The African Women's Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) is a US Department of State initiative that provides professional networking, business development, and trade capacity building for women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa. Through programs like business incubators, trade forums, and leadership visits, AWEP supports over 300 members and 1,650 employees in Nigeria. One Nigerian AWEP member used skills from an international visit to start a cassava starch factory, empowering local farmers and creating 200 jobs.

1. U.s. department OF STATE

2. the program
•
The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program
(AWEP) is a trade and investment initiative started by
the U.S. Department of State in 2010.
•
In partnership with USAID, AWEP it provides
professional networking, business development and
trade capacity building opportunities for networks of
prominent women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan
Africa.
•
AWEP business leaders are transforming their
societies by owning, operating and managing small
and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and becoming
voices for social advocacy in their communities.

3. Program activities
•
International Leadership Visitors Program (IVLP)
•
Annual AWEP-AGOA Forum
•
Business Incubator Program
•
Export Readiness Pilot
•
SME Live Banking Event

4. 2014 International Leadership Visitors
Program (IVLP)
•
Theme: "African Women Entrepreneurship Program:
Business and Leadership” in English and French
•
Dates: July-August 2014
•
Goal:
• Showcase women's entrepreneurial advancements in the
U.S. and sector-specific business best practices;
• Offer opportunities to meet American businesspeople;
• Introduce business growth, advocacy and networking
models; &
• Provide workshops on leadership and management.

5. •
Firm Diagnostic
Surveys
•
Chapter-Led
Business Trainings
• Product Design &
Packaging
• Exporting Under
AGOA
• Trade Show
Preparation
• Pitching to Banks
• Digital Literacy
• Financial Management
• Community Service
awep business incubators
Empowering awep chapters

6. Leveraging African growth & opportunity act (agoa)
2013 AWEP-AGOA Forum
•
Led by AWEP-Ethiopia Chapter
•
Policy Dialogues with Trade
Ministers
•
Conference
•
Business-to-Business (B2B)
Networking Event
•
More than 100 AWEP members
& 25 U.S. buyers participated

7. •
More than 30
AWEP members
participated in
the second
annual SME Live
Banking Forum
held in Lagos,
Nigeria on
November 4-5,
2013.
•
The event was
organized by the
African Diaspora
Marketplace
(ADM) in
2013 SME Live Banking Event
Lagos, Nigeria

8. 2014 Export Promotion Pilot
•
Initial diagnostic survey for prospective participations
(currently underway)
•
Selection of 10-15 Promising Firms
•
Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF)-facilitated
business consultant services in the following areas:
• Acquiring Finance
• Facilitating linkages with international buyers
• Business Development
•
AWEP Train the Trainer Program
• Participants will be required to train AWEP members in
their home country on what they learned

9. LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY
PLAN
•
Expanding the AWEP
Business Incubator Program
•
Developing Public, Private,
Partnerships (PPP)
•
Gender financing facility
•
Encouraging a greater focus
on Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics

10. •
Local partners:
• SME Development
Agencies of Nigeria
(SMEDAN)
• Bank of Industry
•
Sectors
• Agribusiness
• Fashion & Design
• Food Processing
• Home Decor
• IT
• Textiles
AWEP NIGERIA
308 Active Members
1,650 Employees

11. AWEP NIGERIA 2013 EVENTS
AWEP NIGERIA NATIONAL CHAPTER
LUNCHEON, LOCATION, April 2013
• 300 members in attendance
• Networking and educational opportunity for
AWEP members
INTEL TRAINING, Nigeria, April 2013
• Computer utilization training
• 150 members in attendance.
SELECTED MEMBER AT INTERNATIONAL
VISITORS’ LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Washinton , July-August 2013
• Two member selected for attendance from
Nigeria every year. Since 2011

12. AWEP NIGERIA 2013 EVENTS
AFRICAN GROWTH AND
OPPORTUNITY ACT
(AGOA) FORUM
Washington, DC, May
2013
•
Seven members were
sponsored to attend by
Global Shea Alliance
•
AWEP Nigeria had a booth
at the forum
AWEP/AGOA CONFERENCE
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, August 2013

13. My Experience

In 2011, privileged
nominee of AWEP
training in Washington
DC

CEO/MD of first cassava
glucose factory in
Nigeria (2007 – 2012

Participated in
motivational talk at
AWEP training in 2011
and this led to set-
up/founding of PSALTRY
INTERNATIONAL
COMPANY LIMITED

14. PSALTRY INTERNATIONAL Co
Ltd
Company profile

Agro-based company registered
in Nigeria

Acquired 500 ha of farmland
within 10,000ha community
farmland in Alayide/Wasinmi
Village, Ado Awaiye, ISEYIN.
Oyo State Nigeria

PIL cultivated cassava on over
300 ha as back up for the
cassava starch factory

A 20 TPD cassava starch factory
was built, and commissioned in
May 2013

Over 500 farmers with about
30% women were organized into
clusters/outgrowers supplying
about 70% cassava requirement
to the factory

16. PSALTRY INTERNATIONAL Co
Ltd
Impact of PSALTRY in host
community

Employment of 200 staff (about 20% women)

Rural infrastructural development (rural road,
borehole water, etc)

Capacity building for farmers (training,
demonstrations, coaching)

Improvement in farmers yearly income revenue
from about $1000pa to about $10000pa per
farmer

More Girl child encouraged to go to school,

17. Happy awep nigeria member

18. Drag picture to placeholder or click icon to add
AWEP Nigeria
secretariat.awepng@gmail.com
Phone: 08166372307, 08028911415