The World Bank has joined forces with DO Take Action, a prominent non-profit startup dedicated to sustainable development in Africa, to introduce an innovative initiative aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Precious Ebere, Co-Founder of DO Take Action, announced the launch of the program, called Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment Through Affirmative Procurement Reforms (SWEEP), during a statement on Thursday. The initiative was officially unveiled on July 16, 2024, in Abuja.
Ebere highlighted that this initiative addresses the significant challenges faced by women-owned and women-led businesses in accessing public procurement opportunities. Despite comprising 40% of Nigeria’s businesses, women remain underrepresented in public procurement, an area crucial for economic growth. The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reports that public procurement constitutes 10-25% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and nearly 50% of government spending in sub-Saharan Africa. However, women-led businesses receive a disproportionately small share of these contracts.
The SWEEP program aims to correct this disparity by implementing affirmative procurement policies that promote gender equality. Ebere elaborated on the program’s goals, stating, “The SWEEP initiative is designed to increase the participation of women’s small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement. By enhancing the capacity of women-owned and -led businesses, we can empower them to compete more effectively in both public and private markets.” The program will offer targeted training in business skills, financial management, and procurement processes, along with efforts to formalize and register women-led businesses to boost their participation in public procurement.
The initiative is expected to directly benefit over 600 women-led businesses across three cohorts, with the first training phase scheduled to commence on November 1, 2024. Ebere emphasized the importance of fostering awareness among private sector leaders regarding gender-responsive procurement practices, aiming to enhance the capacity of public institutions to implement these policies effectively.
The SWEEP program will provide a hybrid learning model, combining in-person and online instruction over one month, encouraging women entrepreneurs in Abuja to seize this transformative opportunity. The initiative is anticipated to result in increased access to procurement contracts for women-led businesses, greater market visibility, and positive impacts on economic empowerment, education, and poverty alleviation.
