…To connect 1m women to global markets by 2020
From Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
A giant leap towards leveraging trade as a channel for the economic empowerment of women was recorded yesterday in Abuja as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) held the Women in Export Stakeholders Forum and Exhibition.
The initiative, according to the Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo would connect one million women to market by 2020.
Mr. Awolowo noted that gender equality and the empowerment of women was a prerequisite of achieving the Global Development Goals (GDG) in sustainable development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly adding that advancing women’s equality could add $28 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025.
This, he said, would enable economies unlock their full potential which is in line with the NEPC Women in Export Programme (WEP).
“NEPC’s WEP represents the most comprehensive and coordinated approach to take specific measures and targeted policies to ensure the mobilization, inclusion and full participation of rural women and women-owned businesses into mainstream development process particularly in non-oil export trade,” he said.
Answering questions, the Executive Director of ITC, Ms Arancha Gonzalez maintained that as oil price continues to fall in world oil price, Nigeria needs an entirely novel strategy to turn-around its economy. And the programme to get Nigerian women into global market place proves a sure approach to deliver on the change in economic fortune.
The NEPC WEP is designed to ensure that the potential of Nigerian women in selected value chains are harnessed and enabled to scale-up and access domestic, regional and international markets to ensure sustainable contribution to national goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that promotes gender equality and development of all women and girls.
Only recently, the Executive Director of ITC, Arancha Gonzalez in a Keynote address assured Nigeria of United Nations support.
The ITC’s SheTrades Initiatives was launched in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2015 at ITC’s Annual Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum.
The Platform aims to make it easier for women to participate in trade and the global economy through providing more and better gender-aggregated data, ensure fair policies, enable women business owners to secure public procurement contracts, win business deals, ease access to financial services and improve ownerships rights.
Agric: Presidential aide urges youths to embrace agriculture
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Youths across the country have been told to embrace agriculture instead of lamenting of unemployment.
The Special Assistant to the President on Youths and Students Affairs, Mr. Nasir Adhama who spoke in Abuja at the unveiling of Mr. and Miss Agriculture, an initiative to engender youths involvement in agriculture, said youths need to deploy their creative energies in support of the economic diversification drive of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
The presidential aide who spoke through Mr. Halifa Mustapha, a special assistant, said that those who key into the agricultural initiatives of government would benefit immensely as the sector was expected to create millions of jobs and wealth.
The Creative Director of Mr and Miss Agriculture Project, Tamo Iruene, explained that the organisers intend to make agriculture stress-free and enjoyable by introducing entertainment into it.
Irene said in the face of the current economic downturn, the only way to go was to stimulate the non-oil sector of the economy.
According to her, no fewer than 30,000 youths are expected to participate in the project that will entail a reality show.
“What some people might not be able to understand is that after the auditioning and everything, you’re not just going to be in a house laughing or making noise”, she said.
Finance: Nigerian economy underperforming, says BoI
From Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
Acting Managing Director, Bank of industry (BoI), Waheed Olagunji said, relative to its potentials, Nigerian economy has underperformed in the last 56 years.
Olagunji who in Lagos during BoI Media Parley entitled: “Sustaining Nigeria’s industrial sector growth through impactful partnerships,” lamented that Nigeria was not where it should be compared with other countries.
Olagunju who accused the nation’s leaders of paying lip service to the economic development, said BoI has identified 40 clusters animal feed. he advised that the country should increase its industrial sector.
“The only way to achieve inclusive growth…is to establish community-based industrialisation strategy to add value to our natural resources. For instance, all the 774 local government areas in the country have natural resources lying fallow.
“We should not depend on oil prices which is not constant because you cannot predict your children’s life with that type of gamble,” he said.
The Managing Director advised Nigerians to embraced agriculture, which according to him, is the cornerstone of this government and would create more jobs for people especially the youths.
He disclosed that the bank has been contacting some governors for partnership but regretted that only few of them have shown interest.
However, he announced that the bank also partnering with the Dangote Foundation which he said perceive the Bank well.
Industrial Parks could be established by the Federal Government or the state Government as we encourage states to establish at least one industrial Park in each of the senatorial Districts of the country,” he said.
Labour: FG committed to occupational safety – Ngige
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was committed to engendering Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) within the nation’s labour force.
Ngige, who made the disclosure while inaugurating a 15-member tripartite technical committee on the development of the first National Profile on Occupational Safety and Health in Abuja, yesterday, charged the committee to develop a profile with accurate data on the existing occupational safety and health in Nigeria.
The minister was represented by the Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Mrs. Nafitat Abiola-Arogundade.
The committee which comprised representatives of government, employers and employees had no representation from the informal sector.
But the minister clarified why the informal sector was not covered saying that “the ILO said they don’t want the technical committee to be large”.
In a goodwill message, the Country Director of International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr. Dennis Zulu explained that preparing an accurate national profile on OSH was a vital step towards developing a realistic and effective national OSH Programme for Nigeria.
He cited recent ILO report which showed that every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases – more than 2.3 million deaths per year. “317 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product each year.”
Zulu stated that many occupational tragedies were preventable through the implementation of sound prevention, reporting and inspection practices, hence the ILO formulated standards on occupational safety and health to provide essential tools for governments, employers, and workers to establish such practices and to provide for maximum safety at work.
Representative of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the committee, Mrs. Maureen Onyia-Ekwuazi, who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, said they were aware of the enormity of the responsibility given to them, but promised that the committee would deliver on the terms of reference.