Nigeria Expands Women Entrepreneurship Support with New Initiatives

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced a renewed push to transform women from aid recipients into business leaders. Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, highlighted reforms in infrastructure and capacity‑building, and the upcoming She’sIncluded 2026 Summit aims to turn policy discussions into actionable outcomes for women’s economic empowerment across Africa and the Caribbean. ImpactHER, founded by Efe Ukala, has already supported more than 250,000 women in the region.

In Lagos, the MTN Foundation and UN Women signed a memorandum of understanding to empower 200 rural women entrepreneurs in Kano and Cross River states. The programme, part of the Y’elloPreneur initiative, will provide entrepreneurship training, business development support, pitching opportunities and access to funding, with a goal of achieving gender‑balanced participation by 2030. UN Women’s country representative, Beatrice Eyong, noted the focus on digital opportunities for the beneficiaries.