Access Bank Womenpreneur Season 8 Offers Training, Funding to 120 Women
Access Bank Plc has launched the eighth season of its Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton programme, with 120 women entrepreneurs set to receive intensive business training, mentorship and financial support.
The latest edition, implemented in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is scheduled to commence in November 2026 and will feature a three-week intensive programme structured as a Mini-MBA.
The initiative is designed to equip women business owners with practical skills in business management, financial discipline, access to finance, networking and sustainable business growth.
Head of Women Banking at Access Bank, Nene Kunle-Ogunlusi, said the programme has continued to expand its impact since its launch, with more than 1,141 women across 10 African countries trained during the first seven seasons.
According to her, beneficiaries of the programme have received grants worth more than $200,000, while several alumni have gone on to achieve success in other business competitions, including consecutive wins at the Nigeria MSME Awards.
One graduate also secured a $100,000 prize in another business competition.
Group Head, Consumer Banking at Access Bank, Chizobar Iheme, said the bank’s approach goes beyond simply providing women with access to financial services.
She explained that many businesses struggle or fail within their early years because their owners lack the structures, financial management skills and systems required to sustain growth.
Iheme said the Womenpreneur programme was therefore designed to prepare entrepreneurs to build stronger businesses and become better positioned to access formal financing.
She stressed that financial inclusion should not end with bringing women into the banking system but should also provide them with the knowledge and capacity required to succeed at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.
Also speaking, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Retail Analytics at Access Bank, Oge Kasie-Nwachukwu, disclosed that the eighth edition had been enhanced to improve the prospects of participating businesses.
Beyond the top grant, 19 additional beneficiaries will receive financial support, giving more participants an opportunity to strengthen and expand their ventures.
The Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton programme was launched in 2019 under Access Bank’s W Initiative, which focuses on promoting women’s financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
The bank’s latest intervention reinforces its broader commitment to supporting women-owned businesses with the skills, networks and financial opportunities required to create jobs, expand enterprises and contribute to economic growth.
The eighth season is expected to give the selected women not only business education but also greater exposure to mentorship, investment readiness and opportunities for funding as they work towards building sustainable enterprises.
