The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) has announced plans to open a regional office in Nigeria in order to boost women business in the country in critical sectors.
Indications to this development emerged when the BRICS Women Business Alliance Russian delegation held a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, after an earlier meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
BRICS Russia WBA Chairperson, Ms. Anna Nesterova told reporters that the five member delegation was in Nigeria to also express their readiness to do business in the country, adding that BRICS WBA is an independent body and its programmes are purely for business.
Nesterova said: “So this was the first meeting, so we introduced ourselves, and we expressed our readiness and of course our futures to open the regional office in Nigeria, because we need to be smart about this new region for our business needs, and we need to process the new market.
“So we expressed our willingness to move forward, to bring more Russian women to Nigeria, to present our different spheres, especially technology, agriculture, healthcare, education, labour mobility.”
Earlier, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, while welcoming the delegation, expressed willingness of both countries to strengthen bilateral ties using the platform of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA).
She described the meeting as timely noting that it afforded a platform for both countries to explore investment opportunities between them.
A statement by the media aide to the Minister, Magnus Eze further added: “The technical session before us offers an invaluable opportunity to explore areas of strategic cooperation. In trade and investment, Nigeria’s vast market, natural resources, and youthful population, combined with Russia’s technological expertise and industrial capacity, present opportunities for win-win partnerships.
“In agriculture, collaboration can modernise production and boost food security. In energy, both traditional and renewable, there is enormous scope for cooperation. In digital innovation and education, we can empower our youth with the tools of the future. And across all these sectors, the active participation of women entrepreneurs and leaders will ensure that the gains of our partnership are sustainable, inclusive, and people-centred.”
The statement said further that “particular opportunities exist in agro-processing, education, creative industries, small and medium enterprises, and technology-driven businesses, sectors where women are already leading and innovating. By facilitating access to finance, knowledge, and markets, we can strengthen the economic pillars of both our nations.”
