One hundred women entrepreneurs emerged from a national competitive process, leading to the award of N3 million each by Flourish Africa.

Founded by Apostle Folorunso Alakija, Flourish Africa operates as a women-focused enterprise development and funding platform designed to close the huge gender gap in access to training, markets and capital.

Under the fourth Flourish Africa Grants Programme, 506 women entrepreneurs went through structured business training, while 409 submitted formal business plans.

Two hundred of them were shortlisted for pitch presentations while 100 were selected for grant funding following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation, the organisation said.

Speaking with The Guardian, Alakija said: “For nine years, Flourish Africa has built a community where empowered women lift others, creating a ripple effect of growth and opportunity.”

She noted that the programme was deliberately designed to reposition women-owned businesses as contributors to national productivity rather than recipients of charity.

“When barriers to access are removed, women do not merely survive; they thrive and when women thrive, families are strengthened, communities prosper and economies grow. Empowering women entrepreneurs is not just a social priority; it is an economic imperative,” she stressed.

Nigeria ranks among the world’s most entrepreneurial countries, with women accounting for a significant share of micro- and small-business activity.

However, access to structured finance, formal markets and growth-oriented mentorship remains limited for many women entrepreneurs, particularly those operating outside traditional corporate frameworks.

Flourish Africa’s intervention combines enterprise training, governance orientation and disciplined capital allocation.

The businesses selected for funding span manufacturing, agribusiness, food-processing, fashion, beauty and service sectors, reflecting the breadth of women’s participation in Nigeria’s enterprise economy.

The grant awards were announced at Flourish Africa’s ninth annual conference, which convened business leaders, policymakers, regulators and development stakeholders to examine strategies for closing gender gaps in financial and market access.