Women’s economic leadership took the spotlight in Lagos on November 21, 2025, as the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), in partnership with the Sterling One Foundation and with support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), convened investors, ecosystem leaders, and high-potential women founders for the Women Investment Readiness Accelerator (WIRA) Demo Day.

The event reinforced the shared commitment of DBN and Sterling One Foundation to advancing women-led enterprises and strengthening their role in driving Nigeria’s economic growth.

The Demo Day underscored DBN’s central role in deepening the nation’s MSME ecosystem, particularly for women entrepreneurs who continue to shape productivity, innovation, and job creation despite persistent structural challenges.

The event marked the culmination of an intensive accelerator cycle funded and driven by DBN, featuring capacity-building, mentorship, and hands-on business development support for women founders across agriculture, food processing, waste management, retail, technology, fashion, and other impact-oriented sectors.

A major highlight was the pitch showcase, where participating entrepreneurs presented refined and scalable business models to investors, financial institutions, and business support organizations. For many of the founders, this platform provided a direct pathway to funding opportunities, strategic partnerships, and business expansion, outcomes made possible through DBN’s sustained focus on building a more inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial landscape.

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The WIRA programme was designed to confront the systemic barriers that hinder the growth of women-led enterprises in Nigeria, including limited access to finance, inadequate structured mentorship, and insufficient market entry support. Through WIRA, DBN and Sterling One Foundation are addressing these challenges by expanding resources, improving capacity, and enhancing visibility for women founders committed to scaling impact-driven enterprises.

Speaking during the Demo Day, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/CEO of Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, emphasised the importance of consistent investment in women-led businesses. According to him, “What we witnessed here today confirms that investing in women entrepreneurs yields measurable economic and social impact. Their businesses are innovative, resilient, and positioned for scale. At DBN, we remain committed to ensuring that women-led MSMEs have access not just to financing, but to the knowledge, networks, and market opportunities that enable sustainability and growth. This Demo Day is a clear step forward in strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape.”

Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, also highlighted the significance of creating platforms that elevate women’s leadership and enterprise visibility. She said, “The women we celebrated today are solutions-builders. They are tackling real challenges with creativity and determination. But potential alone is not enough, support, connections, and capital are essential. Through WIRA, our goal has been to close the financing and opportunity gap by providing more than training, we provided guidance, confidence, and access. Today’s pitches are proof of what happens when women are empowered to take up space and lead boldly.”

Investor partners and business support organisations acknowledged the quality, depth, and viability of the enterprises showcased, with several founders advancing to follow-up funding conversations and advisory sessions.

The WIRA programme aligns with broader national and global priorities to expand gender-inclusive development. With women owning nearly 60 percent of Nigeria’s SMEs yet receiving significantly less access to capital, DBN’s sustained investment in initiatives like WIRA demonstrates its commitment to unlocking the full economic potential of women entrepreneurs and advancing inclusive growth across the country.

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.

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