Over 65% of SMEs In Nigeria are Women – Businessmanm Owotemu 

By: Ajiya Ayuba, Bauchi 

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The technical advisor and business coach. Abel Owotemu with the International trade facilitators association (ITFA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said that about 65-70% of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Nigeria are women 

He said this during a two day training workshop on the nature positive MSMES in Nigeria (SPEMN), Sustainability Coaching program, held at the Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa University (ATBU) SPESSE Centre, Gubi Campus, along Kano road, Bauchi State. 

He said that the main reason for the training is to empower, train and create market access to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the Northeastern region of the country.

He also said that the training will help the economy diversify from the oil focus to non oil export driven. Also looking at how to improve the Agriculture value change across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. 

“The participation of the participants is very encouraging because almost all the participants across the north east zone have been registered for the training. 

According to him said that “Most of the SMES across the country are lead by women, so for that I thank them immensely for their wonderful participation”

“We have to focus on women in order to empower them, give them the tools, the connection, the market access that they need to improve what they are doing. 

Owotemu said that one of the reasons is to address the challenges by the disadvantaged population that women are usually within the number.

“We are really happy with the population of the women of the north east that make themselves available for the programme”

He further said that “After the training, the SMES product will be going all over the world not only in Nigeria 

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“Part of what we are to doing is to creating data for the SMES, after the training we’ll  list them, work with them to go through certification so that they meet the inter fair trade requirements for international procurement and businesses in other people to be able to see how they do their business, where their business is located and off take from them. 

“After the training, we’ll create extra income for them outside from earning in naira their exposure to the global market to also earn in foreign currency.

Abel Owotemu, the technical advisor and business coach with the International Trade Facilitators Association (ITFA) said that SMES are having a lot of difficulties in terms of communication, guidance on what to do, coaches are to guide SMES, be available to them, mentor them and work with them, give them information and the things that they need in other to position themselves.