In a landmark event aimed at promoting gender equity in entrepreneurship, the National Entrepreneurship Research Institute (NERI) hosted its inaugural Women in Enterprise Forum in Abuja, drawing over 300 female founders, investors, policymakers, and development partners into a single dialogue space.
The forum, themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Businesses,” created a powerful platform for women across sectors, from agribusiness and manufacturing to tech and creative industries, to share their experiences, challenges, and vision for a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria.
The keynote address, delivered by renowned entrepreneur and gender advocate Mrs. Hauwa Yahaya, emphasized the need to dismantle institutional barriers that hinder women’s access to capital, networks, and policy inclusion. “The issue is not that women aren’t building businesses,” she said. “The issue is that the system often isn’t designed with them in mind.”
NERI’s Director General, Engr. Adebayo Akinwale, reinforced this in her opening remarks: “Inclusive growth is not a buzzword. It’s a necessity. The future of Nigeria’s enterprise space depends on how seriously we invest in our women.”
One of the most pressing issues discussed was access to finance. A NERI-backed survey shared during the event revealed that over 62% of women-led MSMEs in Nigeria cite lack of financing options tailored to their realities as a top challenge. During breakout sessions, participants proposed solutions ranging from gender-responsive grant schemes to the introduction of mentorship-backed microcredit lines.
In response, NERI announced a partnership with two financial institutions to pilot a Women’s Enterprise Fund, which will disburse small business grants and zero-interest loans to qualifying female-led startups in 2026.
The event also featured a live pitch showcase with 10 female entrepreneurs presenting ideas spanning eco-friendly packaging, maternal health tech, rural food processing, and digital learning platforms for young girls. Three winners were awarded seed grants of ₦3 million, ₦2 million, and ₦1 million respectively, alongside six-month mentorship placements with NERI’s entrepreneurship fellows.
In addition, an intergenerational storytelling session brought together first-time founders and veteran businesswomen who spoke on resilience, leadership, and the value of failure as a learning tool.
To ensure that the forum translated into tangible policy influence, NERI facilitated a closed-door session with officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs, the SMEDAN Gender Desk, and representatives from state enterprise councils. Key recommendations from this session are being compiled into NERI’s Gender and Entrepreneurship Policy Brief, scheduled for publication in Q3 2025.
Some proposals under consideration include:
- Tax relief for women-led startups in underserved regions
- Reserved quota for women in federal business development programs
- Capacity-building hubs for women in STEM and export-oriented businesses
NERI has committed to making the Women in Enterprise Forum an annual convening, with regional editions to follow in Kano, Enugu, and Uyo. The Institute is also developing a digital platform to connect women entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and market access opportunities across West Africa.
As one participant, Chinwe Okoroafor, founder of a successful shea butter cooperative, put it: “We don’t want charity. We want clarity, capital, and connection. And today, NERI brought us closer to that.”
