The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and supported by the World Bank-funded Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP), has organized a joint eTrade for Women Workshop in Lagos, Nigeria.
The workshop aimed to promote women-led digital businesses as key drivers of regional trade and economic growth. This initiative forms part of a broader strategy to build a more inclusive, interconnected, and digitally advanced West Africa, leveraging technology for economic empowerment and gender equality.
Discussions at the event centered on enhancing digital skills, access to markets, and financing opportunities for women entrepreneurs, while also tackling barriers such as infrastructure gaps and limited digital inclusion.
According to ECOWAS, empowering women in the digital economy is critical to accelerating regional integration and inclusive growth, ensuring that women entrepreneurs are positioned to take full advantage of e-commerce opportunities within Africa’s evolving trade landscape.
