Nigeria’s selection as the first beneficiary reflects its potential as a digital trade hub and its readiness to harness the power of women entrepreneurs in shaping the future of its economy.

Nigeria has become the first pilot country for the World Trade Organisation’s $50 million Women Exporters in Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, an initiative to help women entrepreneurs tap into the global digital marketplace. Rolled out on Thursday, August 14, in Abuja, the program aims to dismantle long-standing barriers that have held back women-led businesses from limited access to finance to weak digital infrastructure.

At the launch, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, hailed the initiative as a landmark step toward inclusive global trade, allowing Nigerian women entrepreneurs to scale their innovations and compete beyond national borders.

For WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, "The goal of the fund is to give women the tools, the knowledge, the networks, and the resources they need to access global value chains, so their businesses are not just surviving, but thriving, on the world stage."

Launched in February 2024, the WEIDE Fund is backed by the FIFA World Cup 2022 Legacy Fund, along with the Governments of Bahrain and the UAE. It represents a rare blend of international finance and trade policy dedicated specifically to women. The initiative is designed to empower women entrepreneurs by helping them expand their businesses through digitalization and international trade, targeting women-led MSMEs that are either already exporting, ready to begin exporting, or have strong export potential.

Under the first phase, 146 Nigerian women entrepreneurs will benefit. Sixteen “booster track” participants will receive $30,000 each alongside 18 months of technical support, while 130 others will receive $5,000 and a year of business mentorship. Beyond funding, the WEIDE Fund will equip beneficiaries with tools to enhance competitiveness, strengthen their digital capabilities, and expand their access to global markets.

Out of every 100 businesses in Nigeria, 39 are female-owned, according to World Bank data. Yet most remain small and excluded from global value chains due to financing and infrastructure gaps. If these women-led businesses were given adequate financing and access to digital/global markets, they could significantly boost Nigeria’s GDP, job creation, and trade competitiveness.

This highlights why the WTO’s $50m WEIDE Fund matters: it’s designed not just to acknowledge women’s participation, but to move them from small-scale survival businesses into globally competitive enterprises.

Hikmatu Bilali