Lagos Empowers Women Entrepreneurs in Commemoration of International Women’s Day

Kehinde Adeleye

Lagos State Government, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, (SSA, CCTI), has empowered women entrepreneurs with capital and capacity building on digital and financial growth strategies at the celebration of the International Women’s Day 2025.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on CCTI, Hauwa Adeeyo, stated that the empowerment programme, held at the Women Development Centre, Agege recently, was to boost the efforts of Sanwo-Olu’s administration towards empowering women by further strengthening their commerce and amplifying their voices.

Speaking at the event themed: “Accelerate Action: My Commerce, My Voice,” Adeeyo remarked that the theme holds particular importance in a city like Lagos, where commerce, business, and trade play an essential role in shaping not only our local economy but also the broader landscape of the country.

In her words, “Lagos State, with its bustling markets, thriving tech hubs, and diverse business sectors, stands as a beacon of opportunities, and women here have been at the forefront, pioneering industries and leading in areas often left to the margins. As a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, I am a direct participant and have been involved in the commitment and drive of the administration to initiate and implement policies that shape, transform and empower women to thrive through the T.H.E.M.E.S Development Agenda.

“This programme is to celebrate our achievements and help focus on more tangible actions we must take to accelerate progress. We are called to break down the barriers to women’s economic participation, ensuring that women have equal opportunities in commerce, are supported in entrepreneurship, and have their voices heard in every room where decisions are made”.

Permanent Secretary, MCCTI, Dr. Olugbemiga Aina described women entrepreneurs who create jobs, traders who run the markets, professionals who push industries forward, and innovators who redefine excellence as the force and backbone of the thriving Lagos economy.

Represented by the Director of Commerce, Helen Adesina, Dr. Aina affirmed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is rewriting the narrative on women’s empowerment through MCCTI and sister agencies that are championing policies that remove obstacles, unlock financial access, and equip women with the tools they need to scale their businesses and transform their lives.

“From cooperative financing and business-friendly reforms to capacity-building programmes and mentorship initiatives, providing platforms for market access through our annual Eko MSMEs Exclusive Trade Fair and Lagos Pavilion at the annual Lagos International Trade Fair, among many others, the administration’s commitment is unwavering, ensuring that every woman in Lagos has the opportunity to scale and prosper,” he said.

Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA, Olufunke Hassan, described women as very enterprising and urged them to be conscious of who they are and not make men their financial plan. “Our mothers were very active in various activities which formed the backbone of commerce in their days, they controlled the markets and commerce, which remains till today. In that spirit, every woman must be engaged and enterprising. Empowering women is about the future economic security of family and the society because women are pivotal to economic sustainability and are very resilient in handling shocks,” she said.

The Chairman enjoined women to overcome discouragement and stereotypes to achieve their potential; they should speak up as their voice counts and must focus on collaboration and not competition, saying together, we can build Lagos to further become a State that provides a huge platform for women to thrive.

In her lecture, Deshola Jimi-Eboma commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for the incredible job being done to empower women through skills acquisition and empowerment programmes, and charged women to learn how to attract money, manage it and build their brands, saying to succeed in today’s fast-paced economy requires an understanding of smart money and leveraging technology.

“It is crucial to adopt e-commerce platforms like social media handles to provide extended marketing mileage, particularly by optimising value-driven approaches in terms of branding and packaging. It is also important to build and maintain a robust customer base along with automated payment platforms for ease of transactions,” she stated.

The Director, Programmes and Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Oyindamola Egbeyemi, expressed that the need for capital by women to grow their businesses was a major reason why LSETF provides single-digit loans to women-owned businesses, which encourages business sustainability. “The loan does not require collateral but simple documentation, while LSETF also organises business support classes on financial literacy, packaging, e-commerce, digital marketing, export readiness and others to further support businesses to thrive and grow. The goal is to ensure women led businesses have good cash flow and are financially viable,” she said.

The event also had other presentations on building brands through consistency, creating visibility through hashtags, and others, followed by the presentation of cash gifts to selected beneficiaries.