csrreporters 
Africa’s digital trade landscape is set for a major boost as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) prepares to unveil the Women Exporter in Digital Economy (WEIDE) grant in Abuja this Thursday. The programme, championed by WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, aims to equip women-led businesses across the continent with tools and opportunities to compete in the global digital marketplace.
Nigeria will serve as the pilot country for the initiative, with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) — the only African organisation among four Business Support Organisations worldwide — leading the first phase. Initially announced in February 2024, WEIDE seeks to break down barriers that limit women’s participation in digital exports.
NEPC Executive Director Nonye Ayeni revealed that preparations are already underway, including training over 100 women entrepreneurs to scale spice and herb exports through aggregation centres linking producers to domestic and international markets. The project also aligns with continental priorities like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), designed to drive intra-African trade and create more opportunities for women.
The WEIDE programme will enhance competitiveness in cross-border trade, improve access to market intelligence, strengthen supply chains, and push for gender-inclusive trade policies. It will also expand data collection on women-led non-oil exports to inform future strategies.
In the run-up to the launch, NEPC has registered 2,285 new exporters in the first half of the year — 377 of them women — and conducted nationwide training on export readiness, standards, packaging, and labelling. The Council has also supported 200 exporters in securing global certifications like FDA and HACCP, while distributing over 23,000 hybrid seedlings of cocoa, sesame, and oil palm to more than 3,000 farmers to improve crop quality for export.
Trade experts believe Nigeria’s pilot will serve as a blueprint for scaling the WEIDE initiative across Africa, opening new doors for women to thrive in digital trade.