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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Over 300 women entrepreneurs have applied for business grants at the African Women in Business Expo which kicks off in Calabar, Cross River State.
The 3-day event, is organized by She Means Business, SMB in partnership with the Office of the Wife of the Cross River State Governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu. SMB is a global community of over 20,000 women entrepreneurs across 20 countries.
Founding Member and Head of Africa, Mary Ekong, said the expo was brought to Cross River to connect women to funding, knowledge and global markets without them having to relocate to Lagos or Abuja.
“We have over 300 applicants from different local governments across the state and it’s a process. Everyone will have a one-minute pitch and we will screen them.”
According to her, over half of the 300 applicants will go home with something as there are different packages for all the contestants.
“Some will get N100,000 to N500,000 in cash grants, some will get a one-year free subscription on our SMB app, and others will join our accelerator program,” she explained.
Ekong said the goal was not just to give money but to expose the women to global mentors and contacts to expand their businesses.
“ You can sit in the comfort of your bedroom in Calabar, with your sewing machine, and be sewing for people in the diaspora and earning in dollars. You don’t have to be in Lagos.”
She added that the community focuses on structure, funding and mentorship because “most times women don’t lack options. What they lack is mentors and the right information.”
The event will feature multiple speakers, panel sessions and the biggest highlight will see one participant winning an all-expenses paid trip to the Global Women in Business Conference in Doha, Qatar from October 13th to 18th.
All participants, whether they win cash or not, will go through a 2 to 4-week accelerator program. At the end, more grants will be awarded.
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Pic: Mary Ekong with other panelists and partners
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