Shettima: Women, youths must drive Nigeria’s $1trn economic ambition

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said women and young people must play a central role in Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy through productive enterprise, investment, innovation and access to global markets.

Shettima stated this on Wednesday at the Aspire Women Forum masterclass in Abuja, themed “From Survival to Thriving: Empowering Women and Youth for Export Readiness, Global Market Access and Prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The Vice President, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Inna Binta Audu, said moving from survival to prosperity was not merely a personal aspiration but an economic necessity and national development priority.

According to him, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu recognises that sustainable prosperity depends on Nigerians’ ability to create value, build competitive businesses and generate employment.

“Our ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy cannot be realised by government alone. It requires an ecosystem in which businesses can emerge, grow, compete and contribute to national development,” he said.

Shettima stressed that women’s and youths’ economic participation would expand productive capacity, improve household incomes, create jobs and increase opportunities for future generations.

He, however, warned that economic inclusion must go beyond training programmes and empowerment announcements to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, institutions and markets needed to turn their skills into sustainable income.

He said the success of the masterclass should be measured by the number of businesses strengthened, entrepreneurs reaching new markets and livelihoods improved through the knowledge acquired.

The Vice President commended Aspire Women Forum founder, Dr Zainab Marwa, and its partners for organising the initiative.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged women and young entrepreneurs seeking access to international markets to protect their businesses from illicit drug trafficking.

Marwa warned that traffickers could exploit entrepreneurs by offering payments to transport suspicious packages, stressing that no financial reward was worth the risk of losing one’s freedom or damaging a business’s reputation.

“Know exactly what you are shipping. Verify your partners and your transactions. Never carry a package you did not pack, and never let your goods be used for trafficking,” he said.

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He explained that a single consignment contaminated with illicit drugs could lead to an exporter’s arrest, damage the reputation of their family and undermine efforts to open international markets for Nigerian products.

According to him, export readiness requires reliable products, compliance with applicable standards, accurate documentation, integrity and dependable service.

Marwa also cautioned participants against substance abuse, describing drug use and trafficking as threats capable of undermining business ambitions and personal development.

“Do not let pressure, disappointment, curiosity or the desire to belong draw you into drugs. Drugs solve no business problem and end no hardship; they only multiply them,” he said.

The NDLEA chief encouraged participants to build resilience, manage pressure and make sound personal and business decisions, while commending the programme for addressing confidence, emotional intelligence and family balance alongside enterprise development.

He disclosed that the agency’s toll-free helpline, 0800 1020 3040, operates round the clock, with trained professionals providing support in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Marwa urged parents, mentors and community leaders to encourage people struggling with drug dependence to seek treatment rather than face isolation.

He also pledged the agency’s readiness to collaborate with Aspire Women Forum through its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy campaign.

In her welcome address, the founder and president of Aspire Women Forum, Dr Zainab Marwa, said many Nigerians worked long hours producing goods and providing services but struggled to make meaningful financial progress because of practical business challenges.

She identified poor record-keeping, lack of business registration, unsuitable financing, weak packaging and limited access to buyers as some of the obstacles preventing small businesses from growing.

She said the masterclass was designed to help participants understand how to improve their businesses and access available opportunities, including government-backed financing for small enterprises through the Bank of Industry.

Marwa explained that the forum had deliberately included young men alongside women and young women, noting that unstable income affects entire households.

She added that the initiative would extend beyond the masterclass through mentoring, referrals, communication and further learning facilitated by a dedicated Aspire team.

The forum founder also acknowledged the support of Shettima’s office, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the founder of Women in Agribusiness, Trade and Export, Dr Queen Onyinye Okpa.

The masterclass brought together women and young people seeking to strengthen their enterprises, improve export readiness and connect with markets, financing opportunities and institutions capable of supporting business growth.