Union Bank’s alpher, Zuri Circle Empower 98 Women Entrepreneurs With Funding, Mentorship

Union Bank’s alpher, Zuri Circle Empower 98 Women Entrepreneurs With Funding, Mentorship
By Prince Benson Davies

Union Bank of Nigeria’s women-focused proposition, alpher, has partnered with Zuri Circle Network, ZCN, to empower 98 female entrepreneurs through the Fearless Female Founders, FFF 2.0 Accelerator Programme.

The initiative was designed to bridge the gap between women-led businesses and access to capital, business knowledge, mentorship and growth opportunities.

The programme received 2,810 applications from women entrepreneurs across Nigeria. After a rigorous screening process that included business verification and compliance checks, 98 founders were selected for the final cohort.

As part of its support, Union Bank also awarded grants to five women-led businesses that emerged as winners during the final pitch presentation.

FFF 2.0 was set up to identify, support and strengthen promising women-led businesses through structured capacity building, mentorship, accountability and access to funding.

Participants were assessed on business registration, operational viability and financial record keeping to ensure they had strong potential for sustainable growth and investment readiness.

The selected businesses cut across agriculture, fashion, food production, technology, manufacturing, retail and professional services, reflecting the diversity of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Throughout the programme, participants received practical business development support focused on strengthening operations, improving financial management, increasing competitiveness and positioning for expansion.

Speaking on the partnership, Head of Retail Banking at Union Bank, Vivian Imoh-Itah, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to achieve personal, professional and financial success.

“Through alpher, Union Bank remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities for women to thrive personally, professionally, and financially. Our partnership with Zuri Circle Network on the Fearless Female Founders 2.0 Accelerator reflects our deliberate focus on supporting women entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, knowledge, and financial access they require to build sustainable businesses,” she said.

“By investing in enterprises owned by women, we are not only empowering individual founders but also contributing to economic growth, job creation, and greater financial inclusion across Nigeria,” Imoh-Itah added.

The initiative addresses a major challenge in Nigeria’s business environment where many women entrepreneurs struggle to access formal financing and expansion opportunities despite their significant contribution to the economy.

Through the partnership, alpher and ZCN aim to connect women-led businesses with funding, knowledge, networks and resources needed to become investment-ready and achieve sustainable growth.

Since its launch, alpher has continued to champion initiatives that support women at different stages of their personal and entrepreneurial journeys, helping them achieve greater financial independence and business success.

L-R: Head alpher, Union Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Aderonke Chukwudeme; Founder, Bequeenz Beauty, Ms. Esther Harmony Elois; Founder, Atas Nutraboom Nutrition, Ms Oluwakemi Olaniyan; Founder, Gadesh & Co Nigeria Limited; Ms. Abojukoro Ganiyat Adeshola; Head SME Banking, Union Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Gloria Omereonye, and Founder, Zuri Circle Network, Ms. Linda Obi during the Bank’s presentation of grants to business pitch winners at the Fearless Female Founders (FFF) 2.0 programme at Vibranium Valley, Local Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos recently.