Legacy Fund are backing the initiative to boost economic inclusion, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in digital trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).