By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE businesses, expanding access to international markets and protecting Nigeria’s trade reputation took centre stage as government officials urged women and young entrepreneurs to pursue economic opportunities with discipline, innovation and integrity.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima said national prosperity depends on productive enterprise, investment, innovation and Nigerians’ ability to create value, describing economic empowerment as central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Shettima made the remarks in a keynote address at the Aspire Women Forum masterclass, themed “From Survival to Thriving: Empowering Women and Youth for Export Readiness, Global Market Access and Prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda”, held at the Presidential Villa Conference Hall in Abuja on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
Represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Inna Binta Audu, the Vice President said moving from survival to thriving was not merely a personal ambition but an economic necessity and a national development priority.
He stressed that the success of the masterclass should be measured by the businesses strengthened, entrepreneurs reaching new markets and livelihoods improved through the knowledge participants acquired.
“The true measure of this masterclass will not be the number of people in this hall, but the number of businesses that become stronger, the number of entrepreneurs who reach new markets and the number of livelihoods transformed by what is learnt here,” he said.
Shettima said the ambition to build a $1 trillion economy could not be achieved by government alone, stressing the need for an environment in which businesses could emerge, grow, compete and contribute to national development.
He identified women and young people as essential to that process, noting that their participation in economic activities could increase productive capacity, strengthen household incomes, create employment and expand opportunities for future generations.
However, he warned that empowerment must extend beyond training programmes and public announcements to provide people with the tools, institutions and markets needed to turn their skills into sustainable income.
The Vice President commended Aspire Women Forum founder, Dr Zainab Marwa, and the institutions and partners whose collaboration made the masterclass possible.
At the event, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), cautioned aspiring exporters against allowing illicit drug traffickers to exploit their businesses for criminal activities.
Marwa urged women and young Nigerians seeking to expand their enterprises and access international markets to protect their health, judgement and commercial integrity, warning that the promise of financial rewards was not worth the consequences of becoming an instrument for drug trafficking.
He commended the forum for bringing together hundreds of women and young people for training and connections to markets, finance and institutions that could improve their economic prospects.
The NDLEA chief said the programme’s theme reflected the aspirations of millions of Nigerian households seeking better livelihoods, opportunities to develop their talents and a more secure future.
While acknowledging opportunities under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he emphasised that success required practical skills, supportive institutions, discipline, resilience and sound decision-making.
Marwa also welcomed the programme’s focus on confidence, emotional intelligence, managing pressure and balancing family responsibilities alongside enterprise development and export readiness.
He warned that substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking could destroy the ambitions participants were working to achieve.
“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.
For people struggling with drug dependence, Marwa described seeking help as an act of courage rather than shame. He directed them to the NDLEA’s toll-free helpline, 0800 1020 3040, which operates round the clock.
He said trained professionals, including clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatry doctors, answer calls in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
Marwa also urged parents, mentors and community leaders to help people needing support access treatment rather than leave them isolated.
Addressing participants preparing to export goods, he warned that careless handling of shipments could expose business owners to criminal liability, damage their reputations and undermine Nigeria’s efforts to establish international markets.
“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.
He cautioned that a single contaminated consignment could cost an exporter their freedom and damage their family’s reputation, while potentially closing markets that businesses and Nigeria had worked hard to establish.
Marwa said export readiness depended on integrity, reliable products, compliance with proper standards, accurate documentation and dependable service.
He encouraged participants to identify at least one practical step they could take immediately after the masterclass, including registering their businesses, improving record keeping, strengthening digital skills or preparing their products for wider markets.
He also commended the organisers for planning mentoring and referral support beyond the event, pledging the NDLEA’s readiness to work with the forum through its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy initiative.
“Invest in your abilities. Choose your associations carefully. Pursue your goals with discipline and integrity. Thrive, and stay drug-free,” he added.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that earlier, Aspire Women Forum founder and president, Dr Zainab Marwa, said many Nigerians worked long hours producing goods, selling products, sewing, farming, processing food and providing services but often ended the month with little income left.
She attributed some of these challenges to practical business weaknesses, including poor record keeping, lack of registration, unsuitable financing, inadequate packaging and limited access to buyers.
Marwa commended the Federal Government under President Tinubu for supporting enterprise and economic inclusion through the Renewed Hope Agenda, including intervention financing for small businesses through the Bank of Industry and initiatives focused on skills and digital enterprise.
She said the masterclass was designed to help participants understand how to access and benefit from such opportunities.
The forum deliberately extended participation to young people, including young men, alongside women and young women because unstable income affected entire households, she said.
While reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to advancing women, Marwa said its engagement with participants would continue after the masterclass through a dedicated Aspire team responsible for communication, referrals and further learning.
She expressed appreciation to Vice President Shettima for the support his office provided to the initiative.
She also acknowledged the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saying their meeting in Geneva had strengthened her resolve to pursue the vision, and thanked Dr Queen Onyinye Okpa, founder of Women in Agribusiness, Trade and Export, among other supporters.
—
Share Your Story with us!
Advertise with us!
Publicity for a product, service, or event!
Contact: WhatsApp Only: +2348039560647
Email: jkmediapress@gmail.com
