. Okonjo-Iweala hails FG’s reforms
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said 146 Nigerian women would be part of the Women Exporters Fund for the Digital Economy.

The fund is jointly managed by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). Speaking during a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, yesterday, Okonjo-Iweala lauded the President for stabilising the economy, saying that what is needed next in the country is economic growth.

“We had 67,000 Nigerian women who applied for this, and 146 won, and they are going to have money disbursed directly to them. Sixteen of them won what we call the booster track, those who already have businesses, but their businesses will be scaled up.

“They will receive technical and business support for 18 months from the WTO and the ITC, and work with the ministry. So, we will all work together to make sure that their businesses expand, they employ more people, they put money in their households’ pockets and the nation’s pocket, then another 100 will get directly $5,000 to scale up to start and strengthen their businesses again with 12 months of business support,” she explained.

The DG added that the President’s reforms have led to the stability of the economy.

“The reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth. We now need to grow the economy and put in social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can also have some support to be able to weather the hardship. How then do we build social safety nets to help Nigerians cushion the hardship they are feeling? How do we grow the economy so we can create more jobs and put more money in people’s pockets?” she asked.