Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria (StanChart) has concluded the sixth edition of its highly impactful SC Women in Tech Incubator initiative, awarding $10,000 in seed funding to five outstanding female technology entrepreneurs.
This latest cohort brings the total number of Nigerian winners to 30, who have collectively received over $250,000 in seed funding since the program’s inception in 2019. The initiative is a cornerstone of the bank’s commitment to improving women’s access to entrepreneurial finance and fostering sustainable economic development.
From Bootcamp to Business Investment
The SC Women in Tech program is strategically designed for female-led entrepreneurial teams, providing them with critical capacity-building resources. The process for this sixth Nigerian edition included:
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Selection: Ten women tech-founders were chosen to participate.
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Training: They completed an intensive 12-week executive bootcamp, interacting closely with industry experts, business development coaches, and bank executives.
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Funding: Following proposal pitches, the top five were selected, each receiving $10,000 alongside extensive business development support.
The five recipients of the grant funding are:
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Chinwendu Nweke (Bridge Merchant Enterprise)
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Omolara Olarerin (Pocket Food)
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Blessing Aniefiok (Dynalimb Technologies)
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Omobosola Alaka (Hafrikplay)
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Olapeju Nwanganga (Ploutos Page Limited)
Driving Inclusive Economic Empowerment
Standard Chartered leadership emphasized the holistic nature of the program. Ayodeji Adelagun, a Director at StanChart, highlighted the bank’s commitment to advancing women’s access to entrepreneurial finance, stating that this support “paves the way for sustainable development and economic empowerment” that extends far beyond individual success.
Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing for StanChart Nigeria, expressed confidence in the program’s profound socio-economic impact. She noted that the financial and developmental support provided will not only contribute to the sustainability of the enterprises but will also actively generate employment opportunities for women and youth across the country.
Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) at Pan-Atlantic University, which partners on the accelerator, celebrated the graduates, noting they “embodied the power of possibility when talent meets opportunity.” She stressed that the program is actively “nurturing women who are not only creating jobs and transforming communities but also redefining Nigeria’s digital landscape.”
Launched successfully in Nigeria, the Women in Tech Incubator—sponsored by the Standard Chartered Foundation—has since been rolled out to other markets, including Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Pakistan, and the UAE, demonstrating a scalable model for upscaling women-led technology ventures as a key enabler for economic progress .
