New Telegraph

AWE-trained women showcase skills in Lagos

About 150 women entrepreneurs trained through the United States government exchange programme, Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), recently showcased their products in Lagos. The United States Consulate Lagos, in partnership with Dr. Inya Lawal, President of Ascend Studio Foundation, empowered women entrepreneurs and rescued trafficked women migrants were trained on virtual programme for three months and in person for graduation.

Lawal said: “AWE is a U.S. Government programme aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs; women all over the world and we started the programme in Nigeria in 2019 selected 100 people, who were mid-level entrepreneurs and some were established. “And in 2013 we incorporated 50 returned migrants, these were people that were formerly trafficked, they came back to Nigeria and did not have any means of moving forward. We selected them, trained, gave access to mentors and access to funding as well.” Speaking further on the annual programme, she said: “We do virtual and allow them to take the courses online.

On a weekday, facilitators specialise in a particular topic and get them to explain the subject matter and that is the virtual component of the programme. So all our programme ends with bringing everyone together, meet one another to network and wrap up the programme, then we will graduate them.” On women entrepreneurs nursing fear to survive in an ailing economy, she said: “Some of the women we have are quite established, they have run businesses for a very long time, but they got to a point where things are stagnant, because they have lost the value of while they started the business in the first place.

“So, what we do is to relearning, learning on everything that is learnt so far, sometimes people come into the programme because of needs, but knowing how to run a business or the structure of a business and they pick up some bad business practice that will not necessarily sustain the business, so what we do is unpack all of that to start from the beginning is like going to school all over again. “We bring them to the point now they know what they are doing .What we do then is to give them access to mentors and funding and network. Some people who were manufacturers who were distributors work with the manufacturers, so people partner among themselves. “150 women are showcasing, many of the women are service-based businesses, so they have their own role of banners, they have their products and they want to be seen.”

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