The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) introduces its Growth Accelerator initiative in Nigeria, developed in collaboration with global brand Victoria’s Secret & Co. This program, driven by The Tour Impact Fund, reflects Victoria’s Secret’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, with AWIEF being one of four global partners. The aim is to extend AWIEF’s flagship Growth Accelerator to women-owned or women-led SMEs in Nigeria, aligning with a shared vision of inclusivity and empowerment. This partnership underscores both organizations’ belief in the power of women entrepreneurs’ potential to effect positive societal change.

The Growth Accelerator, operational since 2017, offers extensive support to high-growth-oriented women-owned or women-led ventures, including business development training, growth strategy insights, mentorship, and access to finance. In 2024, this collaboration will facilitate twenty women founders and/or leaders of innovative businesses in Nigeria to participate in a seven-month, high-impact investment readiness program.

The program prioritizes multi-sector businesses, with a focus on technology-based and tech-enabled ventures operating in pivotal sectors such as agriculture, health, education, creative industries, financial services, renewable energy, logistics, and climate-smart solutions. To qualify, businesses must meet criteria emphasizing women ownership or leadership, innovation, scalability, post-revenue stage, operational longevity, and investment-seeking orientation.

Eligible entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply before the deadline on March 24, 2024, at 11:59 pm West Africa Time (WAT). This initiative not only signifies a strategic alliance between AWIEF and Victoria’s Secret but also underscores their joint commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and enables sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.