NIGERIA – The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has announced an exciting collaboration with global Victoria’s Secret & Co. to introduce its Growth Accelerator program in Nigeria.
AWIEF is implementing the Nigerian edition of the programme as part of The Tour Impact Fund, a Victoria’s Secret initiative dedicated to advancing gender equality, empowering women across the globe and amplifying their voices.
The programme will provide 20 women founders or leaders of innovative, growth-stage businesses based in Nigeria with the opportunity to participate in the seven-month, high-impact, investment readiness programme.
It targets multi-sector businesses, but priority will be given to technology-based and tech-enabled businesses in catalytic sectors such as agriculture, health, education, creative industry, financial services, renewable energy, logistics, and climate-smart solutions.
Both Victoria’s Secret and AWIEF believe in the power of women entrepreneurs to drive positive change in society.
To qualify for selection, businesses must be women-owned, women-led, or have products/services that benefit women. Additionally, they should be based in Nigeria, innovative, scalable, post-revenue, operational for at least three years, and seeking investment or funding for expansion.
Implemented since 2017, AWIEF Growth Accelerator is a flagship business development programme designed to support high-growth-oriented women-owned or women-led ventures with high-level business development and growth strategy training, corporate advisory, mentorship and individualized support, networks, and access to finance.
In 202, AWIEF partnered Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to launch the LeadTech Incubation Programme, which will help female entrepreneurs launch and scale businesses.
Selected from different African countries, the participants will have the opportunity to learn from an academic environment surrounded by a mature corporate ecosystem composed of industry leaders for their guidance.
AWIEF and UM6P said LeadTech is an intensive six-month incubation programme dedicated to early stage women-owned and women-led tech startups, aimed at strengthening the presence of African women in the technology sector by supporting 15 promising and innovative tech startups.
Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy, and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE
