Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) are in partnership to encourage the Federal Government to prioritise the implementation of a national policy on women’s economic empowerment for sustained development.

The Director, Gender, dRPC, Dr. Plangsat Dayil, stated this at a meeting on National Conditions for Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Enterprises Formalisation in Nigeria, organised by SMEDAN, in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO) and dRPC, in Abuja.

According to her, non-implementation of the policy not only impedes empowerment of women, but also impacts negatively on the nation’s economic development.

Other targets she mentioned included increase in women’s corporate leadership to 25 per cent, increase in financial inclusion to 75 per cent, reach 75 percent financial inclusion for women and increase in girls’ secondary school enrolment to 75 per cent.

“It is obvious that for Nigeria to achieve its full potential in economic growth, recommendations of the WEE and NGP alongside other national inclusion policies must be implemented at the national and sub-national levels.”

“While formalisation of women-owned businesses, which the two policies have not addressed adequately, must be given the desired attention, if women run businesses are to be competitive,” the Director, Partnerships, Development and Communication, dRPC, Alhassan Karofi, stated.

Dayil pointed out: “Formal registration of women businesses remains the only intervention to give financial independence, bargaining power and self-esteem to women-run businesses, while increasing their exposure to local and international markets, as well access to digital infrastructure and platforms. There must also be deliberate policy relaxation to ease access to opportunities for women businesses.”