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Access Bank plc, a renowned retail giant, has introduced the W Initiative Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton Season 5, as announced in a statement by the financial service group. The W Initiative aims to inspire, connect, and empower women, aligning with Access Bank’s vision to become the preferred bank for women in the markets and communities it serves.
In line with this objective, the bank has undertaken the mandate to empower female entrepreneurs with financial and business skills through the Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton program. This program offers female-owned businesses across Africa an opportunity to access financing, world-class business training, and mentoring.
Abiodun Olubitan, Group Head of the W Initiative, highlighted the significance of the program, stating, “This initiative has been created to foster a conducive environment for the growth of female-led businesses.”
Access Bank has been a prominent advocate for women’s economic empowerment in Africa. This commitment is the driving force behind the ‘W’ Initiative, which focuses on the women’s economy by providing financing, capacity building, and networking opportunities for women.
“We launched the first Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton initiative in 2019, in line with our value proposition of being the number one bank of choice for women in Nigeria. Over the past four years, we have received over 150,000 applications, awarded Mini-MBA training to 300 women, and provided grants totaling over N45 million,” said Olubitan.
She further added, “This year, we are expanding the program to accommodate 120 women entrepreneurs who will emerge as finalists.” The 2023 Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton program will commence from Monday, June 26 to August 11, 2023, offering financial grants, an exclusive certified capacity building program, and business coaching to empower women entrepreneurs.
Interested female entrepreneurs who meet the criteria of having an existing business for at least one year, with at least 50% female ownership, and fall within the age range of 18-55 years, are eligible to apply online.
“All online applications will be carefully reviewed and assessed by independent business experts. The top 500 candidates will be required to submit a sixty-second video pitch, after which the final top 120 candidates will be selected,” explained Olubitan.
She concluded by sharing, “The chosen finalists will benefit from an exclusive and certified Mini-MBA program and have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a Pan-African jury panel. Infusing the knowledge gained from the mini-MBA, they will stand a chance to win financial grants and other consolation prizes.”
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