Cherie Blair Foundation, Women Affairs Ministry partner to support financing for female entrepreneurs

According to a statement made available to BusinessDay, the launch, led by Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, minister of Women Affairs, marked the start of a results-driven collaboration for women entrepreneurs across Nigeria.

“This partnership reflects our shared belief that empowering women economically is not optional, it is essential,” said Sulaiman-Ibrahim. “Through this collaboration, we are scaling real tools, real access, and real opportunity.”

“We’re not just telling stories of change, we are building systems of change that will uplift millions of Nigerian women and strengthen the future of our economy,” she added.

The partnership aligns with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs’ Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774, a flagship programme developed under the Renewed Hope Agenda championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The initiative aims to transform the lives of women, children, families, and vulnerable populations across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

On her part, Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, affirmed the commitment of the ministry of Women Affairs in supporting women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

“We know well how important women and their businesses are to Nigeria, and so we must address the challenges they face so that they can grow and sustain their businesses, enjoy economic independence, and be represented fully as leaders. I am grateful to the honourable minister for her partnership and look forward to working together to advance women’s entrepreneurship,” she explained.

Chinny Okoye, special assistant to the minister on Strategic Partnerships, noted that the partnership is the outcome of months of alignment, trust-building, and a shared mission to deliver measurable impact.

Lauding Sulaiman-Ibrahim, she said: “I am grateful to the honourable minister for her consistent leadership and support throughout this process. What we’ve built is a framework that will unlock long-term, transformative  value for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.”

Similarly, Dhivya O’Connor, chief executive officer of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, noted that Nigeria is a highly important country for the organisation, and they have been able to support nearly 150,000 women to build their businesses.

“We welcome the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs adopting this tried-and-tested recipe to successfully support women’s entrepreneurship development: specialist training, digital technology to reach and engage women, strong localisation, and committed, long-term collaboration.”