The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has facilitated the disbursement of nearly ₦1 billion in grants to 128 women-owned export-oriented Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) under the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, a landmark initiative aimed at helping women entrepreneurs harness digital technologies and expand into global markets.
A statement issued by Aliu Seidu Sadiq , Deputy Director & Head, Corporate Communications at NEPC quoted Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni speaking at a recent town hall meeting with exporters in Lagos.
NEPC boss disclosed that 121 women-owned businesses received Discovery Grants worth US$5,000 each, while seven businesses benefited from Booster Grants valued at US$15,000 each. The total grants disbursed amounted to US$710,000, equivalent to ₦979.8 million.
The WEIDE Fund is a joint initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), with financial support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the competitiveness of women-led businesses by providing access to finance, business development services, digital skills, and international market opportunities. The global US$50 million WEIDE Fund seeks to bridge the digital financing gap and enable women-led MSMEs to scale their businesses through digital trade.
Mrs. Ayeni attributed Nigeria’s selection as one of only four beneficiary countries to the Federal Government’s trade facilitation reforms and the implementation of transformative projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda. She noted that NEPC emerged as the successful Business Support Organisation (BSO) from over 600 organisations across Africa that applied to participate in the programme.
Nigeria joins the Dominican Republic, Jordan, and Mongolia as the only countries selected for the pilot phase of the initiative, in recognition of its vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, strong export potential, and commitment to advancing women’s participation in international trade.
According to Mrs. Ayeni, the overwhelming response to the WEIDE Fund highlights the enormous potential of Nigerian women entrepreneurs. Through NEPC’s facilitation, the WEIDE Secretariat in Geneva received more than 67,000 applications from Nigerian women-owned export businesses across various sectors of the economy—the highest number among the four beneficiary countries.
Following a rigorous and transparent multi-stage selection process, 146 enterprises were initially selected as beneficiaries of the programme.
The selected businesses represent a wide range of Nigeria’s non-oil export sectors, including agro-processing, food and beverages, textiles and fashion, cosmetics, manufacturing, creative industries, and other value-added export products.
Beneficiaries were grouped into two categories:
Discovery Track: Enterprises receiving grants to support their entry into digital export markets.
Booster Track: Businesses receiving larger grants to expand and scale their export operations.
Beyond the financial grants, beneficiaries also participated in comprehensive capacity-building programmes held in Lagos and Abuja. The training covered export readiness, digital trade, e-commerce, branding and marketing, business planning, financial management, market access strategies, sustainability, and the effective use of digital platforms to increase export sales.
Mrs. Ayeni explained that the combination of financial support and technical training is expected to enhance business growth, improve export competitiveness, create jobs, and promote the sustainable participation of women-owned businesses in regional and global trade.
She added that the WEIDE Fund aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises non-oil export growth, inclusive economic development, and women’s economic empowerment.
The NEPC, she assured, remains committed to collaborating with local and international partners to create more opportunities for women-owned export businesses, enabling them to build resilient enterprises, access new international markets, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts.
