ACCI Honour Fuels Ezenwokike’s Bold Women Empowerment Drive
By Princess-Ekwi Ajide
For Dr Chinyere Ezenwokike, an award is more than a personal milestone; it is a reminder that many Nigerian women are still waiting for the support and opportunities they need to turn their business ideas into thriving enterprises.
That conviction has received fresh encouragement following her recognition by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) for her contributions to commerce, enterprise development and women’s economic empowerment.
Ezenwokike, founder of Tomorrow’s Women Development Organisation (TWDO), dedicated the award to Nigerian women, describing them as hardworking, energetic and determined to contribute to national development.
“I dedicate this award to Nigerian women. They are very active and very hardworking. I want to tell Nigerian women that we are not there yet, but we know where we are going, and we are getting there,” she said shortly after receiving the honour.
She described the ACCI as an important platform for advancing women’s entrepreneurship, noting that its interventions had encouraged many women to explore international business opportunities, acquire new skills and expand their enterprises.
Ezenwokike particularly commended Dr Tini for her commitment to women’s development, while acknowledging the contributions of former ACCI Director-General, Victoria Akhai, and the current leadership and staff of the chamber.
She also praised the decision to recognise employees across different levels of the organisation, including junior staff, describing it as an appreciation of the collective effort behind institutional growth.
Beyond the award, Ezenwokike is working on an ambitious business incubation centre that will accommodate six enterprises, creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, skills development and economic empowerment.
The proposed centre will house a supermarket, a healthy-living eatery, a water processing and production facility, a fashion enterprise, a leadership development centre, and a food and spices production unit.
According to her, the initiative is designed to nurture business ideas, equip aspiring entrepreneurs and create pathways to sustainable livelihoods.
She explained that the leadership development centre would bring community members together for training and empowerment programmes, with beneficiaries subsequently referred to the ACCI for further business support and opportunities.
Ezenwokike also invited the chamber’s leadership to visit the proposed centre and assess its various initiatives.
She attributed her determination to expand her work partly to the encouragement she had received from the ACCI, stressing that many Nigerian women already possess the ideas and ambition to succeed but lack the support and initial push to get started.
Pledging to sustain her commitment, she said she was determined to mentor younger women and pass the baton to the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
For Ezenwokike, the recognition is therefore not an invitation to slow down but a reason to do more.
Her message is clear: empowering women goes beyond celebrating their achievements; it means creating opportunities for them to build businesses, become economically independent and contribute to Nigeria’s development.
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