Foundation Harps On Capacity Building For Nigerian Women, Trains 400 On Business Entrepreneurship

Mrs. Oluwatosin Aisha

ABEOKUTA - My Beadsworld Women Foundation has called on government at all levels to support Nigerian women with capacity building that can assist them to upscale their career.

The Convener, My Beadsworld Women Foundation, Mrs. Oluwatosin Aisha made the appeal at the weekend in Abeokuta at the Second Annual Entrepreneur Day organized by My Beadsworld Women Foundation.

Mrs. Oluwatosin noted that if women are supported financially, through the government's SMEs scheme, they would be able to create more jobs opportunities for many Nigerian youths.

She added that the empowerment programme was to sensitize the women on the push factor of business identification and marketing.

According to her, the workshop which focuses on fashion designing, manufacturing, creative art, and beads making was attended by over 400 participants both physically and virtually.

"Last year, we had the first annual woman entrepreneurial where we had 50 women and today we have 300 women physically and over 100 women virtually from different states and other countries. At the entrepreneurial day, what we do is to call women together from different sectors and motivate them, tell them what to do better and push and upscale thier career.

"So people that attended last year, they gave us feedback that business had changed and they were able to record more success, that is why we are having it in a bigger way this year so as to be able to make more impact among women in our society.

Ogun state commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe and CEO Ibile Vogue, Mrs. Temitope Alade and Mrs. Aisha Oluwatosin

"We would appreciate if we get the assistance and the support of the Nigerian government, states government so that more women would benefit from it. We have observed that women need help to push their career forward not just financially, but in terms of empowerment to know what to do and how do it, so therefore, we need government in the area of capacity building, in the area awareness and financial support as well to make this programme move forward.

"The last year's edition was based on fashion alone, but this year, we have people from different sectors here, not just fashion, we have people from manufacturing, people from creative art, we have people in different sectors."

Mrs. Oluwatosin however, advised participants to replicate the knowledge garnered during the workshop on their businesses for more growth.

"My advice to the beneficiaries is to make use of all what they have planned, they should start immediately and tends to give back because somebody has helped them in their own to empower more, so they should expand this properly, help more people in their capacity so that one day the world will be a better place."

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe explained that the Ogun state government has created a platform for Small Scale Business owners to thrive.

Cross section of the participants at the event

Longe assured that the government would connect the small scale business with capital providers to access funds to grow their businesses.

She further noted that in line with the government's value-chain programmes, the government has created market for the exportation of their products.

"We have a deliberate programme for helping them, identify what business they do, encouraging them to formalize their businesses.

"So they have to create an identity whether it's a business name or limited liability company, you then create an identity and register it.

"We also have very effective programme in place for capacity building to teach them how to be the best at running those businesses, we have programme that will give them access to capital, match them up with capital providers or SMEs, if it's credit banks or fund managers and so on.

"We also have the development partners that have funding for setting types of sectors. The other area is Market axis because you need it,  for money to come in, you can be skilled and have all capital in the world, you have to be able to sell the product or service. 

"We have very effective programme for market axis both locally and export and teach them how they can sell their products and make money, make profits on a sustainable base, so the SMEs is very big in Ogun State."

Meanwhile, not less than 10 women's business companies were registered for free.