‘Growth for women entrepreneurs priority’

African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) Nigeria President, Mrs Oluyemisi Ogundipe, has said growth for women entrepreneurs is her priority.

Mrs Ogundipe had emerged president during the yearly conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), in Lagos. She replaced Mrs Angela Ajala, who had served her tenure.

AWEP, she said, is association of women entrepreneurs building capacity toward export.

The association, according to her, is focused on providing various services such as information for the various sectors, access to finance, opportunities and market to prepare them for export.

Mrs Ogundipe, also a board member of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), unveiled six objectives under the acronym VOICES (Vision, Opportunity, Integration, Collaboration’s Commendation, Export and Support Services)

She said the new EXCO and previous leadership would make strides to ensure continuous growth of the women entrepreneurs.

It would also endeavour to create better business environments and empower Nigerian women entrepreneurs through providing technical and financial training, export trainings, mentorship, and access to finance through our several business partners and a clear path to local and International export markets for their products and services.

AWEP, she recalled, was launched, in conjunction with the 2010 United States sub-Sahara Africa trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) by the Department of State (DOS) Economic, Energy and Business Bureau and Coordinated through the DOS international USA for leadership programme.

Mrs Ogundipe said the group brings together business women to the United States for trade and advocacy related training and to attend the AGOA forum.

It provides attendees with opportunity to meet and network with the U.S. policy makers, companies and industry associations, U.S. and African aid society, non-profit organization advocating for women’s economic opportunities, multilateral development organisation and business alliances.

African Women Entrepreneurship Programme she said was an outreach, education, and engagement initiative that targets African women entrepreneurs to promote business growth, increase trade both regionally and to U.S. markets through the AGOA and other trade initiatives.

She noted on an annual basis, U.S. missions in sub-Saharan Africa nominated leading women entrepreneurs from over 30 countries to participate in this unique project. The women address topics such as U.S. business practices and African access to U.S. markets; integrating African women into the global economy; and funding access for commercial expansion in Africa.

She disclosed leading actors in economic development and social advocacy in their home communities, the program’s alumnae had created thousands of jobs and established more than 20 women’s business associations across the Sub-Saharan region.