Osita Ede, Divisional Head of Product Development at Fidelity Bank, emphasized the significance of training in the bank’s strategy, saying, “Data available indicates that women-led small businesses account for over 40 percent of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Nigeria.” This emphasizes how important it is for female entrepreneurs to propel economic growth.

“At Fidelity Bank, we think that, in keeping with our mission, enabling female entrepreneurs to run prosperous enterprises would go a long way in helping individuals to grow, businesses to thrive, and economies to prosper.”

The online course, which was taught by ImpactHER, featured a range of subjects about using technology to build profitable businesses. These subjects included “Branding and Positioning,” “How to Harness AI for Content Creation as a Small Business Owner,” and “Getting Started with Email Marketing.”

“Statistically, women and girls are 25% less likely to leverage digital technology for basic purposes, four times less likely to know how to program computers, and 13 times less likely to file for technology patents,” said ImpactHER creator Efe Ukala. This demonstrates the significance of giving African women access to digital skills so they may use them to grow their companies.

According to data, if the digital divide in e-commerce is closed, Africa’s GDP may increase by $180 billion by 2025. We are striving to provide these essential skills to female entrepreneurs who can propel economic growth by providing this training at no cost and partnering with sponsors like Fidelity Bank to reach more women.

The practical approach of the free program and the instant application of the skills taught were highly complimented by participants.

With the August 2024 cohort, 5,719 women entrepreneurs have received training through the alliance.