LAGOS/Nigeria: The Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA), Mr. Fatai Onafowote, highlighted the current state of women’s participation in bidding for contracts. According to him, women’s involvement stands at around 20 per cent, whereas the male folk’s participation dominates at 80 per cent. This disparity has prompted calls for addressing the issue and encouraging more gender diversity in public procurement.
The DG made this statement during a three-day training session for women-owned businesses, in Lagos on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
Onafowote emphasized the importance of moving beyond the current 20/80 ratio and working towards achieving a more balanced distribution, such as 40/60, to have a greater impact on empowering women-owned businesses. He attributed the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in procurement to issues like limited access to credit, collateral requirements, cultural barriers, and harassment.
To promote greater gender equality and economic empowerment, the Lagos State PPA collaborated with UN Women to provide training opportunities for women-owned businesses. The goal is to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to benefit from public procurement opportunities in Lagos State.
Mr. Lansana Wonneh, the UN Women Deputy Country Representative, commended the Lagos State Government’s efforts in driving affirmative procurement initiatives. He stressed that enhancing women’s access to participate in and benefit from public procurement would significantly strengthen the resilience of women-owned and women-led businesses.
The training program held at Ikeja, Lagos, covered various topics, including registration eligibility, tendering process, contract management and evaluation, compliance and ethics, and accessing business support and financing opportunities.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, highlighted the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that fosters gender equality and inclusive economic empowerment. She emphasized the significance of collaborations and partnerships in identifying gaps and developing strategies to promote women entrepreneurs’ inclusion in public procurement.
