The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has secured $710,000, about N979.8m, in grants for 128 women-owned export-oriented Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, marking a major boost for Nigeria’s non-oil export drive and women’s participation in digital trade.

The support comes through the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund, a global facility created to help women entrepreneurs adopt digital tools, sharpen their competitiveness and break into international markets.

NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, said 121 beneficiaries received Discovery Grants of $5,000 each, while seven others obtained Booster Grants of $15,000, following a rigorous multi-stage selection process based on transparency and merit.

Nigeria’s inclusion in the pilot phase of the fund places it alongside only three other countries worldwide: the Dominican Republic, Jordan and Mongolia. Ayeni attributed the choice to Nigeria’s vibrant entrepreneurial base, strong export potential and ongoing trade facilitation reforms aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to her, interest in the scheme was overwhelming. The WEIDE Secretariat in Geneva received about 67,000 applications from Nigerian women-led export businesses, the highest number among participating countries, spanning agro-processing, food and beverages, textiles and fashion, cosmetics, manufacturing, creative industries and other value-added non-oil sectors.

Ayeni stressed that the initiative goes beyond cash support. Beneficiaries took part in intensive capacity-building programmes in Lagos and Abuja, covering export readiness, digital trade, e-commerce, branding and marketing, business planning, financial management, market access strategies, sustainability and the use of digital platforms to grow export sales.

She said this integrated model is designed to turn the grants into a catalyst for long-term business growth, improved export competitiveness, job creation and sustained participation in regional and global value chains.

The WEIDE Fund is a $50m joint initiative of the International Trade Centre and the World Trade Organization, backed by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It aims to close the digital financing gap facing women-led MSMEs by combining access to finance with business development support and international market opportunities.

The NEPC said it will deepen collaboration with local and international partners to scale similar interventions, enabling more women-owned firms to access new markets and contribute more significantly to Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings.