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A Special International Report
Prepared by
The Washington Times
Advertising Department - Published on September 30, 1999
[Home Page]
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Sponsors (1) Federal Ministry of Finance
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From rags to riches
“I’m proud of women in business because a woman who is doing business won’t want for anything. She can look after her children, she can look after her parents and her family without having to ask from her husband,” she says with a look of distaste and a click of her tongue. “Women not ready to be in business are women who are satisfied being beholden to their husbands.”
Mrs. Ukolo, a middle-aged woman, is the proprietress of Afemai School of Fashion and Textile Design in Benin City and, as her card proudly illustrates, a member of the Nigerian Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE). As a founder member of the association, launched in 1993 by then first lady Miriam Babangida, she was in Nigeria’s capital Abuja in August to exhibit her handiwork and support the launch of the NAWE Yellow Pages.
According to Julie Makama, president of the Plateau state branch of NAWE, the goal of the organization is to help women entrepreneurs work toward formalizing their activities in local industry. “The bulk of the goods produced are traditional. We want to help women bring their products up to international standards so they can move into the formal sector and begin trading in Africa and overseas.”
NAWE helps by drawing the women into attending workshops, organizing exhibitions, hiring transport to get to trade fairs, grass-roots mobilization and general moral support.
In Plateau state, Mrs. Makama succeeded in obtaining credit from the People’s Bank of Nigeria (PBN), a microcredit institution, for five of the women in her chapter by securing a guarantee from the state. As one of the first chapters to work with PBN, her initiative helped set the pace for the rest of the organization. With NAWE’s encouragement, several women have planned to apply for credit as a group.
Through NAWE, she has learned about PBN. She says she intends to open an account with the bank and in a few months hopes to obtain a loan.
The book launch was attended among others by several of the female house members, the Minister of Women’s and Youth Affairs and the Minister of Information. Their attendance was symbolic to the women. Though they are not always clear on the connection between having women political representatives and food on the table, they are proud nonetheless.
Readjusting the elaborate traditional headdress she herself designed, Kaneg Damulak said recognition is the most important thing. She is very proud that women’s status is being raised and they are being trusted with political office. “Democracy has given women this chance,” she said. “Now I expect a lot from them.”
Mrs. Ukolo agrees. Pushing her fist into her belly, she explained that anyone who has carried children and has felt the pains of childbirth knows how to govern the country. “A woman knows pain so she won’t let anyone suffer. She will fight for the common man.”
“Yes, let us be president!” Mrs. Damulak pipes in. The rest of the women nod in agreement. “Yes sister. God bless democracy!” one woman calls out as the rest of the group breaks up into laughter and whistles.
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Table of Contents (1) It's a new dawn over Nigeria |
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Mrs. Ukolo reaches for another dress from the box. She has already started putting away the clothes she had on display, but with a prospective buyer in sight she is quick to pull back out the bright red traditional dress. “See how beautiful my work is, the gold thread, the design.” The woman agrees, admiring the quality and reaching for her purse: the day’s last sale.
“The most difficult challenge we face is financing,” said Grace Chikan, owner of an interior design shop. “I have the desire to launch out. I know I have a gift to create beautiful things from local fabric – and I know I could compete outside Nigeria if I had the funding.”