Director-General of the World Trade Organization, WTO, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that Nigeria’s low internet penetration, with more than half of the population still offline, could limit the country’s ability to tap into the fast-growing global digital trade market.
Speaking at the launch of the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy, WEIDE, Fund in Abuja, on Thursday, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said only 45 percent of Nigerians are connected to the internet, far below the global average of 67 percent.
WTO DG said: “No nation can truly digitize without a steady supply of electricity and reliable, affordable internet. More than half of Nigerians remain disconnected, and this gap must be closed if we are to seize the opportunities of digital trade.”
According to her, “Nigeria is one of four countries chosen for the WEIDE Fund’s 2024 rollout, alongside Jordan, Mongolia, and the Dominican Republic, after a highly competitive selection process.
“The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, led by Executive Director Nonye Ayeni, will implement the program locally.
“Over 67,000 Nigerian women entrepreneurs applied for the fund. Due to the exceptional quality of entries, the number of beneficiaries was increased from 100 to 146 awardees.
“Sixteen entrepreneurs in the Booster Track will each receive up to US$30,000 and 18 months of technical assistance.
“One hundred and thirty entrepreneurs in the Discovery Track will each get up to US$5,000 and a year of business support.
“Beneficiaries operate across sectors such as agriculture, IT, fashion, hospitality, beauty, and manufacturing.”
