Driven by a shared vision to bridge the gender gap in business, Union Bank of Nigeria, through its women-focused platform alpher, joined forces with the Zuri Circle Network to empower 98 female entrepreneurs through the Fearless Female Founders 2.0 Accelerator Programme. Selected from a highly competitive pool of 2,810 nationwide applicants after rigorous compliance and business verification checks, these founders reflect the dynamic diversity of Nigeria's market across sectors such as agriculture, technology, fashion, food production, manufacturing, retail, and professional services.
The initiative was specifically designed to tackle persistent structural hurdles most notably restricted access to formal financing, operational expertise, and investor networks. Throughout the program, participants engaged in intensive capacity building focused on financial management, operational efficiency, and investment readiness to help them build scalable, job-creating enterprises.
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The accelerator culminated in a pitch competition where Union Bank awarded funding grants to five outstanding women-led ventures. Reaffirming the initiative's broader economic mission, Vivian Imoh-Itah, Head of Retail Banking at Union Bank, stated that empowering female founders with essential tools, financial access, and networks is pivotal to building sustainable enterprises that advance financial inclusion and long-term economic growth across Nigeria.
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