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Okonjo-Iweala unveils $50m fund to empower women in digital trade

Published

8 months ago

August 14, 2025

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,has unveiled a $50 million global fund to empower women entrepreneurs in digital trade, warning that global commerce is facing “extremely challenging times” marked by rising unilateralism and protectionism.

The initiative, known as the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund, is a joint effort of the WTO and the International Trade Centre aimed at equipping women-owned businesses in developing countries with the skills, resources and networks to participate competitively in global value chains.

Speaking in her address on Thursday in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala warned that Nigeria’s low internet penetration, with more than half of the population still offline, could limit the country’s ability to tap into the fast-growing global digital trade market.

Okonjo-Iweala said only 45 per cent of Nigerians are connected to the internet, far below the global average of 67 per cent.

The WTO DG said, “No nation can truly digitise without a steady supply of electricity and reliable, affordable internet. More than half of Nigerians remain disconnected, and this gap must be closed if we are to seize the opportunities of digital trade.”

“This is more than a programme. This is going to be a movement,” Okonjo-Iweala declared. “We want women entrepreneurs not just surviving, but thriving on the world stage.”

The former Nigerian finance minister said the launch comes at a time when total global trade stands at $30.4tn, with digital trade representing the fastest-growing segment, yet Africa’s share remains under one per cent.

“In 2005, digitally-delivered services like IT, consulting and education were worth about $1tn. Today, that figure has quadrupled to $4.25tn,” she noted. “It is an area where Nigeria’s women can and must take advantage.”

This year, the WEIDE Fund is rolling out in just four countries, Jordan, Mongolia, the Dominican Republic and Nigeria. Okonjo-Iweala said Nigeria’s selection followed a fiercely competitive process involving over 600 business support organisations worldwide.

“The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, under Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, stood out with a strong, well-thought-out application,” she said. “This was not man-no-man or woman-no-woman. Nigerians don’t need a Nigerian at the WTO to win, they win on their merit.”

Over 67,000 Nigerian women entrepreneurs applied for the first cohort. While the original plan was to support 100 businesses, the high quality of applications led to the selection of 146 beneficiaries.

“67,000 Nigerian women entrepreneurs applied for the fund. Due to the exceptional quality of entries, the number of beneficiaries was increased from 100 to 146 awardees.
“Sixteen entrepreneurs in the Booster Track will each receive up to US$30,000 and 18 months of technical assistance.

“One hundred and thirty entrepreneurs in the Discovery Track will each get up to US$5,000 and a year of business support.

“Beneficiaries operate across sectors such as agriculture, IT, fashion, hospitality, beauty, and manufacturing.”, she explained.

“These women come from all over Nigeria, from fashion and textiles to IT, tourism, agri-processing, beauty, and home goods,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “They are the heartbeat of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial energy.”

While lauding the government’s $2bn fibre optic project to connect rural and secondary cities, the WTO chief stressed that digital trade cannot thrive without reliable electricity.

“No nation can truly digitise without a steady supply of power,” she warned. “More than half of Nigerians are still offline, just 45 per cent are connected compared to the global average of 67 per cent.”

She called for inter-ministerial collaboration between the ministries of power, communications, women’s affairs, and trade to sustain and scale the initiative.

Okonjo-Iweala lamented that women remain underrepresented in Nigeria’s booming ICT sector, which contributed 18 per cent to GDP in 2022, up from less than 4 per cent in 2001.

“A study found that only 30 per cent of Nigerian tech firms are owned by women,” she said. “We rank 128th out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report. We can and must do better.”

She urged policymakers to see women’s empowerment as “smart economics” rather than charity, warning against policies like customs duties on cross-border digital trade that could choke small exporters.

“If countries start taxing digital trade, micro and small businesses, especially those run by women, will lose one of their best pathways into global markets,” she said.

Addressing the 146 awardees directly, Okonjo-Iweala said, “You earned this through hard work and vision. Use this moment to dream bigger, scale higher and go further. When I return in two years, I want to see how many more people you have hired, how many new markets you have reached, and how many women you have inspired.”

She concluded, “When women succeed, communities succeed, economies succeed. This is not just a moral case, it is an economic case. Let’s make it happen.”

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Senate names new minority whip as two more senators defect to APC

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Senate on Wednesday appointed Senator Tony Nwoye as the new Minority Whip, following a fresh wave of defections that has further boosted the numerical strength of the All Progressives Congress in the upper chamber.

Nwoye, who represents Anambra North Senatorial District, was unanimously selected by the Senate minority caucus to fill the vacancy created by the exit of his predecessor.

His emergence comes on the heels of the defection of former Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on Wednesday, one of several high-profile crossovers that altered the balance within the opposition ranks.

In a letter read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ngwu said his decision was driven by the need to align with Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu.

He also described the APC as the most stable political platform in the country.

Nwoye was elected into the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party before defecting to the African Democratic Congress in late 2025, positioning him within the opposition bloc prior to his new leadership role.

The reshuffle in minority leadership came amid a broader pattern of defections that has steadily eroded the strength of opposition parties in the Senate since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

In a related development, Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro, representing Gombe South, also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, citing internal crises within the opposition party.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, formally announced his defection from the Social Democratic Party to the APC.

Wadada, who has also been endorsed as the APC consensus governorship candidate for Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections, said he had previously aligned with the ruling party but completed the formal procedures of his defection on Wednesday.

Reacting to the developments, Senator Adams Oshiomhole commended the lawmakers, describing their defections as voluntary and consistent with constitutional provisions.

He said the increasing movement of legislators into the APC reflects growing confidence in the party’s leadership and the administration of President Tinubu.

With the latest defections, the APC’s strength in the Senate has risen to 91 lawmakers—further consolidating its dominance and tightening its grip on legislative proceedings as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Lagos clarifies sanitation modalities, warns defaulters ahead of April 25

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Lagos State Government has provided further details on the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, set to resume on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with movement restrictions and enforcement measures in place.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said, “The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am.

During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages.”

He stated that enforcement teams comprising officials of the ministry, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors would “conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance,” warning that “defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.”

Wahab also stated, “LAWMA intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise,” noting that “there will be rewards for the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and the cleanest street as part of efforts to encourage healthy competition and community participation.”

He urged residents to cooperate with the initiative, saying, “We urge all residents to take ownership of this exercise and join hands with the government in building a cleaner, safer and more sustainable Lagos.”

The clarification follows the symbolic flag-off of the exercise along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor on March 14, ahead of its full implementation later this month.

The state government had earlier announced in March that the sanitation exercise would resume nearly a decade after it was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the programme.

While some residents have welcomed the move, saying it could curb indiscriminate waste disposal and reduce flooding, others have raised concerns about enforcement, warning that movement restrictions could be abused and calling for sustained public education on proper waste management.

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Court remands suspected coup plotters in DSS custody

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.

At the sitting, which commenced at about 1:46pm, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charge was ready and sought leave to have it read to the defendants.

Proceedings were briefly stalled after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant said his client understood only Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to secure an interpreter.

When the court reconvened at about 2:18 pm, all six defendants took their pleas and denied the allegations, pleading not guilty to the 13 counts.

Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for their remand in DSS custody and urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case, a request that was not opposed by most defence counsel, although the first defendant’s lawyer indicated an intention to file a bail application.

Ruling, the trial judge ordered an accelerated hearing, directed that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their lawyers, and adjourned the matter till April 27, 2026, for commencement of trial.