…Empowers 250 women at business programme

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has intensified efforts to position women entrepreneurs in Delta State for sustainable business growth, regulatory compliance and participation in the non-oil export market.

The initiative which is being undertaken in collaboration with the Indigo Bloom Health and Empowerment Foundation, was part of activities marking the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday.

No fewer than 250 women participated in the business empowerment and capacity-building programme, which focused on export readiness, product certification, quality standards, packaging, preservation and business sustainability.

The programme was held under the theme, “Rights, Justice, Action for Women and Girls.”

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, represented by Dr Godwin Edozie, said the intervention was designed to equip women with the knowledge and institutional support required to grow their businesses and access international markets.

According to him, many products produced across the Niger Delta, including agricultural produce, processed foods, fabrics and locally made clothing, had the potential to compete in regional and international markets if they met the required standards.

The NDDC chairman stressed that inadequate storage and poor post-harvest handling remained major challenges affecting agricultural businesses, leading to avoidable losses and limiting the commercial potential of locally produced goods.

He added that the NDDC was committed to supporting women across the Niger Delta and would continue to create opportunities for them to acquire relevant business skills and contribute more meaningfully to economic development.

Ebie disclosed that the women-focused capacity-building programme was being implemented across the nine states covered by the NDDC, with Delta State serving as the seventh location.

Also speaking, the NDDC Director of Culture and Women Affairs, Mrs. Ahunna Imoni, said the commission expected the programme to equip participants with the training and institutional knowledge needed to secure regulatory approval for their products and participate in export trade.

“We expect that, after this programme, our women will get all the business training they need. Our women will be able to get their products approved by NAFDAC for export. We need women to export our locally produced products and earn foreign exchange,” Imoni said.

She said the initiative was building on the impact of a similar programme organised by the commission in 2025, which reached about 1,800 women across the Niger Delta region.

According to her, another 1,800 women are being targeted under the 2026 edition, with evidence showing that many beneficiaries of the previous programme had established new businesses or improved existing ones.

Imoni said several women who previously operated informally had gone on to register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), open business accounts and adopt more structured business practices.

She explained that participants were drawn from the nine Niger Delta states through the Ministries of Women Affairs, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), local communities, women’s associations, market women’s groups, the National Council of Women’s Societies, the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria and other non-governmental organisations.

The programme featured technical sessions on Non-Oil Export Opportunities and Export Readiness, Export Procedures and Documentation by South-South Regional Coordinator and Deputy Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Ngozi Ibe, Product Certification and Regulatory Compliance by the Deputy Director and Delta State Coordinator of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharm. Jude Ndekile, Quality Standards and Packaging Requirements by the Delta State Coordinator of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs Egbo Nnenne, Post-Harvest Handling and Product Preservation by the Officer-in-Charge of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Sapele Outstation, Dr. Tunde Olaitan, as well as Business Growth and Sustainability by the Board Secretary of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), Port-Harcourt, Chief Solomon Edebiri.

Beneficiaries of the exercise were grateful to the Commission for the empowerment and prospects for their businesses.