Nigeria has secured a major win on the international stage with the successful bid for the WTO–ITC WEIDE Fund, aimed at boosting women-led enterprises in the digital economy. The announcement came during the BRICS Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala confirmed the development in a statement on social media, celebrating the progress and emphasizing its potential to empower Nigerian women in the fast-growing digital sector.
“Catching up with H.E President Tinubu at the BRICS Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Talking about Nigeria’s successful bid for the WTO–ITC WEIDE Fund, designed to support women in digital trade,” she said. “This fund will help scale up women-owned enterprises in the digital space. Congratulations Nigeria!”
The WEIDE (Women’s Economic Empowerment through Digital Entrepreneurship) Fund, a joint initiative between the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC), is tailored to close the gender gap in digital trade by providing funding, skills development, and market access to women entrepreneurs in developing countries.
President Tinubu’s engagement at the BRICS summit is being seen as a key diplomatic effort to reposition Nigeria as a leader in global south cooperation and to draw tangible benefits for economic development at home.
The success of Nigeria’s bid is expected to provide significant financial and technical support for thousands of women-led businesses in e-commerce, fintech, and other digital service sectors, at a time when the country is grappling with high unemployment and a rising cost of living.
The development has been widely welcomed by economic and trade analysts, who say it could enhance Nigeria’s global competitiveness while advancing gender inclusion in the tech-driven economy.
