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NFNV-NIGERIA, AFOACT Webinar Empowers West African Women, Youth Cross-Border Traders

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New Faces New Voices Nigeria (NFNV-Nigeria), and the West African Women Cross Border Traders Association (AFOACT) are set to host a webinar themed: “Empower & Elevate to Advance Women and Youth Cross-Border Traders in West Africa” on January 23, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM West African Time.

NFNV NIGERIA is a network under the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) focused on empowering women and youth in business through economic empowerment, social development and leadership training programmes to scale up their enterprises. While AFOACT was established by NFNV NIGERIA to provide training, networking and information for access to markets in other West African countries. 

The webinar aims to provide women and youth entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and strategies they need to thrive in cross-border trade in the West African region. Key objectives of the webinar include: Identifying and addressing challenges in cross-border trade; Promoting financial inclusion and trade formalization; Advocating for policy harmonization to foster sustainable growth; as well as Empowering participants through digital transformation.

The event will feature two engaging panel sessions: “Driving Digital Financial Inclusion: Catalyst for Women and Youth in Cross-Border Trade” and “Building Resilience: Overcoming Challenges in Cross-Border Trade in West Africa.”

Statistics reveal cross-border trade as a key driver of economic development in the ECOWAS region, contributing over $350 billion to its GDP, with women alone accounting for $100 billion of this trade. Despite their immense contributions to food security, employment, and innovation, women entrepreneurs face systemic and structural barriers in their trade activities. 

Findings by NFNV NIGERIA’s survey in 2024 showed 85.7% of the surveyed women involved in cross-border trade in Nigeria have bank accounts while only 33.33% utilize financial services. This offers a significant opportunity for leveraging digital tools and services to empower cross-border traders, enhance market access, and boost their economic independence.

The webinar will bring together digital financial experts, policymakers, and cross-border trade practitioners to discuss best practices, share research insights, and explore solutions to the barriers faced by women and youth traders.  

You can register for the webinar here: https://www.nfnvnigeria.org/empower-elevate-webinar-registration/

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