by The Cable
Photo caption: L-R: Esohe Idehen, Facilitator; Oselumense Ejale, Facilitator; Oluwasegun Majekodunmi, Head, Edo Jobs Entrepreneurship Department, Edo State Skills Development Agency; Ifeoma Okoye, Corporate Affairs and Community Partnerships Manager, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company; Aderinsola Amobi-Daniel, Special Projects and Events Lead, Leading Ladies Africa; Tinah Balewa, Enterprise Development Coach /Training Facilitator; Grace Takon, Facilitator, at the Business Pitch and Certificate Presentation Ceremony of the first cohort of the Enterprise and Leadership Program (ELP), sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation
Thank you to our IWEC Foundation partner Coca-Cola for their support of women entrepreneurs around the world!
As part of sustained efforts to empower female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, the Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a grant to Leading Ladies Africa, a women-focused non-profit to train, fund and upskill 1000 women, through its Enterprise and Leadership Program (ELP).
The Enterprise and Leadership Program (ELP) is a practical, hands-on program that enables women entrepreneurs in Nigeria to set up viable small business enterprises, that are designed to convert opportunities within their communities. The program seeks to solve the problem of economic insecurity and injustice towards women in Nigeria — encouraging sustainable work and economic growth for them by helping Nigerian female entrepreneurs build & maintain sustainable businesses. The objectives tie into the SDG goals #5 and #8 and provides Nigerian female entrepreneurs with the skills they need to be economically empowered, and ensure that they have a better head start in the world of entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation, Francesca Uriri, Founder Leading Ladies Africa said: “The Enterprise and Leadership Program commenced in 2019, and since then we’ve impacted over 500 female entrepreneurs. We are pleased to receive support from the Coca-Cola Foundation, as it enables us reach and directly impact 1000 women, while strengthening the work we’re doing in championing inclusion, diversity and gender equality for African women and girls.”
Commenting further she said: “In addition to hands-on, practical training, female entrepreneurs who enroll for this program will be connected to business mentors, and also have the opportunity to secure seed funding to grow and expand their businesses.