Government, United Nations to support women entrepreneur

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, said his government would collaborate with the United Nations Women to advance affirmative procurement for women-owned, women-led businesses in Lagos State.

Sanwo-Olu made the declaration while delivering a keynote address at a policy dialogue organised by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in conjunction with UN Women on Tuesday.

Represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Yomi Oluyomi, the governor said his administration was ready to partner with the UN Women “to equip more women with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the procurement landscape successfully.”

“We will put our full weight behind this collaboration with the United Nations Women,” he said, adding that, “Training programmes and workshops will be a cornerstone of this effort. We will ensure that women entrepreneurs continue to enjoy the support of access to funding, especially through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, and we will continue to hold up our standard of accountability and transparency.”

The governor explained that “our recognition of and support for women-owned and women-led businesses was not just because it is an ethical choice, but also because we hold the vision of making Lagos State and its economy a force to be reckoned with.”

“We will study, localise, and adhere to national and international mandates that call for gender equality in public procurement,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr Fatai Onafowote, said the event represented the climax of a relationship that began between the UN Women and the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency since 2022 when the organisation indicated interest in partnering with the agency on women economic empowerment through affirmative procurement.