By Loveth Okorie
The Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT), Nigeria chapter, has urged women to leverage on the opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) to grow their businesses.
Ms Blessing Irabor, OWIT President, Nigeria, gave the advice in Benin where she said women needed to take full advantage of the opportunities AfCFTA had to offer in terms of economic growth and poverty alleviation.
“AfCFTA has commenced and it will help harmonise trade regulations and create a uniform standard for trade within the 54 participating countries.
“It will lead to economic equality, higher wages and better jobs for women”.
She urged women to seek knowledge about the products that would compete favourably at the free trade area as well as understand the harmonised standards and comply.
“Women into Small and Medium Scale Enterprises need to plan how to expand their business scope beyond the local market.
“Women need to educate themselves and others about the market growth opportunities and develop a winning strategy such as investment in e-commerce and franchise” she stated.
Irabor also emphasised stakeholders’ engagement with women so that women traders could actively participate in the free trade area.
She sought for increase investment in education and infrastructure for women as well as creation of women focused technical support programmes.
She added that improved access to resources such as training information, financial support and digital technology would enable women to leverage on AfCFTA.
