The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has partnered African Guarantee Fund (AGF) and FSDH Merchant Bank Limited to open applications for its flagship AWIEF Growth Accelerator Programme, to drive increased access to finance and markets for women-owned and women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) in Nigeria.
AWIEF is a pan-African organisation dedicated to empowering women economically by closing gender gaps and promoting business leadership and entrepreneurship across the continent.
The Growth Accelerator Programme leverages the African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, which aims to unlock up to US$3 billion in financing for WSMEs across the continent.
AGF, a leading non-bank financial institution whose objective is to promote economic development, increase employment and reduce poverty in Africa, serves as the implementing partner for the AFAWA initiative, while FSDH Merchant will provide loans to WSMEs in Nigeria. The tri-party collaboration between AWIEF, AGF, and FSDH Merchant Bank Limited was created with the aim to increase access to finance for WSMEs who are driving solutions in different catalytic sectors in Nigeria.
Applications are open here until March 31.
