COVID-19: FG moves to revive businesses owned by women

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, says the federal government is ready to revive businesses owned by women that coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected.

Tallen disclosed this in Abuja during the virtual E-launch of the national survey on the impact of COVID-19 on women-owned businesses in Nigeria.

She said that the survey report captured trends and patterns of the losses caused by the pandemic on businesses owned by women.

The minister also said that the report made recommendations in retooling policies to address the immediate and post COVID-19 strategies as well as the way forward.

Tallen said that the government had commenced the implementation through the ongoing UN women assisted palliative distribution project in 17 states of the federation targeted at poor women.

She said that the project would focus on women owned businesses in states as a measure to revive their businesses.

“I want to use this medium to assure our women entrepreneurs that we will continue to ensure that we build credible structures to help them revive their businesses.

“We can only achieve this if we patronise women vendors. We have started implementing this through the ongoing UN women assisted palliative distribution project in 17 states of the federation targeting the poorest of the poor women in the communities,” she said.

The minister expressed concern on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses, particularly the supply chain, where majority of women’s owned businesses belonged.

According to her, the pandemic has left in its trails untold hardships and losses on micro-, small and medium enterprises, while there is no vaccine currently available to combat the virus.

“We are all currently experiencing the effects, which have crippled the supply chain of businesses with dire consequences on MSMEs, where the majority of women owned businesses are situated,” she said.

The minister said that it was important to address gender gaps in designing COVID-19 response and recovery programmes, build strategic partnerships that would be protect women’s well-being and livelihoods.