By: Joseph Abasi-Abasi, Calabàr
About 300 women entrepreneurs across Cross River State are set to compete for business grants ranging from N100,000 to N500,000 as the African Women in Business Expo opens in Calabar.
The three-day programme, organised by She Means Business, a global community of women in business, has begun, with a panel session and business pitches, while the grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at the Dome, Calabar
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The organisers said the initiativeheld in partnership with the Cross River State Government the Office of the Wife of Governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, was designed not only to provide financial support to women-owned businesses but also to equip beneficiaries with the knowledge and skills required to structure, grow and sustain their enterprises.
Speaking at a media briefing in Calabar ahead of the event, one of the founding members of She Means Business and its Africa lead, Mary-Collette Kekong said the organisation had more than 50,000 members across over 20 countries, with its headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
She explained that the decision to bring the African Women in Business Expo to Calabar was driven by the desire to expose women in Cross River to opportunities that were often concentrated in major commercial cities such as Lagos.
According to her, the programme would accommodate businesses across various sectors, including agriculture, fashion, technology, beauty, health, manufacturing and informal businesses.
She said the organisers received more than 300 applications from women across the state following the circulation of an online application link.
The Africa lead said about half of the applicants would benefit from different packages, including cash grants, free subscriptions to the organisation’s SMB app and access to its accelerator programme.
Kekong explained that the cash grants would be awarded in different categories, including N100,000 and N500,000, depending on the assessment of applicants.
She added that the accelerator programme, which would run for between two and four weeks, was designed to ensure that beneficiaries did not merely receive money but acquired practical knowledge on business management, budgeting, investment and creating multiple income streams.
“We don’t believe in giving people free money. We believe in helping you to be able to fish, not just giving you the fish to eat,” she said.
The organisers said applicants would be required to make one-minute pitches explaining their businesses and what they intended to use the grants for, with judges expected to select beneficiaries based on the strength and viability of their proposals
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The programme will also feature panel sessions and business-focused presentations by invited speakers, while some participants are expected to receive mentorship and continued access to the She Means Business community.
The Africa lead said the initiative was particularly aimed at changing the mindset of young women by showing them that they could build successful careers and businesses before marriage and irrespective of their location
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Kekong noted that technology had made it possible for entrepreneurs in Calabar and other parts of the country to access customers and markets abroad without relocating to Lagos or other major cities.
The organisers also disclosed that one participant would win an all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar to attend the Global Women in Business Conference scheduled for October.
The conference, holding in Doha from October 13 to 18, is expected to bring together female entrepreneurs and business leaders from different parts of the world.
The organisers said the Calabar expo was the first edition of the African Women in Business Expo and would subsequently be taken to other African countries, with Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda being among possible destinations.
