The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on Tuesday in Abuja pledged to prioritise advancing the course of women in business.
The President of ACCI, Dr Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, made the pledge at a one-day workshop on successful business operational guide and regulatory compliance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The event was organised by the ACCI Women in Business Trade Group.
Abubakar said that prioritising the course of women in business was critical in growing the country’s economy.
According to him, the workshop for entrepreneurs is of particular interest to the leadership of ACCI.
“This is because of the high priority we give to advancing the course of women in businesses and the need to support their growth and development.
“Women are very capable of turning things around no matter how difficult.
“A report published by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, states that Africa leads the world in the number of women starting businesses, thereby making them to compete favourable with the men.
“The report further stated that in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia, female entrepreneurs outnumber the men hence, the reason for the support we give our women entrepreneurs to keep taking charge,’’ he said.
Abubakar said that women entrepreneurs’ contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth should not be underestimated.
“They have contributed, in no small way, to the economic growth of Nigeria which should not be underestimated.
“Their contributions mostly are in the areas of job creation, poverty alleviation, economic growth and financial sustainability.
“Although faced with many challenges which seems discouraging from going into business, yet women are being motivated to start their own businesses and keep at it till they succeed,’’ he said.
Abubakar described the workshop as one of the ways to support women to gain knowledge that would help them access opportunities, linking them with key stakeholders that would facilitate the growth of their businesses.
Earlier, Mrs Roseline Nwosu, ACCI Vice President, Women Development and Gender Matters, said the workshop would equip the women with information that would assist them access what they need to develop their businesses.
Nwosu also said the focus of the workshop was to provide a platform where MSME’s and start-ups could meet with experienced business executives, key regulatory agencies and financial institutions.
“It will provide information on business development by sharing valuable experiences gathered over the years, regulatory compliance and other business needs such as access to finance,’’ she said.
Nwosu assured of the ACCI Women in Business Trade Group’s commitment to continue with sensitisation programmes geared towards building the capacity of women entrepreneurs on products improvement, services and packaging to meet international standards.
The Managing Director/CEO, Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Mr Muhammed Arabi, said that 60 per cent of the agency’s efforts in developing entrepreneurship were directed at women entrepreneurship.
Represented by Mr David Aruleba, Coordinator FCT One Stop Shop, AEA, Arabi said the agency would support any initiative that supports the development of women entrepreneurship.
“This is because we understand the critical role women play in the economy. When you empower a women, you empower a nation,’’ Arabi said.
