In Nigeria, where business challenges often outnumber business days, women entrepreneurs have had to learn the art of building something out of nothing. In the South-East and South-South, as in other parts of the country, women run schools, food companies, fashion labels, tech startups, and agricultural ventures, often without access to the financial tools that would allow them to grow beyond subsistence.
The common assumption is that funding lives only or is more easily accessible in Lagos or Abuja, and that female entrepreneurs elsewhere are left to bootstrap until they burn out. But that is only part of the picture. A growing number of funding and grant opportunities are emerging locally, nationally, and internationally, and some are designed with the woman in Aba, Uyo, Owerri, or Calabar in mind.
This article looks at where that money is, how to access it, and the realities of what it takes for a woman in Nigeria’s underserved regions to secure funding.
1. The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Grant
Perhaps one of the most widely accessed opportunities for small business funding in Nigeria, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme offers \$5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, training, and mentorship. What makes it accessible is its sector-agnostic approach—fashion designers, poultry farmers, beautypreneurs, and health-tech founders are all eligible.
Female entrepreneurs in Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Anambra can be among the beneficiaries. However, competition is stiff, and successful applications often include a clear understanding of the business model, traction (however small), and the impact the business hopes to create in the community.
2. Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton by Access Bank
This annual competition is open to women-led businesses across Nigeria. It combines training and the chance to pitch for up to N5 million in grants. The program has specifically reached women beyond Lagos by holding regional screenings.
In recent editions, finalists have come from Uyo, Enugu, and Asaba, with businesses in education, wellness, and local manufacturing making the shortlist.
What sets this program apart is its mix of business education and access to funding candidates are taken through an intensive mini-MBA before pitching.
3. She Leads Africa Accelerator
While Lagos-based, sheleadsafrica makes a strong effort to source high-potential women from other regions. The accelerator offers funding, mentorship, and visibility to women building scalable businesses.
SLA alumni from the South-South include tech founders from Port Harcourt and export-focused entrepreneurs in Calabar. The application process requires a solid business model and growth potential, so it’s best suited for women ready to move from side hustle to enterprise.
Pro tip: SLA also offers online classes and community tools, which can be used even if you don’t make it into the accelerator.
4. LSETF–UNDP Women’s Fund (Open to Other States in 2024)
The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund partnered with UNDP to fund women-led businesses, and there’s early-stage talk of similar models being adapted in other states. Akwa Ibom and Enugu state governments have begun discussions around replicating versions of this model for their local economies.
While not open across the country yet, women’s advocacy groups and business chambers in the Southeast are pushing for replication. Staying engaged in policy circles and women’s business networks in your state could position you to be among the first to benefit.
5. The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Mentoring Programme
This isn’t a grant per se, but a highly valuable free opportunity that pairs women entrepreneurs with experienced mentors across the globe. It offers support in business planning, expansion strategy, marketing, and financial literacy.
Women from Abia, Rivers, and Imo can participate and go on to secure international funding. Mentorship, when used well, is often the key to accessing more formal capital later.
6. African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)
For women building businesses or social enterprises with a female-centric or community development mission, the AWDF offers grants ranging from \$5,000 to \$50,000. These grants are often geared toward organisations, cooperatives, or collective ventures, particularly in agriculture, health, education, and advocacy.
In Cross River and Delta states, women-led cooperatives have secured AWDF funds to scale community farming and vocational training centres. It’s especially suited for women organising around collective impact.
7. Diaspora Support and Family-Based Angel Investing
A quietly powerful source of funding is emerging through diaspora-backed support systems. Many women in Aba and Onitsha are now raising seed capital through relatives abroad who want to support more structured ventures. But this is evolving beyond informal loans, diaspora networks are organising pitch nights, angel funds, and small co-investment schemes.
These informal networks are growing in cities with high emigration rates like Owerri, Abakaliki, and Uyo.
8. State Government Grants and Women-Led Initiatives
Some state governments have also stepped up:
- Anambra State’s Women Empowerment Fund offers microgrants and subsidised loans for women in agriculture and trade.
- Bayelsa’s Gender Empowerment Fund has backed women running aquaculture businesses and mobile food ventures.
- Delta State Ministry of Commerce occasionally partners with NGOs to support women-led vocational training outfits and fashion brands.
The challenge is that these programs are not always well-publicised. Following local radio, community bulletin boards, and women’s trade associations is still the best way to stay updated.
What Makes a Good Funding Application?
- Clarity of Business Model: Funders are not just looking for passion; they want to understand how your business works and how it makes money.
- Proof of Concept: Even if you’re small, show some form of traction, customer reviews, pilot programs, or early revenue.
- Impact Story: How does your business improve your community? Funders love to see social impact tied to business value.
- Good Record-Keeping: Many women lose out simply because they don’t have receipts, basic accounts, or registration documents.
- Confidence and Communication: Practice your pitch even if it’s just in front of your mirror or phone camera.
Funding Exists—But You Must Be Visible
The money is out there. From international foundations to regional pitch competitions and diaspora backers, female entrepreneurs in Nigeria’s South-East and South-South are increasingly finding themselves within reach of real capital.
But access doesn’t happen by accident. It takes visibility, preparedness, and community. Women who succeed are often those who plug into local networks, write their business ideas down clearly, and learn to articulate what makes them investable.
In a country where women have always made magic out of the margins, now is the time to bring that magic into the formal funding world—documented, polished, and ready to grow.
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