The World Bank has joined forces with DO Take Action, a prominent African non-profit startup focused on sustainable development, to empower women entrepreneurs in Nigeria through a new initiative.
Precious Ebere, Co-Founder of DO Take Action, shared the details in a statement on Thursday.
She explained that the Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment Through Affirmative Procurement Reforms (SWEEP) training programme was officially launched on July 16, 2024, in Abuja.
“This initiative comes in response to the significant barriers faced by women-owned and women-led businesses in accessing public procurement opportunities,” Ebere said.
“Despite owning 40 per cent of businesses in Nigeria, women remain underrepresented in public procurement, which is critical for economic growth,” she added.
According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, public procurement accounts for 10-25 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and nearly 50 per cent of government expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa.
However, Ebere noted that women-led businesses still receive a disproportionately small share of these contracts.
The SWEEP programme, she said, aims to address this disparity by introducing affirmative procurement policies that promote gender equality.
Ebere highlighted the programme’s objectives, stating, “The SWEEP programme is designed to increase the participation of women’s small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement. By enhancing the capacity of women-owned and -led businesses, we can empower them to compete more effectively in both public and private markets.”
She added that the SWEEP initiative will deliver specialized training in areas such as business skills, financial management, and procurement processes.
Furthermore, the programme seeks to formalize and register women-led businesses, increasing their eligibility for public procurement opportunities. It is set to directly benefit over 600 women-led businesses across three training cohorts, with the first phase scheduled to start on November 1, 2024.
“By fostering awareness among private sector leaders about gender-responsive procurement practices, we aim to strengthen the capacity of public institutions to implement these policies effectively,” Ebere stated.
She assured that the programme will offer a hybrid learning approach, blending in-person and online instruction over a month-long period. Women entrepreneurs in Abuja are encouraged to register for this transformative initiative.
The SWEEP programme is anticipated to yield significant outcomes, including enhanced access to procurement contracts for women-led businesses, greater marketplace visibility, and broader impacts on economic empowerment, education, and poverty alleviation.
“SWEEP aligns with the World Bank’s economic development plan and will contribute to a more dynamic and inclusive economic environment in Abuja,” she said.
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