In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in entrepreneurial activity, driven largely by young people navigating economic instability with innovation and resilience. Among these enterprising individuals are women leading startups, particularly in the Southeast and South-South regions. These female founders are building in tech, retail, food systems, logistics, healthcare, and creative industries. But despite their contributions and potential, they face structural and cultural challenges that significantly limit their growth. If Nigeria is serious about inclusive development and sustainable innovation, the country—and particularly private and public sector actors—must begin to prioritise support for female-led startups in these regions.
A Growing but Undersupported Ecosystem
While Lagos has long been the epicentre of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, the Southeast and South-South are increasingly becoming fertile ground for innovation. Cities like Enugu, Aba, Uyo, and Port Harcourt are witnessing the rise of early-stage ventures tackling local problems, from agro-processing to fashion tech. However, the gender imbalance in entrepreneurship is stark.
Women-led businesses in these regions tend to remain small-scale or informal, not due to a lack of ambition or ideas, but because they operate in environments where access to capital, mentorship, policy support, and visibility are limited. Unlike their male counterparts, female founders are often navigating these hurdles while also confronting cultural expectations around gender roles, family responsibilities, and societal perceptions of leadership.
The Capital Gap Is Real
Funding is one of the most significant barriers for female founders everywhere, but it’s especially pronounced in Southeast and South-South Nigeria. Many women in these regions bootstrap their startups or rely on informal savings and family contributions. Few get access to venture capital, angel investors, or even government grants.
There’s also the issue of network bias. Most early-stage funding in Nigeria is relationship-driven. And the key investor networks—especially those in Lagos and Abuja—often overlook founders outside those hubs, particularly women without Ivy League pedigrees or international exposure.
Data from organisations such as We-Fi (Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative) and the World Bank consistently shows that female entrepreneurs in emerging markets receive less funding than male founders, even when they perform better on key metrics like revenue growth. Without targeted capital support, promising startups led by women in the East and South-South risk stagnating or disappearing altogether.
Social Norms and Leadership Bias
Beyond the structural issues, many female founders contend with the deeper challenge of being taken seriously. In conservative communities across Southeast and South-South Nigeria, the expectation is often that women should defer leadership roles to men or focus on businesses that are “domestic” in nature—fashion, food, and beauty.
While there is nothing wrong with excelling in those sectors (and many women are innovating within them), this perception limits the ability of female founders to attract serious attention when they venture into traditionally male-dominated spaces like tech, fintech, logistics, or agritech.
Moreover, women entrepreneurs often face harsher scrutiny. Investors and collaborators may question their commitment if they are married or have children, and community leaders may hesitate to engage with a female-led enterprise unless a male figure is also involved. These subtle and overt biases compound over time, making the entrepreneurial journey far more difficult than it needs to be.
Stories of Innovation and Grit
Despite the challenges, there are countless stories of resilience and ingenuity among female entrepreneurs in these regions.
In Aba, a young woman built a sustainable fashion brand using locally sourced fabric and repurposed denim. She now exports to the diaspora and trains teenage girls in tailoring and financial literacy. In Uyo, a female founder is using mobile technology to connect fish farmers directly with bulk buyers, reducing waste and increasing profits. In Enugu, a health tech startup led by a woman is piloting a maternal care platform that uses AI and SMS to deliver prenatal education to low-income women.
These stories are not exceptions. They are evidence of a growing movement of women building meaningful, scalable ventures—if only they had more structured support.
What Can Be Done?
To create an enabling environment for female-led startups in the Southeast and South-South, a multifaceted approach is required:
- Access to Capital: Venture funds and angel networks should establish regional hubs or partnerships with local institutions to ensure broader access to capital. Dedicated grants and micro-equity funding for women-led businesses are also critical.
- Mentorship and Exposure: Female founders need more visibility and access to mentorship. Tech hubs, universities, and business development centres in these regions should prioritise gender-inclusive programming and mentorship circles.
- Policy and Infrastructure: Local governments can play a vital role by creating startup-friendly policies, such as reducing taxes for early-stage businesses, investing in broadband infrastructure, and offering subsidised co-working spaces.
- Changing the Narrative: Media, civil society, and the private sector can amplify the stories of successful women-led startups to challenge outdated perceptions and inspire a new generation of female entrepreneurs.
- Community and Peer Networks: Women supporting women is a powerful tool. More peer-led initiatives, such as local “founder circles,” co-ops, and informal trade groups, should be encouraged and supported with training and digital tools.
In Closing
Female-led startups in Southeast and South-South Nigeria are not asking for handouts. They are asking for fairness—equal access to capital, networks, mentorship, and opportunity. Supporting these women is not just about equity; it’s smart economics. Their ideas are solving real problems in real communities. With the right support, they have the power to drive inclusive growth, create jobs, and redefine what’s possible outside Nigeria’s traditional tech and business capitals.
If Nigeria wants to build a truly inclusive economy, we must begin by lifting the women already building under the radar—and giving them the tools to thrive.
