From LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that empowering female business owners in the country is capable of increasing the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking at a one-day women entrepreneurial training programme organized for Kwara state women by the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation, in partnership with WimBiz, the former Senate President said that the programme offers business owners opportunities on how to grow their businesses and network for increased profitability.
One of the facilitators at the programme, Linda Uneze, who is the founder and convener of Doing Business in Nigeria Conference (DBNC), said that trained and skilled women are capable of increasing the nation’s GDP.
“She said , SMEs contribute the largest when it comes to the Nigeria’s GDP. So, empowering people who have the interest to build business, no matter how small, giving them platform where they can network, collaborate and have access to right information, tools and contacts would help boost their business and increase the nation’s GDP”, she said.
Talking on opportunities in the programme, Uneze said that, “Business owners will have right tools, information, access to capital, access to people that can help them improve their trade and business and increase their profitability and success”.
Saraki represented at the event by the Director of Administration of ABS Foundation, Mrs. Fatimoh Malumfashi, stressed the need to support womenfolk in the country in order to assist them achieve their potentials for economic growth of the nation.
He said that the training of 106 women on entrepreneurship would also go a long way to address current economic hardship facing the nation, especially the common men.
“The objective of the training is to address the issue common among women entrepreneurs globally.
“There are certain challenges affecting women entrepreneurs worldwide, preventing women from achieving their potentials.
“So, what we are trying to do is to train women on various entrepreneurial skills that would enable them achieve their desires and potentials in order to boost the economic growth of the society”.
“As a nation, we must strive harder to train women on empowerment to boost their skills .
“So, this training aims to provide them mentorship, networking through technology, digital technology and skill technology and we are going to do this for over 106 women entrepreneurs who are hardworking people to help them achieve their potentials for the economic advancement of the nation.
“Also, this training is the first step and the foundation and its partner would provide financial support in the subsequent outing to assist the participation in the training to be achieved”.
Saraki, however, urged the participants to see the training as an opportunity, saying that they should be up and doing in order to assist them garner exposures capable of turning their lives for economic prosperity of the nation.
One of the beneficiaries of the training Balqees Olajumoke, an entrepreneur dealing in ladies’ wear expressed gratitude for the initiative.
She described the event as an essential boost for women entrepreneurs in Kwara State, aiding them in navigating the business landscape.
Some of the participants that attended the training programme lauded the ABS Foundation for the opportunity, assuring that they would use the experience garnered at the event to contribute to the economic growth of the nation.