ILO, FG develop roadmap to promote women’s entrepreneurship development

Christian Appolos |  Abuja

 

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Government have developed a roadmap to promote women’s entrepreneurship development and formalisation in Nigeria.

Ms Vanessa Phala, ILO’s Country Director for Nigeria, disclosed this at a validation workshop in Abuja, recently. The workshop had the theme, ‘A Roadmap to Foster National Conditions for Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Formalisation in Nigeria.’

Phala said entrepreneurship remains a major driver for economic dynamics and added that beyond job creation, entrepreneurs had entered the market with new technologies.

According to her, many Nigerians agree that women and men entrepreneurs encounter similar challenges in their economic activities. “However, women are faced with an additional set of gender-based barriers that limit their access to resources and opportunities. Women’s businesses tend to be smaller and highly concentrated in the informal economy.”

The ILO Country Director further noted that recent survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) indicated that 41 percent of micro businesses in Nigeria were owned by women. She also added that such a number should not be neglected in socioeconomic discourses as they are major drivers.

Also, she said women entrepreneurs had consistently demonstrated resilience and determination to succeed, adding that the constraints came with opportunities as the government and other actors had continued to evolve interventions and programmes to support and empower women entrepreneurs.

She said the ILO is working with the government at all levels to promote small enterprise development in Nigeria.

“The project has supported the government of Nigeria, through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), social partners and other relevant stakeholders.

“To develop a comprehensive, evidence-based and action-oriented three-year road map as well as its monitoring framework to drive women’s entrepreneurship development and enterprise formalisation in Nigeria. This road map addresses existing constraints and tackles new and emerging obstacles that women entrepreneurs may face in an ever-changing economic landscape, among others,” she said.

On her part, acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Juliana Adebambo, noted that a large number of women in the developing world operate in the informal economy.

Adebambo, represented by Mr Dennis Ejeh from the ministry, said that in Nigeria, the proportion of women involved in entrepreneurship exceed that of men. She added the National Gender Policy of 2021 showed that women entrepreneurs could play critical roles in enhancing country’s productivity and development.

“There are lots of interventions, female-focused policies, programmes and initiatives instituted by the government, social partners and private organisations to support women entrepreneurship development.

“However, the effectiveness of these supports on informal businesses is very minimal which is a challenge, as most women-owned businesses in Nigeria are informal. We are happy that the ILO, in collaboration with SMEDAN, has come up with this noble project,” she said.

Adebambo noted that the ministry would continue to contribute its quota in ensuring women’s entrepreneurship development and enterprise formalisation in Nigeria.

Also, the Director-General, SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya, noted that women entrepreneurs often face a lot of challenges and that the strategic document (road map) developed by ILO, SMEDAN and other stakeholders would ensure that women entrepreneurs are properly positioned.

“That is to take advantage of the huge opportunity that exists in the global market place in terms of accessing funding, capitals for their businesses, among others,” he said.

 

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