The Federal Government of Nigeria has urged women to take advantage of trade and entrepreneurship opportunities to strengthen Nigeria’s economy.
Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment disclosed this while marking the International Women’s Day (IWD) on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IWD is celebrated annually on March 8, to honor the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The theme of the 2026 IWD is “Give to Gain”.
Oduwole said that the celebration was to expand opportunities for women and strengthen their role in trade, entrepreneurship and national development.
She urged women to equip themselves with the knowledge and tools needed to benefit from government policies and emerging economic opportunities.
She also encouraged women to explore opportunities in agribusiness, manufacturing and export trade, while advising them to leverage available grants, funding programmes and cooperative initiatives designed to support enterprise growth.
“The future of Nigeria’s economy will be shaped by how well we empower women to participate fully in trade, industry and investment,” she said.
The minister also encouraged women to embrace continuous learning, digital innovation and multiple income streams to remain competitive in the evolving global economy.
She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting women through policies, training programmes and capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening their participation in trade, industry and investment.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Amb. Nura Rimi, said that the ministry had made progress in promoting gender inclusion.
Rimi said that despite funding constraints, the ministry remained committed to sustaining initiatives that support women.
“Even with the funding challenges we face, our commitment to ensuring that women-focused programmes remain a priority in this ministry has not wavered,” he said.
Earlier, the Head of the Gender Unit, of the ministry, Hajia Hauwa Sarki, said that the programme was designed to expose women in the ministry to strategic policies, mentorship opportunities and entrepreneurship pathways.
“Our goal is to equip women with practical knowledge, mentorship and the confidence to translate policy opportunities into real economic empowerment,” she said.
