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Nigeria
WEConnect International reached a new milestone in Africa with the launch of its Nigeria initiative on January 25th 2014 in Abuja with the generous support of the ExxonMobil Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
“We are delighted to get to work with women business owners in Nigeria who want to grow their companies and sell to multinational corporations,” said Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International.
“We are also grateful for the extraordinary support we have already received from Nigerian business associations, government agencies, multilaterals, the media, and of course the outstanding participation of Nigerian women business owners, who came from around the country to network and share their vision for success,” she added.
The Nigeria initiative will be led by Executive Director Comfort Avunze Sakoma. Sakoma is also the CEO and Editor in Chief of Poize Magazine, a consumer publication that targets women entrepreneurs.
The day-long launch program featured keynote addresses and panel discussions by a number of prominent speakers, including Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, head of the World Bank Nigeria, and businesswoman and philanthropist Princess Fifi Ejindu.
Panelists representing the Nigerian Bottling Co., Access Bank, Fidelity Bank and the International Finance Corporation discussed Nigerian corporate commitment to sourcing and financing women-owned businesses and the unique assets that women-owned businesses can bring to the value chain.
Nigeria joins South Africa as the second market in Africa where WEConnect has established a presence. Additionally, the organization operates in Asia, South Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
