Press releases

WTO Director-General to deliver keynote at Aid for Trade and Women’s Empowerment Roundtable

17 March 2021
ITC News

(Geneva/Abuja) The Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the International Trade Centre are bringing together women entrepreneurs, international business leaders and policymakers for a roundtable, which is being livestreamed today on the International Trade Centre's Facebook page. 

The event features a keynote address by World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala. In Nigeria for her first official trip, she is putting the role of women in trade high on the agenda.

'Today, we are focusing on partnership for better integration of women into the economic fabric of Nigeria through connecting them to global trade,' said Segun Awolowo, Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

'Our SheTrades programme shows that Aid for Trade is a driving force for women's empowerment,' says Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.

Since 2016, the International Trade Centre and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council have contributed to trade and investment opportunities for women in Nigeria. They work through a SheTrades Hub in Nigeria, led by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. The focus is on supporting the growth of the agribusiness, textiles and apparel, and information technology sectors. Its partnerships with business include UPS, to provide major shipping discounts to Nigerian women entrepreneurs; Access Bank, to facilitate access to finance; and the Microsoft Leap programme, to support product development.

Members of the public can access the live broadcast of the roundtable on the International Trade Centre's Facebook page. To view the event agenda, click here. The roundtable goes live on 17 March 2021, 10:00 - 12.00 Central European Time.

Notes for the editor

About the Nigerian Export Promotion Council - The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is the Federal Government of Nigeria's apex institution for the promotion, development and diversification of exports. Its mandate includes the coordination and harmonization of export development and promotion activities in Nigeria, taking the lead in national export programmes, and working with international trade agencies on cooperation and capacity building.

Follow NEPC on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

About the International Trade Centre -The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit www.intracen.org.

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ITC's SheTrades initiative aims to connect three million women to market. It brings together stakeholders worldwide to work on seven actions to address trade barriers and create opportunities for women entrepreneurs. A web and mobile digital platform support it. See www.shetrades.com.

It includes the SheTrades Commonwealth programme, which aims to increase economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth countries through participation of women-owned businesses in trade. It is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

See https://www.shetrades.com/en/projects/shetrades-commonwealth.

Contacts

International Trade Centre

Email: Press [at] intracen.org (Press[at]intracen[dot]org)

 

Nigerian Export Promotion Council

Email: info [at] nepc.gov.ng (info[at]nepc[dot]gov[dot]ng)

Women in Export programme

Ms. Esther Ikporah

Email: e.ikpora [at] nepc.gov.ng (e[dot]ikpora[at]nepc[dot]gov[dot]ng)