Wema Bank partners EDC, MasterCard to empower 10,000 female entrepreneurs

Business A.M

Wema Bank has announced a strategic partnership with the Entrepreneurial Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University (EDC) and MasterCard, to support and train 10,000 young women in various businesses and vocations.

This was disclosed at an event tagged: “Transforming Nigerian Youth Programme,” held at Wema Bank headquarters in Marina, Lagos.

Tunde Mabawonku, executive director, retail and digital business at Wema Bank, described the partnership as an inception of a powerful collaboration that will positively impact young Nigerian women between the ages of 18 and 35 years.

According to Mabawonku, the partnership would drive inclusivity, advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), foster legitimate job opportunities for our vibrant youth, and catalyse change in the lives of individuals, enterprises, and families nationwide.

Also speaking, Ayodele Olojede, divisional head, retail and small and medium enterprise (SME), at Wema Bank, said the collaboration would empower female customers by enhancing their skills, unleashing their potential, boosting employability, and ultimately equipping them to become successful entrepreneurs in their right.

Olojede pointed out that through the alliance, 10,000 female business owners who are valued customers of Wema Bank will receive complimentary training from seasoned professionals, courtesy of Pan-Atlantic University’s Entrepreneurial Development Centre.

“Among these, 50 individuals will earn the prestigious opportunity to become certified Business Development Support Providers (BDSPs) through SMEDAN. Moreover, in our commitment to nurturing exceptional entrepreneurs, we are pleased to provide grants and seed funding of up to N500,000 each, enabling them to translate their learning into tangible business success,” she added.

Nneka Okekerau, a director at the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan African University,  said the training would focus on female entrepreneurs in the creative, digital and agribusiness sectors, adding that it would transform their mindsets positively and enable them to become successful.

Okekerau also emphasised that the training was not discriminatory, as entrepreneurs in creative, digital and agribusiness sectors were eligible to apply.

The two-month training comes with a grant of N500,000 seed fund from Wema Bank for beneficiaries whose business plans at the end of the training are adjudged best. They will also be assisted in business registration, logo and web design, among other aids.