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

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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.”

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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.”

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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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Alleged fraud: Blessing CEO finally regains freedom after months in Kirikiri prison

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October 25, 2026

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Blessing CEO, a controversial Nigerian self-acclaimed relationship expert, has finally been released from prison.

She regained her freedom on Saturday, October 24, 2026, after spending four months in prison.

Actress Doris Ogala announced the news in a post on Instagram.

Sharing a video conversation, Doris wrote, “Blessing CEO is finally out, thank you Jesus. Awwwww ajjeeeyyyy.”

This came after the self-acclaimed therapist lost her second son to an asthma attack while in prison.

It was reports that Blessing CEO, who has been in Kirikiri prison since June, was arraigned for alleged N36 million property fraud and granted N10 million bail on June 9, 2026.

She was re-arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on June 10, 2026, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over a N13 million cancer fraud and falsification of cancer results.

In July, she was granted another N20 million bail in a N69.15 million tenancy fraud.

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Ebola: Uganda restricts transit for travellers from DR Congo

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October 25, 2026

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Uganda has barred travellers with a history of travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from transiting through the country as authorities investigate a traveller who later tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria. The Ugandan Ministry of Health announced the restriction on Friday and reinstated traveller locator forms to support contact tracing and follow-up.

In a statement signed by Director General of Health Services Charles Olaro, the ministry said available information indicated that the traveller had no symptoms when she departed Uganda. It said investigations were continuing to establish when symptoms began and where she may have been exposed.

Uganda is working with Nigerian health authorities to reconstruct her travel history and movements. It has requested further information, including detailed travel records and genomic sequencing results where available. The ministry maintained that Uganda had no active Ebola cases.

Authorities said infection prevention measures had been strengthened at border points and health facilities, alongside continued nationwide surveillance. The ministry warned that breaches of public health requirements could attract action under Uganda’s Public Health Act.

It also urged communities to report suspected unauthorised border crossings so those involved could undergo screening and appropriate follow-up. Travellers and residents were advised to remain calm, practise hand hygiene and cooperate with screening and other public health measures. Uganda had previously experienced an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease after cases were imported from the DRC in May 2026.

The country recorded 20 confirmed cases, including two fatalities, before declaring the outbreak over in August following 42 days without a new locally acquired case. According to WHO figures cited in the report, the DRC had recorded 9,704 confirmed cases and 4,687 fatalities across eight provinces by October 20.

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Uganda’s latest announcement follows its October 21 clarification that the Nigerian patient’s passage through the country did not establish where she contracted the virus. The ministry said preliminary information suggested she had visited eastern DRC for business before travelling through Uganda.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said on Friday that genomic analysis showed a high degree of similarity between the virus detected in Nigeria’s patient and that identified in Kenya’s first imported case. Pate stressed that the finding did not establish infection in Kenya, as there was no evidence that the Nigerian patient had travelled there.

Africa CDC had earlier said it was investigating a possible connection because both patients passed through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on October 3. Kenya’s first case involved a traveller arriving from the DRC through Uganda. The report said Kenya subsequently recorded nine confirmed cases, including two fatalities, with the eight additional infections linked to the first patient.

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PHOTOS: Customs rescues 3 endangered pangolins in Ogun, warns wildlife traffickers

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October 25, 2026

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos, has intercepted three live pangolins during an anti-smuggling operation along Oyo Dam at Igbo-Ora, Ogun State, averting their illegal trade and potential harm to Nigeria’s wildlife population.

The Acting Comptroller, FOU Zone ‘A’, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The interception occurred on Monday, 12 October 2026, when officers acting on credible intelligence discovered the endangered animals concealed in a wire-mesh cage inside a sack.

The suspected traffickers reportedly abandoned the consignment and fled into the surrounding swamp upon sighting the Customs patrol team.

Afeni, represented by Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, commended the operatives for their vigilance and swift response, describing the interception as a significant step in the Service’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and organised smuggling.

He said the operation demonstrated the Unit’s determination to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and disrupt criminal networks exploiting the country’s borders and waterways.

“Pangolins are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international trade in endangered wildlife. Their illegal trafficking threatens wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The three rescued animals have been handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for safekeeping, rehabilitation and appropriate care,” he stated.

Afeni warned individuals involved in wildlife trafficking against continuing their activities, stressing that the Unit would sustain its enforcement operations.

“FOU Zone ‘A’ will continue to intensify patrols, intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration to protect endangered species and combat illegal wildlife trade,” he said.

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