Economy
AFAWA: Over $1.2bn Secured for Women Led SMEs in Africa – AfDB
Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Initiative has secured more than 1.2 billion dollars in financing commitments for on-lending to women-led SMEs in 32 African countries.
Mr Lamin Barrow, the Director-General,
African Development Bank (AfDB) Nigeria Country Department said this during the 5th Edition of the AFAWA Finance Series hosted in Nigeria.
Reports says that the event was co-organised with the African Guarantee Fund and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
According to Barrow, the event speaks to our commitment to promoting women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion in Nigeria, and across the African continent.
He said the AFAWA initiative sought to increase women’s access to finance by closing the 42 billion dollars financing gap.
”Our goal is to mobilise five billion dollars in financing for women – led businesses in Africa by 2026.
”Since its inauguration two years ago, AFAWA Initiative has secured more than 1.2 billion dollars in financing commitments for on lending to women-led SMEs in 32 countries across Africa,”he said.
Barrow quoted the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report 2022, as saying Nigeria ranked 123rd out of 146 countries surveyed.
He said this showed that more work needed to be done and the AFAWA Series represented a key platform for outreach, training and business engagement to advance the agenda to bridge that gap.
”The AfDB recognises Nigeria’s efforts to promote financial inclusion for women, especially through policies and programmes aimed at increasing access to financial services and
enhancing financial literacy.
” However, in spite some progress registered in recent years, the gender financing gap remains huge, with women having a disproportionate access to financial services and facing acute barriers to financial inclusion.”
According to Barrow, research findings indicate that less than half of women in Nigeria use formal
financial services, compared to 56 per cent for men.
He said women-led businesses were also
typically informal and faced major challenges in accessing finance and growingbtheir businesses.
According to the director-general, a Bank baseline study conducted in 2022 on the status of women entrepreneurs in Africa delved into the challenges women entrepreneurs face.
He said more significantly, the study proposed key principles for successful implementation of guarantee programmes in 16 African countries, including Nigeria.
He, therefore, emphasised that women economic empowerment was critical for achieving inclusive economic growth and building resilient societies.
Barrow, who said closing the gender gap would stimulate economic growth and reduce income inequality added that AfDB was spearheading several initiatives to enable women in Africa to thrive.
”As key stakeholders in Africa’s economic
integration processes, we must support programmes that expand opportunities for women.
”We believe that support availed through the AFAWA initiative are an integral
part of the solution.
” The initiative, therefore, provides a robust platform to inform key stakeholders in government the financial and private sectors, civil society organisations and in the Development Partner community.
”About AFAWA’s innovative mechanisms for de-risking lending to women entrepreneurs,” Barrow said.
The director-general said through AFAWA, the Bank was changing the perception that women entrepreneurs were a risky investment.
Barrow acknowledged Nigeria’s commitment towards AFAWA-related activities.
He said AfDB was already supporting the private sector for enhanced access to finance mainly through” risk sharing mechanism and our classic financing instruments.”
”We believe that you are key to turning around this financing gap into an
investment opportunity and call on leaders in government, the financial sector and the Development community to join this partnership.
”Together, let’s create the enabling environment and tilt the financing to
unleash women’s full potential,” Barrow said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
LCN/EEE
To end the week, the stock market rebounded from previous losses, gaining N74 billion.
Investor interest in MTN Nigeria, FBN Holdings, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and other equities lifted the market.
Notably, the market capitalisation opened at N56.014 trillion, adding N74 billion or 0.
13 per cent to close at N56.088 trillion.The All-Share Index also advanced by 0.
13 per cent, or 129.44 points, closing at 97,606.63, compared to 97,477.19 recorded on Thursday.As a result, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased by 30.54 per cent.
The market breadth closed positive, with 31 gainers and 19 losers on the floor of the Exchange.
On the gainers’ chart, Consolidated Hallmark Plc and Sterling Nigeria led by 9.
45 per cent each to close at N1.39 and N4.98 per share respectively.Mecure followed by 9.19 per cent to close at N10.10, Regency Alliance Insurance gained 9.09 per cent to close at 72k, while Fidson Healthcare Plc increased by 8.24 per cent to close at N15.10 per share.
Conversely, Deap Capital Management and Trust led the losers’ chart by 9.93 per cent to close at N1.36, NEM Insurance trailed by 9.71 per cent to close at N7.90 per share.
Daar Communications also lost 9.52 per cent to close at 57k, Tantalizers shed 9.09 per cent to close at 60k, while Dangote Sugar declined by 3.31 per cent to close at N31 per share.
Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled higher relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions up by 20.33 per cent.
A total of 304.43 million shares valued at N5.60 billion were exchanged in 6,950 deals, compared with 277.75 million shares valued at N4.65 billon in 7,091 deals traded in the previous session.
Meanwhile, Access Corporation led the activity chart in volume and value with 68.26 million shares valued at N1.34 billon.(NAN)
By David Torough, Abuja
The Nigerian Economic Society (NES) has decried Nigeria’s socioeconomic dilemmas, including; low personal incomes, dysfunctional education, healthcare systems, unemployment, rising inflation, poverty, amidst other critical issues.
This was part of the communique at the end of the association’s 65th annual conference held recently in Abuja with the theme: Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria: Imperatives, Implications, and Impacts.
It emphasised that the factors greatly contribute to insecurity, food scarcity, energy poverty, widening social inequality as macroeconomic instability and called on relevant stakeholders to urgently address the challenges.
President Bola Tinubu who was represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima through
Dr. Tope Fasua, underscored the
pivotal role of economists in shaping national development.
Tinubu reiterated the importance of their role to make the citizens feel integral and empowered, knowing that their contributions were crucial to the country’s development.
He urged them to approach the economy optimistically, stressing that their work was crucial, and that improvement was
always possible.
In his remarks, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu underscored the importance of socioeconomic resilience amidst global economic challenges.
He acknowledged the relevance of the conference theme, stating its timeliness in addressing Nigeria’s development needs.
On his part, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun who delivered the keynote address on “Leveraging Economic Reforms to Leapfrog Nigeria’s Socioeconomic Development,” underscored the potential benefits of these reforms and stressed the need to better utilise Nigeria’s human and natural resources to spur socio-economic development.
He predicted that while structural reforms might cause short-term economic shocks, they would stabilise the economy in the long run, bringing hope for a brighter future.
In his presentation, the NES President, Professor Adeola Adenikinju who presented “Nigeria’s Socioeconomic Challenges: Lessons from the Structural Adjustment Programmes,” recommended:
Instituting an economic governance structure for the country, designating
some Ministries as economic ministries that qualified economists and allied professionals
must staff, adopting macroeconomic models to analyse the impacts of policies and assess
alternative scenarios.
Adenikinju also recommended; implementing export-led growth strategies by promoting value-
added exports and incentives for export-oriented industries and infrastructure, prioritising agro-allied industries to boost socioeconomic outcomes, implementing targeted subsidies or social safety nets to cushion vulnerable populations against the immediate impacts of reforms, amongst others.
The 65th NES Conference provided significant insights into Nigeria’s socioeconomic
development challenges and proposed actionable recommendations.
Participants emphasised the need for visionary leadership, policy synergy, and a commitment to long-term economic transformation to ensure sustainable development for Nigeria.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) says it will henceforth issue Outline Business Case (OBC) Certificate of Compliance and the Full Business Case (FBC) Certificate of Compliance within seven days.This follows the charge by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Director General of the Commission, Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh “to accelerate investment in National Infrastructure through innovative mobilization of private-sector funding”.
President Tinubu also charged him to work assiduously to boost infrastructure development in Nigeria as part of the renewed hope agenda of the current administration.In view of the above, Dr Ewalefoh-led management team of the ICRC has streamlined the approval processes of the commission to issue its certificates of compliance within seven days. This will accelerate the turnaround time for approvals by the Commission.“In line with the charge of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and following his Renewed Hope Agenda, we have streamlined and updated our approval processes to issue either of the Outline Business Case Certificate of Compliance (OBC) and the Full Business Case Certificate of Compliance (FBC) to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that meet the requirements within seven days.“This is part of efforts by the current administration to accelerate infrastructure development, bridge the infrastructure gaps and stimulate the economy through investment of private sector funds in Public Private Partnership endeavours.“By streamlining our processes, the Commission is in no way foregoing any of its stringent approval steps or key requirements, therefore, only business cases that are viable, bankable, offer value for money and meet all other requirements will be approved.“The ICRC cannot do it alone, therefore I implore all chief executives of MDAs to match our momentum and align with this charge of Mr. President to accelerate Infrastructure development and ensure that PPP projects are not stalled at any point but delivered within record time.“The Commission is ready to partner and collaborate with all MDAs to actualize this,” he said.In a statement by Ifeanyi NwokoActing Head, Media and Publicity on Monday the ICRC DG in August rolled out a six-point policy direction which among others, focused on accelerating PPP processes, boosting inter-agency collaboration and ensuring innovative financing.The ICRC was established to regulate Public Private Partnership (PPP) endeavours of the Federal government aimed at addressing Nigeria’s physical infrastructure deficit which hampers economic development.
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