Tinubu meets WTO chief Okonjo-Iweala, launches Women Exporters Fund

By Kunle Sanni –

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to discuss Nigeria’s economic outlook and trade initiatives aimed at empowering women.

Okonjo-Iweala told State House correspondents that the visit was to brief the president on the launch of a Women Exporters Fund for the Digital Economy, a programme jointly managed by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva.

“It was a very good visit, and thanks to Mr. President for making the time. We came to brief him about something very joyful we did today, with the help of the First Lady,” she said. “This fund is designed to help Nigerian women weather the storms of the economy, create jobs, and contribute more to the nation’s growth.”

Nigeria was one of only four countries globally selected to participate in the initiative. Out of 67,000 Nigerian women who applied, 146 were chosen to receive direct financial and technical support. Sixteen winners under the “booster track” will receive 18 months of business mentorship, while another 100 beneficiaries will each get $5,000 and a year of business support.

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the programme is being coordinated locally by the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. “This is just the beginning,” she said.

On Nigeria’s broader economy, she commended the Tinubu administration’s reforms for bringing stability. “You cannot really improve an economy unless it’s stable. The president and his team have worked hard to achieve that. What is needed next is growth — and building social safety nets so that people feeling the pinch of reforms can weather the hardship,” she added.

The meeting came two weeks before the expiration of Okonjo-Iweala’s first term as WTO director-general on August 31 and ahead of her second four-year term, which begins September 1. She became the first African and the first woman to lead the 164-member trade body in 2021.

President Tinubu has expressed confidence that her continued leadership will further strengthen the WTO’s role in promoting inclusive global growth and economic governance.