LAGOS, Nigeria — Union Bank’s women-focused proposition, alpher, has stepped up its support for female entrepreneurs, empowering 98 women-led businesses through the Fearless Female Founders (FFF) 2.0 Accelerator Programme.
Implemented in partnership with Zuri Circle Network (ZCN), the initiative attracted an impressive 2,810 applications from women entrepreneurs across Nigeria, before a rigorous screening process produced the final cohort of 98 founders.
The beneficiaries received intensive business development support, mentorship, capacity building and guidance designed to help them build stronger, more competitive and investment-ready enterprises.
The programme also culminated in a final pitch presentation, where five outstanding women-led businesses received grants from Union Bank, providing additional capital to accelerate their growth.
The selected businesses cut across key sectors of Nigeria’s economy, including agriculture, fashion, food production, technology, manufacturing, retail and professional services.
Beyond funding, the accelerator focused on practical challenges confronting women entrepreneurs, including financial management, business operations, market competitiveness, accountability and expansion.
Speaking on the initiative, Union Bank’s Head of Retail Banking, Vivian Imoh-Itah, said alpher was deliberately created to give women access to the tools, networks, knowledge and financial opportunities required to build sustainable businesses.
She said supporting women-owned enterprises would not only empower individual entrepreneurs but also drive job creation, economic growth and financial inclusion.
The partnership between alpher and Zuri Circle Network is therefore positioned as more than an entrepreneurship programme; it is a strategic effort to bridge the financing, knowledge and networking gaps that continue to limit the growth of many women-led businesses.
With initiatives such as the Fearless Female Founders Accelerator, Union Bank is reinforcing its commitment to helping Nigerian women achieve greater financial independence, scale their enterprises and play an even stronger role in the nation’s economic development.
