Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Davichi Farmtech, Mrs. Chioma Echegwisi, has emerged overall winner of the ‘JAMII Femmes’ initiative, organised by Women In Africa (WIA) for female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, with a grant of 10,000 dollars.
Out of the 20 top participants in the first cohort, Echegwisi was the overall winner of the initiative and was presented with a cheque of $10,000 alongside her husband.
Her journey as an entrepreneur and her dedication to driving positive change made her an exemplary candidate for the valued award.
President, WIA, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola, announced the winner during the cohorts closing ceremony.
Echegwisi praised WIA and Coca-Cola Foundation for the opportunity to learn and expand her business, adding that their expertise and insights have been invaluable in her business restructuring.
“The mentorship session has been a gamechanger, allowing me to envision a clear path forward. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn and apply these strategies,” she said.
Abiola stated that the Coca-Cola Foundation and WIA in 2022 joined forces to support 20,000 African women entrepreneurs through the “JAMII Femmes” initiative. The initiative aims to increase the impact of African women entrepreneurs on the African economy and to support the creation of innovative solutions.
“JAMII Femmes is a combination of languages, JAMII is Swahili, which means community and Femmes is French, which means Women, so the phrase JAMII Femmes means a ‘community for women’.
Congratulating WIA, Mrs Funke Opeke, the keynote speaker told the beneficiaries to stay focused and guided by the preparation and support they have received from WIA to produce greater results.
Present at the ceremony was Mr. Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who congratulated WIA for the laudable achievement and admonished the female entrepreneurs to build the nation as they build their homes.
Public Affairs and Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mrs. Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, stated that the initiative is significant to Coca-Cola Foundation because women are resilient and have great economic multipliers. “As such, we will do more to exploit with the proper support,” she added.
Echegwisi expressed her excitement and eagerness to support other female entrepreneurs towards economic growth by providing mentorship and creating opportunities for women-led businesses.
According to her, this is a privilege and I don’t take it for granted. I intend to equip other female entrepreneurs with all I have learned. There is so much we can accomplish to move the country and the continent forward, and we need each other. Other programme sponsors were; Honoris United Universities, Deloitte, Sterling Bank, and Touchpoint.
