NAWOJ partners SMEDAN to Empower Female Journalists in FCT .

NAWOJ partners SMEDAN to Empower Female Journalists in FCT .

The National Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Aisha Ibrahim K. Bura, has facilitated a partnership between NAWOJ and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to empower female journalists in FCT through capacity-building initiatives and entrepreneurship support programs. The partnership aims to enhance the business skills of women journalists, providing them with a second stream of income to meet their financial demands and support their families.

At the meeting held yesterday in Abuja by the representatives of NAWOJ let by the VP Zone D and SMEDAN, the Chairperson of NAWOJ FCT Chapter, Bassey Ita Ikpang, expressed gratitude to the National Chairperson and SMEDAN for the opportunity, noting the overwhelming interest from FCT women journalists in the training program. "We are excited about this partnership and believe it will go a long way in empowering our women journalists," she said.

The hybrid training program, scheduled for September 22-26, 2025 for the first batch , will be held at the NUJ Council, FCT, and will include both physical coaching and online activities. Participants will be required to have basic literacy and computer skills. The training will focus on enhancing existing businesses, as part of the ICSS (Inspire, Create, Start, Scale) programme.

Mrs. Fawale Olabimpe, Head of the Women and Youth Unit at SMEDAN, emphasized the agency's commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs, stating that SMEDAN's primary responsibility is to ensure the growth of nano, small, and medium-scale enterprises in Nigeria. She expressed support for structuring the initiative across different zones to prepare members for an uncertain future.

She noted that the programme is supported by GIZ and appealed to the would be participants to come with the mind to learn and unlearn.

The NAWOJ Zone D Vice President, Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche applauded the support given to women journalists by SMEDAN and look forward to having more collaboration.

NAWOJ FCT will nominate 60 participants, divided into two cohorts of 30 each. The training is expected to equip female journalists with the necessary skills to scale their businesses and improve their financial stability.