News
NYSC Emerges Best MDA In ICT Infrastructure
Joel Ajayi
The National Youth Service Corps has emerged top among Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in Sustainable ICT Infrastructure and accordingly received the prestigious “Nigeria GovTech Awards” as the Best Federal MDA in Sustainable ICT Infrastructure.
The Award which was presented to the NYSC during the 2023 Nigeria GovTech Awards held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, also attracted a deserving award to the Director General of the Scheme, Brigadier General YD Ahmed as the “Distinguished Govtech Trailblazer”.
The nominations and eventual awards were the product of a transparent and objective nationwide online voting process initiated on Radio, Television, and Newspaper publications coordinated by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms in the Presidency.
The Director General of the Scheme, who was represented by the Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mrs. Christy Uba expressed appreciation for the honor extended to the Scheme and the Director General, describing the awards as a clear endorsement and appreciation of the sustainable improvement in the IT services rendered by the Scheme to our relevant stakeholders and the general public.
General Ahmed added that the Scheme would continue to leverage the deployment of ICT tools to change the narratives in the discharge of its operations in line with global best practices.
News
AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
By James Samuel, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.
This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.
“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.
“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”
He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.
“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.
He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.
According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.
“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.
She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.
“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.
The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.
The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.
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