Day NFNV Nigeria, SMEDAN presented industrial equipment to women entrepreneurs

In furtherance of its mission of empowering women in business, the Nigeria chapter of the Pan African nonprofit New Faces New Voices (NFNV), in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) distributed industrial equipment to women entrepreneurs. 

In continuation of its effort of empowering women in business, the Nigeria chapter of the Pan African nonprofit New Faces New Voices (NFNV) working to promote women’s access to finance, in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) last week distributed sets of industrial equipment to women entrepreneurs.

The sets of industrial equipment were presented to the women entrepreneurs in a ceremony held last week Saturday at the offices of the Kano Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mines & Agriculture (KACCIMA) in Kano.

The equipment distributed were high speed industrial interlocking and sewing machines which was presented to LADACO Group as well as an oil filtering machine aimed at supporting a group of women in the production of coconut and sesame oil.

LADACO group, the beneficiaries of the industrial sewing & interlocking machine was founded as a sole enterprise and has now grown into a successful enterprise providing job opportunities to at least 15 women and 20 youths between the ages of 17 to 20 years old. These youths work at LADACO after school hours and the women work from their homes while LADACO does the finishing, branding and packaging for the products.

While delivering opening remarks at the event, Country Director of NFNV Nigeria, Aishatu Debola Aminu thanked her NGO’s partners such as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and Universal Parcel Service (UPS) for their continues support to NFNV members in Nigeria.

“The high speed industrial interlocking and sewing machines which was presented to LADACO Group as well as an oil filtering machine were donated by SMEDAN; they also built the capacity of our South East members in Owerri. Moreover, SMEDAN has invited us to participate in their access to finance exercise. Moreover, NEPC has supported our participation at the Cairo Congress in 2015; it has also aligned its work with our objectives by acknowledging women’s potentials through the creation of the Women in Export department. NEPC’s support is too numerous to mention,” says Aminu.

In his speech, NFNV Nigeria patron who was also the chairman of the event, the Sarkin Shanu of Kano, Alhaji Shehu Dankadai, who was represented by Alhaji Mustapha Hashim urged the women entrepreneurs to ensure maximum and productive use of the industrial equipment donated to them. He also called on KACCIMA to accord NFNV Nigeria all the necessary support in their quest for the economic empowerment of women.

“I want to call on the recipients of these machines to make use of them, maximally and productively. Moreover, you can’t talk of cross-border or international trade in Nigeria without involving the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), there is need to create synergy between NCS and this noble cause being amplified by New Faces New Voices. There is also the need for NFNV to liaise with all military and paramilitary organisations through their various officers’ wives associations,” urged Dankadai.

“Finally, I will want to appeal to other government agencies like NAFDAC, SON, and NCS to key into this initiative and give them support on issues in relation to their respective organisations. I also want appeal to the banks and other financial institutions to support this initiative with finances for them to achieve their goal.”

Also speaking at the event, Abdullahi K Mamman, Zonal Manager of NEPC in Kano appreciated the effort of NFNV Nigeria in empowering women in business adding that NEPC would offer capacity building programmes as well as accord NFNV members a special consideration in the SheTrade programme being championed by the council, which is a progamme of the International Trade Centre (ITC) seeking to get 3 million women mobilized into formal export business across the world.

“New Faces New Voices Nigeria will be given special consideration under the SheTrade programme. We can also organize capacity building for NFNV members at our AGOA centre in Lagos and can also organize export clinics for you. Exporting through the formal channel affords you the opportunity to enjoy incentives,” Mamman told the NFNV Nigeria women entrepreneurs.

In his goodwill message, Tijjani Abdullahi, Director General of the Kano Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mines & Agriculture (KACCIMA) commended the effort of NFNV in empowering Nigerian women and decried the fact that women were being denied access to economic opportunities, despite their education and experience.

“Women are being put down when it comes to business opportunities despite their education and experience. KACCIMA’s door is open to NFNV Nigeria and other women business groups; currently less than 10% of KACCIMA members are women business groups. Women are contributing to the economic development of their families and country in general as such our door is always open to supporting women business groups,” said Abdullahi