Kwara Women Affairs Commissioner Advocates for Agro-Processing

Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, the Kwara State Commissioner for Women Affairs, called on women in the state to embrace agriculture and agro-processing as vital opportunities in Nigeria's evolving economy. This appeal was made at the opening of a two-day capacity-building training focused on value addition and export competitiveness for women involved in spice and shea-based cosmetics.

The training was organized by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) at the Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs. Afolashade praised the NEPC for its efforts to integrate women into the non-oil export sector, aligning with the development goals of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the women empowerment agenda of the state's First Lady, Ambassador Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq.

She acknowledged the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, such as substandard packaging and lack of regulatory certification. Afolashade encouraged participants to utilize the training to enhance their businesses.

NEPC State Coordinator Olu Ikulajolu stated that the training aimed to equip women with necessary skills and market connections. The event included representatives from various organizations, including the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute.