By Okhide Em’ya David
Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Olusegun Awolowo, has lamented the monumental shift in the global economic and social structure from rapidly progressive to the opposite in the last few months of COVID-19 second wave.
Dr. Awolowo made the statement at a one day capacity building program for women-owned businesses on the use of “Shetrades in Commonwealth Crisis Management Toolkit” in Benin at the weekend.
“Shetrades is a Commonwealth Initiative that aims to increase the participation of women-owned businesses in International trade.”
Awolowo says Shetrades “does not only exist here in Nigeria, but across other Commonwealth nations, like Kenya, Ghana and Bangladesh.”
According to him, the body has sponsored over 4000 Nigerian women entrepreneurs and surveyed 400 women-owned businesses nation-wide.
Awolowo also announced that “through collaboration with International Trade Centre (ITC) NEPC has sponsored the participation of Nigerian women entrepreneurs at International events like Shetrades global, and conducted numerous trainings.”
His words: “A mapping exercise of 4000 women entrepreneurs and surveyed 400 women businesses nation-wide to gather available data on the challenges faced by women-owned enterprises in Nigeria.”
“The toolkit gives women entrepreneurs access to a resilience and recovery Action Plan Canvas, which is basically a roadmap to guide WOBs, through the crisis. The toolkit provides access to webinars and online training and collection of businesses strategy tools and templates.”
” As this time of global uncertainty when companies world-wide are struggling to cope with the effects of the pandemic, women owned businesses in Nigeria would be advised to make good use of the ” the Crisis Management Toolkit, “to access and manage the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on their businesses,” Awolowo stated.
In her Goodwill speech, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Edo state, Mrs. Dorcas Idehen, represented by Mrs. J. Ihensekhien, said the Edo state government was in support of the program.
She asked the participants to make use of the capacity building and expressed deep appreciation to the organizers of the event, saying it aligns with the vision of the present administration in the state under “the able leadership of the Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”
Representative of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Christopher Omondiagbe, urged the participants to listen attentively and take the message to those who were not at the event, adding that the door of BOI is open to any trader that wants to partner with them.
In address of welcome, the Head/Trade Promotion Advisor, NEPC, Benin Export Assistance Office, MacPherson Fred-Illeogben, said the Shetrades toolkit training was aimed at building the capacity of participants on how to reduce the impact of the global Covid-19 crisis.
Fred-Illeogben said it helps them to know how to manage their businesses, guiding them on the use of the toolkits to manage their trade problems. He enlightened participants on how to prevent the impact of the crisis on their businesses and how to clearly define a path forward.
Speaking on the Crisis Management Toolkits Presentation, NEPC expert Omokide Sherifat, advised participants to look beyond Covid-19 pandemic and see how they can position, package, design and rebrand their products to make them export in International markets.
Omokide said for them to excel in their businesses in this Covid-19 crisis they must identify their target stakeholders, use the modern online platform and position their products in shelfs.
Advising the exporters and participants, the Edo state Exporters Cluster Coordinator, Rhone Peters said Shetrade business is a good opportunity for exporters who wants to take their products to International markets and urged them to register.
She said it would help them to move their business forward.
