50MAWSP Nigeria rolls out ‘Pink Trade Fair’ for women entrepreneurs

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on Friday flagged off its ‘Pink Trade fair’, a platform for female entrepreneurs to market their products in the Federal Capital Territory. Dame Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs, at the inauguration of the fair said it was organised under the 50 Million African Women Speak Platform Project (50MAWSP), an initiative for women empowerment and mentorship. The minister, who was represented by Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, said the 50MAWSP is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). She said that the programme being supervised by the ministry was to contribute to economic and social empowerment of 50 million women in businesses across 38 African countries. According to her, over 50 sales stands were expected at the two-day fair, with products produced by women from all sectors to be offered for sale at affordable prices. “This Pink Trade Fair is unique as it is designed to bring various women entrepreneurs and businesses together to showcase their goods and proficiency. “Let me start by informing you that the 50 Million African Women Speak Platform Project (50MAWSP) is a practical initiative being implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). “The East African Community (EAC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are also part of it, and it is implemented through a digital networking platform via web mobile devices as Apps. “It provides a one stop shop for women to start, grow and scale up their businesses as well as access financial and non-financial services and information,” she said. In her remark, Mrs. Ajibike Oluwatimilehin, the Local Content Manager of the 50MAWSP programme, said that the project was a flagship scheme for developing women entrepreneurs. According to her, many women have benefited from the various capacity building workshops, skills acquisition, mentorship programmes and grants for start-ups under the initiative. She, therefore, urged Abuja residents to patronise locally made products which are exhibited at low prices at the fair. Some of the vendors at the fair, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed satisfaction over the initiative by the ministry. Ms. Franca Choice, a beauty skin therapist, said she was at the fair to sensitise women on how to take proper care of their skins and provide them with affordable skin-care products. “Many women do not understand their skins and that is why they apply whatever they see without understanding of how they work. “We are here to test them and provide skin-products that suit their skin type,” she said. (NAN)