Designed to empower and advance women entrepreneurs across Nigeria, the AWIEF Growth Accelerator seeks to provide high-level business development training, growth strategy insights, mentorship, access to networks, and opportunities for financing.

The program specifically targets multi-sector businesses, with top priority given to technology-based and tech-enabled businesses operating in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, creative industry, financial services, renewable energy, logistics, and climate-smart solutions.

Benefits 

The AWIEF Growth Accelerator Program supports women-owned or women-led SMEs in Nigeria a unique opportunity to:

• Access high-level business development and growth strategy training.
• Receive corporate advisory and mentorship from industry experts.
• Gain individualized support tailored to their business needs.
• Expand their networks and access to potential investors.
• Enhance their readiness to access funding opportunities and scale up their ventures.

Eligibility

To be considered for selection, businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Businesses should be women-owned (>51%) or women-led at C-Suite or equivalent level OR Product or service specifically or disproportionately benefit women.
• Businesses should be based and operating in Nigeria.
• Must be highly innovative and scalable ventures.
• Must be in the post-revenue stage.
• Must have been in operation for not less than three years.
• Should be owned or led by ambitious and committed women entrepreneurs.
• These businesses must be seeking investment or funding to scale and expand.

How to Apply

If you are a woman entrepreneur in Africa looking to accelerate the growth of your business, then you might be interested in applying for the AWIEF Growth Accelerator Program. 

Submit your application before the deadline on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at 11:59 pm West Africa Time (WAT). Don’t miss this opportunity to take your business to the next level.

Tailored for women entrepreneurs, the AWIEF Awards recognises, honors, and celebrates outstanding innovators and business owners in Africa and across industry sectors, for their economic performance and contribution to Africa’s growth and social development.

Held at Kigali, Rwanda, the winners include inspirational and outstanding African women entrepreneurs who excelled this year in creating opportunities and positively impacting lives and communities, driving growth for Africa.

Out of the 24 innovative women founders and entrepreneurs selected in September as top finalists by an international and independent panel of judges, 8 winners emerged.

This year’s event unveiled the inaugural AWIEF Lifetime Leadership Award which was bestowed on Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contributions to the world of sports. It was also a tribute to her inspiring impact and accomplishments on a global scale, as the first non-European, the first African and first-ever female to lead FIFA as Secretary General in its 116-year history.

Fatma Samoura has shown exceptional leadership in such a male-dominated sector as sports, and in particular, football. She has played a key role in increasing the prize money for the Women’s World Cup and promoting gender equality in football. She is an inspirational role model for other women, and we are truly excited about honoring and celebrating her tonight.

Winners of AWIEF Awards 2023

1. Young Entrepreneur Award – Salamba Diene, CEO, Biosene Sarl, Senegal, is a young entrepreneur and scientist who is passionate about using technology to solve environmental problems. Her company develops and produces biofertilizers and biopesticides that are safe for the environment and help farmers to increase their crop yields.
2. Tech Entrepreneur Award: Kidist Tesfaye, Founder and CEO of YeneHealth in Ethiopia, is a tech entrepreneur who is using technology to improve access to healthcare in Africa. Her company provides an affordable and accessible telemedicine platform that connects patients with doctors and other healthcare professionals remotely, supporting African girls & women in achieving their reproductive health goals.
3. Agri Entrepreneur Award: Nonopa Tenza, Founder and MD of Kevinot Farming in South Africa, is an agri entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering rural communities through sustainable agriculture. Her company provides training and support to small-scale farmers, helping them to improve their productivity and profitability.
4. Energy Entrepreneur Award: Ifeoma Malo, Co-Founder and CEO of Clean Technology Hub in Nigeria, is an energy entrepreneur who is working to make renewable energy more accessible and affordable in Africa. Her company provides solar power solutions to businesses and households, helping them to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and save money on their energy bills.
5. Creative Industry Award: Yasmina Belahsen, Founder of MayaDigital in Morocco, is a creative entrepreneur who is using technology to promote Moroccan culture and heritage. Her company develops and produces digital content, including apps, games, and animations, that showcase the best of Moroccan culture to a global audience.
6. Social Entrepreneur Award: Mundih Noelar Njohjam, Medical Doctor and Founder of the Epilepsy Awareness, Aid & Research Association (EARA) in Cameroon, is a social entrepreneur who is dedicated to improving the lives of people with epilepsy in Africa. EARA provides support and education to people with epilepsy and their families, and advocates for better access to healthcare and social services.
7. Empowerment Award: Zulfat Makarubega, Founder of the University of Tourism, Technology & Business Studies (UTB) in Rwanda, is an empowerment advocate and entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering women and youth through education and skills development. UTB is a private university that offers affordable and high-quality education in tourism, technology, and business studies.
8. Lifetime Achievement Award: Dalia Ibrahim, CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House in Egypt, is a businesswoman and publisher who has made significant contributions to the development of the publishing industry in the Arab world. Nahdet Misr is one of the largest and most prestigious publishing houses in the Arab world, and it publishes a wide range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, and textbooks.

To expand the reach of this successful program, the U.S. Mission has extended participation to Lesotho and Eswatini for the first time.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender, Equity and Equality. Implemented in nearly 100 countries since 2019, the program has enabled about 25,000 women entrepreneurs to explore the fundamentals of business and learn new skills, including how to create business plans and raise capital. The program aims to promote economic growth and prosperity and empowers women to build better futures for their families and communities.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa will implement a hybrid program from July to November 2023. The program will select 140 participants to join activities in: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Maseru, Mbabane and Pretoria. With this expanded 2023 cohort, the total number of women entrepreneurs trained through the U.S Mission to South Africa and AWIEF partnership will surpass 550. 

The program will combine the DreamBuilder online platform (developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan) with in-class discussion, mentoring and support from local business experts.

Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program has been a huge success in South Africa, empowering enterprising young women not only with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful enterprises, but also personal development and growth. We are excited to be continuing in our role as implementing partner and extending the impact to women in Lesotho and Eswatini.”

Benefits

• Free entry to the program;
• Enrolment in the DreamBuilder platform and expert-facilitated hybrid business management training and mentorship sessions;
• Networking and peer-learning opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs;
• A collaboratively developed and refined draft of your business plan;
• A DreamBuilder certificate after completing the program;
• Access to the U.S. alumni network’s robust network of support, including business opportunities, potential seed funding and a vast, global network of like-minded and highly regarded entrepreneurs;
• Membership to the online AWIEF Community, which provides ongoing peer learning and support; and
• Free delegate pass to the 2023 AWIEF Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 9-10, 2023.

Eligibility 

• Women between 21 and 35 years of age;
• Able to read, write, speak and listen to the program in English;
• Reside in one of the seven program cities or their environs: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Maseru, Mbabane and Pretoria;
• Must have a viable business idea or have worked in business for less than two years;
• Must not be engaged in full-time employment, excluding self-employment;
• Able to participate in weekly group sessions and commit at least five hours per week to accomplish designated program tasks;
• Must have computer skills, access to a computer, and data to access program content and activities; and
• Able to participate in virtual or in-person training sessions at a designated American Space of the U.S. Missions to Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.

How to apply

Academy for Women Entrepreneurs applications are officially open for highly motivated and self-driven young women from Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa. There is no cost to applicants at any stage.

Apply before the deadline on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 11:59pm Central Africa Time (CAT).

The partnership will increase access to finance and markets for women-owned and women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) across Southern, East, and West Africa.

Themed “Solutions Catalysing Increased Access to Capital for the Success of Women Entrepreneurs”, the partnership births a programme that seeks to stimulate efforts to address gender inequality and drive inclusive economic transformation.

More than 500 growth-oriented WSMEs will be supported for scale, access to markets, and investment readiness across 8 African countries: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

The two-year programme will create a profitable pipeline of investable businesses ready to access finance.

Programme Components

The programme is organized under 4 components:

AWIEF Growth Accelerator (in partnership with Nedbank) – to enhance investment readiness and increase access to finance.

eCommerce Capacity Development (in partnership with UNIDO) – for building knowledge, capacity, and skills in digital channels to increase participation and success in online business.

Digital Skills (in partnership with Amazon Web Services) – to strengthen WSMEs capacity to embrace technology innovation.

Mentorship and Advisory – enhancing the visibility and access to role models for WSMEs through a mentorship platform.

Call for Applications for 2022 Cohort

Applications are invited from WSMEs for participation in any one of these programme components: 1) AWIEF Growth Accelerator; 2) eCommerce Capacity Development; 3) Digital Skills.

Selection Criteria

WSMEs registered and operating in: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Priority sectors include: Technology, Agriculture & Agribusiness, Creative Industry, eCommerce, Renewable Energy, Manufacturing, Retail, Construction, Logistics.

How to apply

Submit your application before the deadline on Monday, 18 July 2022 at 11:59pm Central Africa Time (CAT).