- Share
- Tweet
Her Startup, an accelerator for women-led technology businesses in Africa, has opened applications for its second cohort, targeting 10 early-stage founders seeking to scale their businesses and become investment-ready.
The initiative, led by KSH Foundation, Tomorrow Foundation and EHA Impact Ventures, will provide selected founders with a 12-week training programme delivered by Founder Institute, a global pre-seed startup accelerator.
The programme seeks to address the funding gap facing women entrepreneurs across Africa. According to data cited by Her Startup, women account for 58 per cent of the continent’s self-employed population but secured less than one per cent of the more than $2 billion raised by African startups in 2025.
Selected participants will receive monthly stipends, have their training fees covered and gain access to 12 months of sector-specific mentorship.
They will also have the opportunity to pitch to Her Startup’s Investment Committee for funding through convertible financing or revenue-based financing, under which repayments are linked to business revenue.
To qualify, applicants must be women founders or chief executive officers aged 18 to 35, operating technology-enabled businesses that have been running for at least six months and generating a minimum of $500 in monthly gross revenue.
Founders from Francophone Africa are particularly encouraged to apply.
Khalil Halilu, co-founder of Her Startup and founder of KSH Foundation, said the initiative aims to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs to build successful businesses across the continent.
The second cohort builds on a pilot programme conducted in 2024 and 2025, which attracted more than 200 applications from 18 African countries.
Ten founders were selected for training, while three ventures secured funding during the programme’s pitch day in Lagos in April 2025.
According to the organisers, participating businesses have since received grants and awards, attracted investor interest and gained greater visibility.
One beneficiary, Dynalimb Technologies, which produces affordable 3D-printed prosthetics, reported increased customer adoption and product sales following its participation.
“Since Her Startup, we’ve seen a steady rise in customer adoption and product sales, as more amputees experience the comfort and mobility that Dynalimb’s affordable 3D-printed prosthetics provide,” said Blessing Aniefiok, the company’s chief operating officer and a 2024 Her Startup associate.
Evelyn Castle, co-founder of Her Startup and EHA Impact Ventures, said the revenue-based financing model was designed to provide founders with more flexible funding arrangements to support business growth.
Maggie Gu, co-founder of Her Startup and president of Tomorrow Foundation, said technological progress presents opportunities for women to play a greater role in shaping economies and societies.
Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort close on October 26, 2026.
Eligible founders can find programme details and apply through the official website: https://www.her-startup.com.
Remi Tinubu Launches ₦1bn Empowerment Scheme for 5,000 Edo Beneficiaries
Ogun Govt Pledges to Disburse ₦500m Loan to SMEs
Business
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched a ₦1 billion empowerment programme for 5,000 beneficiaries in Edo State alongside the inauguration of 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to improve public transportation.
Tinubu announced the initiatives on Tuesday during a visit to Benin City, where she said the programmes were aimed at strengthening small businesses, improving transportation and expanding economic opportunities for women, youths and vulnerable groups.
Under the empowerment programme, each of the 5,000 beneficiaries will receive ₦200,000 to support their livelihoods, expand their businesses and improve their financial independence.
“I pray that the monies received will prosper in your hands and grow your businesses,” the First Lady said.
Tinubu commended Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for the initiatives, noting that they reflected efforts to improve residents’ welfare.
She also expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to inaugurate the 50 CNG buses, which are expected to provide transportation services to residents.
Earlier, Okpebholo said the initiatives addressed two pressing needs in the state: affordable transportation and financial support for women and small-business operators.
He described the First Lady’s visit as a demonstration of support for the state’s development and the welfare of its residents.
The governor said the CNG buses would make public transportation more accessible, affordable, efficient and environmentally friendly, while the empowerment programme would strengthen beneficiaries’ economic activities.
“When you empower a woman, you strengthen a family, uplift a community and contribute to the prosperity of society,” he said.
Okpebholo thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support and pledged continued cooperation with the Federal Government.
He said his administration remained committed to building an Edo State where residents could access economic opportunities and benefit from public services across communities.
Business
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has pledged to revive the Ogun State Cooperative College and disbursed an additional ₦500 million in soft loans to support artisans, traders and small business owners across the state.
Abiodun made the pledge at the 2026 International Day of Cooperatives celebration in Ijebu-Ode, organised by the Ogun State Cooperative Federation Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives.
The event had the theme, “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World: Inclusivity, Security and Sustainable Development.”
The governor said cooperative societies played a significant role in promoting inclusive economic development by enabling people to pool re
He explained that reviving the cooperative college would strengthen the capacity of cooperative members, equip them with relevant skills and position them to contribute more effectively to the state’s economic growth.
Abiodun said preparations were underway to improve the college’s infrastructure and position it to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma qualifications.
“Our objective is to prepare skilled professionals who can manage institutions, assess risks and protect members,” he said.
The governor described cooperative societies as important instruments of socioeconomic development, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to strengthening the cooperative movement and expanding economic opportunities for residents.
He disclosed that his administration had disbursed an additional ₦500 million through the Oko Owo Irinse Dapo Soft Loan Initiative to support artisans, traders and small business owners across the state’s 20 local government areas.
Abiodun also pledged that the state government would provide adequate land for cooperative societies to undertake agricultural activities and housing projects.
According to him, the proposed seaport, expected to span four kilometres, would rank among the best in Africa when completed.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, represented by his Special Adviser, Victor Oyegoke, commended the governor for sustaining cooperative development and urged other states to follow suit.
He said the Federal Government had engaged cooperative societies in extending development to grassroots communities by empowering members in agriculture and small-scale businesses.
The Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives, Adeola Balogun, said Ogun State had about 14,700 registered cooperative organisations contributing to socioeconomic development across the state.
He noted that the organisations provided financial assistance to members while promoting unity and economic development.
Balogun appreciated the state government for providing the ₦500 million revolving loan to the cooperative movement and urged beneficiaries to ensure the funds were used judiciously.
He also stressed the importance of accountability, transparency, membership expansion and adherence to cooperative principles and relevant laws to ensure the sustainability of the organisations.
The President of the Ogun State Cooperative Federation, Wasiu Olaleye, acknowledged the government’s efforts to develop the cooperative sector, saying the ₦500 million revolving loan would help finance the economic activities of members across the state.
Olaleye also called for the upgrading of the Cooperative College in Shasha, Iperu-Remo, to a diploma- and higher diploma-awarding institution to address manpower needs and expose members to modern cooperative management practices.
Business
AfDB Commits $750,000 to Support Women-Led Businesses in Nigeria
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has committed $750,000 in grants to support women-led businesses across Nigeria under a three-year programme aimed at improving access to finance, strengthening entrepreneurship and creating jobs.
The funding will be shared equally among three Nigerian institutions, with each receiving $250,000 to deliver business development support to female entrepreneurs.
The AfDB disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, announcing a partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) under the second cohort of its Women Entrepreneurship Enablers Project.
The three beneficiary institutions are LSETF, the Pan African Women Empowerment Network (PAWEN) and ImpactHER Foundation.
According to the statement, LSETF will use its $250,000 grant to support 610 women-led businesses, while PAWEN and ImpactHER Foundation will each receive the same amount to implement interventions targeting female entrepreneurs.
The statement said the three partnerships represent a combined $750,000 investment to strengthen women-owned and women-led enterprises across Nigeria through tailored support.
Speaking on the initiative, the AfDB’s Acting Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery and Director General for Nigeria, Dr. Abdul Kamara, said the investment would help women entrepreneurs expand their businesses and contribute to economic development.
“Women-owned and women-led businesses are essential to Nigeria’s economic growth and job creation. Through these partnerships, we are helping entrepreneurs gain the skills, networks, and financing opportunities they need to grow sustainable enterprises and participate more fully in the country’s economic development,” Kamara said.
He added that investing in women entrepreneurs was a catalyst for stronger and more resilient economies.
The programme, financed through the AfDB’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa initiative, will provide financial literacy training, business formalisation support, mentorship, business development services, and access to markets and financing opportunities.
The bank said the interventions were designed to address barriers limiting women’s participation in economic activities and strengthen the capacity of female-owned enterprises to expand and generate employment.
At the launch in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Sam Egube, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a boost to existing efforts to support small businesses in the state.
Sanwo-Olu said the LSETF had provided targeted business support and access to affordable financing to more than three million small businesses in Lagos State over the past decade.
He noted that women accounted for nearly 60 per cent of businesses supported by the agency, expressing optimism that the AfDB funding would improve their performance.
“With close to 60 per cent women-owned businesses in our portfolio, this seed funding from the AfDB will add catalytic results in the revenue growth, business scalability and job creation factors of these women MSMEs,” he said.
The governor assured participating entrepreneurs of continued support from the state government and its development partners.
The AfDB said the initiative formed part of its broader efforts to promote inclusive economic growth and expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs across Africa.
It recalled that the first cohort of the Women Entrepreneurship Enablers Project was launched in 2022, with a target of supporting 16,000 women-led businesses across 26 African countries.
The latest intervention also aligns with the bank’s Nigeria Country Strategy Paper for 2025–2030, which prioritises inclusive growth and economic opportunities for women and young people.
The $750,000 commitment complements a recent $61 million financing package to the Development Bank of Nigeria aimed at expanding access to affordable financing for women-owned and women-led businesses nationwide.
Business4 years agoBREAKING: CBN announces New Withdrawal Policies, Pegs ATM Withdrawals Limit at N20,000 daily, N100,000 weekly
Business6 years agoFirst Bank Nigeria Joins SME Finance Forum
Business6 years agoFG Opens Application Portal for N75 Billion MSME Survival Fund 10pm Today, Releases Time-table for Payroll Support Scheme for different sectors
Business3 years agoCall for Applications: MTN ICT and Business Skills Training (N90 Million Grant for 300 Participants)
Business5 years agoSendbox raises $1.8 million in seed funding to digitize deliveries for African SMEs
Business6 years agoHow to apply and benefit from free CAC Business Name Registration for 250,000 MSMEs
- Business4 years ago
Call for Applications: Rural Youth Skill Acquisition Programme for Nigerian Youths (receive N50,000 monthly stipend)
Articles & Resources6 years agoHow to put your house in order for tax purposes
