Nearly 3,000 women entrepreneurs across Nigeria have sought to benefit from a new initiative aimed at addressing the persistent challenges of funding, business knowledge and growth opportunities confronting women-led enterprises.
The programme, Fearless Female Founders (FFF) 2.0 Accelerator, is being implemented through a partnership between alpher, Union Bank of Nigeria’s dedicated proposition for women, and Zuri Circle Network (ZCN).
The initiative attracted 2,810 applications from female entrepreneurs across the country, underscoring the strong demand among women-owned businesses for access to capital, mentorship, business expertise and networks capable of supporting sustainable growth.
Following a rigorous selection process that included business verification and compliance checks, 98 female founders were selected to participate in the accelerator.
Through the programme, the organisers seek to bridge critical gaps that often limit the ability of women-led businesses to scale, providing participants with access to the resources, knowledge and opportunities needed to strengthen their enterprises and achieve long-term growth.
The FFF 2.0 Accelerator therefore represents a targeted effort to move beyond entrepreneurship support by equipping women founders with practical tools and connections to build more resilient and growth-oriented businesses.
As part of its commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs, Union Bank also provided grants to five women-led businesses that emerged as winners during the final pitch presentation of the programme.
The Fearless Female Founders 2.0 Accelerator was established to identify, support and strengthen promising women-led businesses through structured capacity building, mentorship, accountability and access to funding opportunities.
Participants went through a detailed screening process that assessed business registration, operational viability and financial record keeping. This ensured that the selected entrepreneurs demonstrated strong potential for sustainable growth and readiness for investment.
The final cohort reflected the diversity of Nigeria’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, with businesses operating in agriculture, fashion, food production, technology, manufacturing, retail and professional services.
Throughout the programme, participants received practical business development support aimed at strengthening their operations, improving financial management, increasing competitiveness and positioning their businesses for expansion.
Speaking on the partnership, Head of Retail Banking at Union Bank of Nigeria, Vivian Imoh-Itah, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to achieve greater personal, professional and financial success.
“Through alpher, Union Bank remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities for women to thrive personally, professionally, and financially. Our partnership with Zuri Circle Network on the Fearless Female Founders 2.0 Accelerator reflects our deliberate focus on supporting women entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, knowledge, and financial access they require to build sustainable businesses,” Imoh-Itah said.
“By investing in enterprises owned by women, we are not only empowering individual founders but also contributing to economic growth, job creation, and greater financial inclusion across Nigeria,” she added.
The initiative addresses an important challenge within Nigeria’s business environment, where many women entrepreneurs continue to face difficulties in accessing formal financing and opportunities to expand their businesses despite their significant contribution to economic activities.
Through the partnership between alpher and Zuri Circle Network, the Fearless Female Founders 2.0 Accelerator seeks to help close this gap by connecting women-led businesses with the funding, knowledge, networks and other resources they need to become investment-ready and achieve sustainable growth.
The partnership further reinforces Union Bank’s commitment to empowering women through innovative financial solutions, strategic partnerships, capacity-building programmes and improved access to financial services.
Since its launch, alpher has continued to champion initiatives that support women at different stages of their personal and entrepreneurial journeys, helping them achieve greater financial independence and business success.
Through programmes such as the Fearless Female Founders Accelerator, Union Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs, promoting financial inclusion and contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s economy.