Presidential aide tasks women entrepreneurs’ leadership role in international trade

The Special Adviser to the President on Export Expansion, Aliyu Bunu Sheriff, urged Nigerian women entrepreneurs to go beyond participation and aim for leadership in international trade during the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Women Exporters conference held in Abuja. Sheriff emphasized that women must not just participate in trade but compete, dominate, and lead. He highlighted the critical role of women entrepreneurs in driving Nigeria’s economic transformation, advocating for stronger support systems to help them scale and compete globally. Sheriff noted that women across Nigeria are creating jobs, supporting families, and turning challenges into opportunities, contributing real value to the economy. He stressed that empowering women-led businesses is both a social imperative and a smart economic strategy. Sheriff called on government agencies, private sector players, and development partners to deepen collaboration in supporting women-led enterprises. Earlier, the Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Nonyr Ayeni, mentioned that Nigeria recorded the highest value of non-oil exports in 2025, amounting to $6.1 billion.