From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday commended President Bola Tinubu for his leadership in stabilising Nigeria’s economy during a briefing with State House correspondents following her visit to the President.
Describing the visit as “very good”, she expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for taking the time to engage on a key initiative aimed at empowering Nigerian women and supporting economic resilience.
“The president and his team have worked hard to stabilise the economy, and that stability is the foundation for all future progress,” Okonjo-Iweala stated. “You cannot really improve an economy unless it is stable, and President Tinubu deserves credit for achieving that.”
She said she briefed President Tinubu on the unveiling of a women’s exporters fund for the digital economy, jointly managed by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva, launched in partnership with the First Lady. The fund seeks to support Nigerian women to navigate current economic challenges, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s growth.
She revealed that Nigeria competed globally and was one of only four countries selected for this new initiative. “We had 67,000 Nigerian women apply, and 146 won. These beneficiaries will receive direct funding to scale or start their businesses, alongside technical and business support for up to 18 months from the WTO and ITC, working with the ministry to ensure business growth, employment creation, and economic contributions.”
She highlighted the collaborative efforts with Nigeria’s Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council to ensure the success of this initiative.
Looking ahead, Okonjo-Iweala emphasised the next phase for Nigeria: “Now that the economy has been stabilised through reforms, the focus must shift to growth and building social safety nets. We need to support those feeling the impact of these changes while fostering job creation and increasing incomes — all of which we discussed with President Tinubu.”
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