The Federal Government has said that women-led businesses will play a major role in Nigeria’s plan to build a one-trillion-dollar economy. Jumoke Oduwole made this known during a high-level colloquium organised by the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment in Abuja.

According to Oduwole, empowering female entrepreneurs will improve access to finance and markets, helping businesses expand across Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area. She noted that the agreement connects more than 1.3 billion people in a market valued at over $3 trillion.

Also speaking, John Enoh said Nigeria must develop competitive industries capable of producing and exporting goods at large scale. He acknowledged that women already contribute greatly to sectors like agriculture, retail, textiles, and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim announced a partnership between her ministry and the trade ministry to improve financial access for export-ready women entrepreneurs. The initiative will also provide training, boost digital trade capacity, and create a national database of women-owned businesses.