The Sterling One Foundation and the Development Bank of Nigeria, supported by Agence Française de Développement, are strengthening investment readiness and market access for women-led businesses through the Women Investment Readiness Accelerator programme. The partners brought entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders together in Lagos for a demo day designed to showcase scalable, investment-ready ideas from women founders.
The pitch session formed the centre of the gathering as participants presented refined business models to investors, financial institutions, and business support organisations. The initiative was created to tackle long-standing structural barriers holding back women-owned enterprises in Nigeria, particularly restricted access to finance, limited mentorship, and the lack of reliable pathways into new markets. Through WIRA, the organisers are equipping women entrepreneurs with resources, capacity, and visibility intended to support business sustainability and long-term growth.
The Managing Director of DBN said the bank remains committed to ensuring women-led MSMEs gain access not only to funding but also to the knowledge, networks, and opportunities that influence business survival. He described the showcase as another step toward strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape and noted that the innovations displayed confirm the measurable economic and social value that comes from investing in women-owned enterprises.
The DBN chief added that the event reinforced the bank’s role in supporting the MSME ecosystem and highlighted how women founders continue to contribute significantly to economic activity across the country. The CEO of Sterling One Foundation also emphasised that the partners are using WIRA to close the financing and opportunity gap faced by many women entrepreneurs. She said platforms that elevate women’s leadership are crucial, noting that the pitches demonstrated what becomes possible when women are given the space to build and scale solutions.
She explained that while creativity and determination are evident among the participants, support, market access, and capital remain essential to unlocking their full potential. She added that WIRA aligns with wider national and global efforts to promote gender-inclusive development and strengthen the participation of women in Nigeria’s economic growth story.
