Flourish Africa announces N1billion fund to promote female entrepreneurship
Nigerian businesswoman, philanthropist and founder of Flourish Africa, Apostle
Folorunso Alakija, has announced the launch of a N1 billion fund to promote female
owned businesses in Africa.
Flourish Africa is a female empowerment platform designed to help women achieve
their full potential. It is a place for both female millenials and adults to access
information and the right networks that will enable them grow in their chosen careers
and businesses while prioritizing health and wellness.
According to the statement announcing the fund, Apostle Alakija disclosed that the
initiative would focus on supporting the entrepreneurial activities of at least 2500
female-owned businesses through funding and structured training over a period of 5
years.
In her announcement, she said “I’m happy to launch the Flourish Africa 1 billion Naira
fund on my 70th birthday as a gift to hardworking and enterprising women. This
initiative will focus on empowering women economically and socially for the benefit of
their immediate families and the society.”
She further explained that a minimum of 500 female micro-entrepreneurs would be
trained annually. After the training, 100 audacious entrepreneurs from the pool will be
able to access grants to the tune of N2 million each for their businesses from an
annual fund of 200 million Naira.
While expressing her enthusiasm about the initiative, she explained that she looks
forward to empowering one woman at a time as she strongly believes that women are
a crucial part of Africa’s development. She restated her commitment to empowering as
many women as possible in Africa as one of the things she would want to be
remembered for.
She added that the main objective of Flourish Africa is to create an enabling platform
that provides skill development, mentoring, access to marketplace for female
entrepreneurs.
This concept of empowerment stems from Apostle Alakija’s assertion that women have
the potential to flourish, if a community of like-minded individuals who share a
common goal and purpose pool together and make an impact in every community they
find themselves in.
Flourish Africa concept stems from Apostle Alakija’s assertion that “many women have
the potential to be great. If we form a community of like-minded individuals who share
a common goal and purpose, we can pool together and make an impact in every
community we find ourselves in and ultimately flourish.
This is a laudable project. I would love to be a part of it since I’m into various businesses but have somehow not been able to hit it big in anyone. I love learning and have learnt far and wide but I’m still looking for where to carve my niche. I need good help and would also like to contribute my quota to the success of this venture if allowed.
Please I would like to be part of this life changing opportunity, I’m a per-time student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University there In Anambra State and it has not been easy for me. I would really love to acquire a skill like Tailoring. Please ma it would really be a great honour to be part of this opportunity.