The International Trade Facilitators Association (ITFA) has begun training 470 nature-positive Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria on sustainable growth and access to the global market.
Mr Abdullahi Sidi-Aliyu, the Director of Export Trade Development at ITFA, inaugurated the training under the “Support to Potential and Existing Nature Positive MSMEs” (SPENM) project on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Sidi-Aliyu stated that the project, funded by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed to empower MSMEs across Nigeria to champion both economic prosperity and environmental stewardship.
He said that the training would be conducted across the country’s six geo-political zones, with the maiden edition scheduled for the North Central zone in Lafia.
According to Sidi-Aliyu, the training will equip MSMEs with the knowledge and tools to develop robust, sustainable business models that are both economically viable and environmentally friendly.
Through the programme, participants will gain practical strategies to master fair trade principles and certification, apply fair trade for competitive advantage, and gain visibility on the ITFA directory.
Sidi- Aliyu encouraged participants to engage fully, ask questions, share their experiences, and build valuable networks with their fellow participants.
Also speaking, Dr Abel Owotemu, Technical Adviser, ITFA, said that the idea was to improve the capacity of MSMEs, specifically women, and grant them access to market both at the local and global level.
Owotemu explained that a total of 100 MSMEs would benefit from the programme in the North Central zone.
Some of the participants, including Mrs Mary Meshi, President of the National Council for Women Society (NCWS), Nasarawa State, and Hajiya Halima Aliyu from the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Nasarawa State chapter, appreciated the organisers of the programme.
They noted that the programme would help women to grow their enterprises and become self-reliant.
According to Meshi, when women are empowered through profitable enterprise, they will depend less on men, thereby reducing cases of gender based violence.
