Nigeria Launches WEIDE Fund to Empower Women Entrepreneurs
Oru Leonard
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Nigeria, has launched the Women Entrepreneurs and Innovators for Development (WEIDE), Fund, a bold initiative aimed at catalyzing the economic empowerment of women in Nigeria. Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, delivered a goodwill message at the launch, highlighting the significance of the fund in advancing women’s economic inclusion.
The WEIDE Fund is designed to support women entrepreneurs, providing them with access to finance, markets, and technology to improve competitiveness and scale up enterprises.
The Minister emphasized that empowering women is not just a matter of social justice but also a nation-building imperative, citing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as a driving force behind the initiative.
The WEIDE Fund aligns with the National Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, which targets sectors where Nigerian women demonstrate resilience and innovation, such as agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, services, and digital entrepreneurship.
Studies show that closing the gender gap in the labor market could boost Nigeria’s GDP by as much as 23% by 2025.
– *Women’s Contribution*: The Minister noted that Nigerian women have, for centuries, sustained entire value chains with little recognition or structural support, and the WEIDE Fund will connect these traditional industries to modern markets.
The Minister congratulated the 146 phenomenal and exceptional Nigerian women entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of the fund, describing them as innovators, job creators, and ambassadors of the nation’s creativity.
The launch of the WEIDE Fund marks a significant step towards promoting women’s economic inclusion and empowerment in Nigeria, with the potential to transform the lives of millions of women and contribute to the nation’s prosperity.
