This study conducted by PDF with support from FCDO (formerly DFID) shows that women who engaged in cross border trade contribute to food security by trading food products from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. The paper reveals that depending on how this trade is organized, these women have the potential to contribute significantly to household earnings and resources. This empowers women by giving them financial independence and control of their own resources.
Women and Cross Border Trade
Associated resources
Trade Associations play a role in promoting appropriate policies, regulations, and necessary reforms relating to their sector of operations. They create opportunities for networking and consultations among industry players as well as being a voice when it comes to new regulations and legislations while encouraging best practices among its members. According to Peter Gomersall[1], trade associations exist to support their members and further their interests, to defend them when they are under threats and to promote a common position on issues affecting the environment in which they operate.
Given the foregoing, the PDF Bridge Trade Policy Workstream organised a two-day capacity-building session targeted at strengthening the leadership of non-oil export-related trade associations and improve on their business strategy to position them to take advantage of the opportunities in the non-oil export value chain. The sessions had in attendance delegates from government agencies such as FMITI, NAQS, FMARD, NOTN, CBN as well as executives of trade group drawn from various industries including agricultural commodities farmers, agricultural commodities exchange and aggregators, industrialists, agro-processors, women, and youth development groups, textile and apparel among other participants.
[1] https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEDS/article/download/7852/8030
The Policy Development Facility Bridge program (PDF Bridge) held a Trade Policy Roundtable to discuss the findings and recommendations from its recent study titled “Diversification and Non-oil Export Opportunities for Nigerian States Post-Covid19”.
The objectives of the policy roundtable were;
- To provide a forum for relevant stakeholders to learn about and discuss the findings from the Export Diversification study;
- Through discussions, generate recommendations on necessary actionable steps towards reforms, process restructuring, elimination of various challenges identified in the study, and implementation of the study recommendations.
The Trade Policy Work Stream conducted a needs assessment to get direct feedback from export-oriented MSMEs, export-supporting government institutions, and export business service providers to ascertain the capacity gaps. The top 5 challenges highlighted by the respondents include lack of market linkages, lack of finance, lack of market intelligence, limited knowledge of destination country requirements, and Export documentation.
In response to their needs, TRD workstream designed a targeted capacity building for the non-oil export community of practice to address the knowledge and skill gaps through a 4-part Export Capacity Building (CB) Series. The following topics were covered in this sequence:
- Market Entry strategies (with case studies: Europe (EU), US, China)
- Raising Finance for Your Export Business
- Understanding Export Documentation
- Branding and Packaging for export
Businesses that operate in a particular domain are expected to adhere to some rules and regulations. Here is a training material that covers some of these requirements. This does not take the place of legal advice.
Aba Industrial City is an aggregation of thousands of MSMEs and mass producers of industrial goods including garment and leather products. If properly harnessed, the mass production capacities of component clusters of AIC and similar models are capable of positioning Nigeria at a competitive advantage in the global garment and leather industrial space. In 2016, the Textile, Apparel, and Footwear sector contributed N2 trillion ($6.6 billion), approximately 2% of Nigeria’s total GDP, to Nigeria’s economy.