The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and with support from the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Programme (WARDIP) funded by the World Bank, hosted an eTrade for Women Joint Workshop in Lagos on Friday, July 17.
The goal was to spotlight and strengthen the role of women-led digital businesses in regional trade across West Africa.
This workshop is part of a broader regional effort to create a more inclusive, digitally connected West Africa, according to The Real News.
Delivering a statement on behalf of Madame Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Kolawole SOFOLA, Director of Trade at the ECOWAS Commission, welcomed the participants and emphasized the event’s significance in promoting inclusive digital transformation.
He pointed out that the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy, which was adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in July 2023, puts women, youth, and small-scale producers at the center of digital trade reforms.
These reforms are designed to drive regional integration and inclusive development.
Mr. Sofola reiterated ECOWAS’s commitment to gender-responsive policymaking and sustainable digital trade development through platforms and dialogues like the Lagos workshop.
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In her opening remarks, Sonia Nnagozie, representing the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), spoke about the potential of digital trade to unlock new opportunities for women entrepreneurs throughout West Africa.
She emphasized the importance of the workshop in generating practical recommendations to increase women’s involvement in digital trade.
Nnagozie also praised ECOWAS for leading the effort to create a supportive digital environment for women and acknowledged the strong partnership between UNCTAD and ECOWAS.
The workshop provided a space for dialogue, policy alignment, and knowledge sharing.
Attendees explored the structural and policy challenges that limit women’s participation in the digital economy and offered practical solutions and successful examples that support women’s digital empowerment.
The event highlighted ECOWAS-led initiatives such as the ECOWAS Trade and Gender Action Plan, export readiness trainings, and digital platforms like the 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWS) initiative and the Business-to-Business matchmaking platform of the West Africa Competitiveness Observatory.
A wide range of participants attended the workshop, including women entrepreneurs, officials from Ministries responsible for trade across ECOWAS member states, and development partners.
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Image Credit: Tech Review Africa
