Standard Chartered, EDC Graduate 11 Female Founders in Tech Skills

The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University, in collaboration with the Standard Chartered Foundation and Village Capital, recently celebrated the graduation of 11 women-led businesses from their Women in Tech Incubator and Accelerator Programme. This marks the 7th edition of the program, which has been empowering women-owned tech and tech-enabled businesses in Nigeria over the past seven years.

During the graduation ceremony held in Lagos, Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, emphasized the importance of empowering women in technology beyond just business. "When you empower a woman, you empower a nation," she stated. Over the seven years, the EDC has supported numerous women in the tech and tech-enabled space, witnessing positive changes economically, socially, and in the tech sector.

Okekearu also mentioned that this year, they introduced more specialized advisory services to aid the businesses' growth. She highlighted the positive impact on past beneficiaries, noting that many had increased their revenue, adjusted their business models, and won awards. Empowering women in technology is about more than just the numbers, but the impact on people's lives and the communities they serve.

Standard Chartered Foundation and Village Capital provided funding and business advisory services to each business, helping them refine their models and become attractive to potential investors. Mrs. Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand, and Marketing at Standard Chartered Nigeria, expressed the bank's commitment to women's economic inclusion.

"Today, we celebrate Cohort 7 of the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Incubator," she said. Established in 2019, the program has supported 60 women, impacting thousands. The final step involves awarding seed funding to selected winners to support further scaling.