The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to empowering women led enterprises as a strategic pillar in Nigeria’s push toward a one trillion dollar economy, as policymakers, development partners and private sector leaders convened in Abuja to discuss opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The high level colloquium, organised by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, brought together stakeholders to explore practical ways to strengthen access to finance, expand market opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses, particularly those owned and led by women, within Africa’s growing single market.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, described the African Continental Free Trade Area as a historic opportunity capable of reshaping Africa’s economic future by integrating markets across the continent. According to her, the trade agreement connects more than 1.3 billion people across Africa and represents a combined market valued at over three trillion dollars, creating vast opportunities for businesses that are ready to compete regionally.

Oduwole noted that Nigeria’s ability to benefit fully from the continental trade framework would depend on the country’s capacity to strengthen its productive sectors and support entrepreneurs, especially women, to expand their businesses beyond national borders. “This conversation is fundamentally about capital and opportunity,” she said. “When women led enterprises have access to finance, markets and the right institutional support, they become powerful engines of industrial growth, job creation and trade expansion.” She added that empowering women entrepreneurs aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic strategy of diversifying exports, strengthening industrial capacity and expanding participation in intra African trade.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the current moment represents a defining period for Nigeria’s industrial growth within Africa. He noted that although the continental trade agreement has created the world’s largest free trade area by number of participating countries, trade agreements alone cannot drive economic transformation without strong domestic industries. “Trade agreements alone do not industrialise nations,” he said. “Nigeria’s leadership within the African Continental Free Trade Area will ultimately depend on the strength of our industries and the competitiveness of our enterprises.”

Enoh observed that women already play an important role across several sectors of the Nigerian economy, including agriculture, retail, textiles and manufacturing value chains. However, he noted that many women owned businesses still face structural barriers such as limited access to finance and restricted market opportunities. “If Nigeria is to truly lead the continental trade framework, we must unlock the productive potential of women led enterprises at scale,” he said.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, also emphasised the need to integrate gender responsive policies into Nigeria’s trade and industrial development frameworks in order to maximise the opportunities created by the continental trade agreement. She highlighted the importance of simplifying business registration processes, improving documentation systems and creating more inclusive trade procedures that will enable women entrepreneurs to formalise and scale their businesses. “We must remove the barriers that limit women’s participation in trade and enterprise,” she said. “Empowering women economically is not only a matter of fairness but also a strategic investment in Nigeria’s prosperity.”

As part of efforts to deepen collaboration across government institutions, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding access to finance for export ready women entrepreneurs. The partnership will support initiatives such as export readiness training, improved digital trade capacity and the development of a national database of women owned enterprises to help connect them with financing opportunities and regional markets.

In her remarks, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson Jack, commended the initiative and noted that women across Africa continue to drive entrepreneurship, innovation and enterprise development. She said the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area would depend significantly on the participation of women led businesses and small and medium sized enterprises across the continent.

Earlier, the Director of Investment Promotion in the ministry, Mrs Gertrude Orji, who spoke on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, described the colloquium as a strategic platform designed to strengthen collaboration among government institutions, investors and private sector stakeholders. She noted that empowering women led enterprises through innovative financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships would help expand Nigeria’s non oil exports and strengthen the country’s competitiveness within Africa’s integrated market.

The event concluded with renewed commitments from policymakers, development partners and private sector leaders to translate the discussions into practical policies and programmes aimed at accelerating industrial growth and enabling Nigerian women owned enterprises to thrive within the African Continental Free Trade Area.