The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG has opened the International Pink traders’ fair which is a project of Economic Services Department of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs through the 50 Million African Women Speak Project in Abuja.
The 50 Million African Women Speak Project’ Pink Traders’ Fair was opened by the Minister on Tuesday, 1st of November, 2022 and has been holden at the Zoological Gardens, Area 1, Abuja, FCT and will last till Saturday, 5th of November, 2022.
While declaring the fair open on Tuesday, Dame Tallen revealed the uniqueness of the fair as “bringing together various businesses and women entrepreneurs who have gone through most of the free skill acquisition/business development trainings offered by the project by giving them a platform to showcase their goods and proficiency.”
Speaking of the 50 Million African Women Speak Project (50MAWSP), the women affairs minister stated that it is “practical initiatives implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) funded by African Development Bank (AfDB) to contribute to the economic and social empowerment of 50 million women in businesses across 38 African countries, by providing a digital networking platform via web and mobile devises as an App and a one stop shop for women to start, grow and scale up their businesses as well as access financial and non-financial services/information.
Tallen reeled out achievements on the 50MAWSP since commencement in 2018 in Nigeria as having thousands of women taken through capacity building workshops, skill acquisition, mentorship/empowerment programmes, grants for start-ups and now, the pink trade fair.
She added that 61,840 women got their capacity built up with their businesses networked, connected with 12,002 female entrepreneurs online and 49,838, offline.
The Minister further revealed that 575 trainings were carried out from 2018 till date with 36 States having 50MAWSP functional Digital Platform.
Tallen added that 26 States have integrated with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and 11 States, consisting of Benue, Borno, Cross River, Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara are expected to integrate soon.
In a statement signed by the Director of press and Publicity of the ministry of women affairs Olujimi Oyetomi, the fair was meant to serve as avenue to showcase the women entrepreneurs’ businesses and several of the programmes being implemented by the Ministry in empowering Nigerian women economically.
An additional statement from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on the pink fair, signed by the Director of Economic Services, he revealed that the Ministry’s staff were to be on ground to enlighten trade fair participants and visitors as well as encourage other women to engage in entrepreneurship for self-reliance.
Over 96 sales stands which were meant supply needs of people during this festive season were at the fair.
A firm was also showcasing seedlings like citrus in bags; fluted pumpkin in bags; ginger; coconut; corn in bags; banana/plantain suckers; lemon seedlings; yam seedlings; bush mango and oil palm.