.
First Bank in partnership with ELOY Foundation launched the 2022 Edition of the ELOY Foundation Business Shower in June, 2022. The first ever “Eloy Business Shower,” which was aimed and dedicated to promoting and empowering businesses owned by female entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
The Business Shower by the ELOY Awards Foundation held in five different states of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano and Abia from June 23 to July 7, 2022 with almost 2,000 registered participants and an over 220,000 reach.
The event held to support new business owners on their journey to building a sustainable business across Nigeria. It was an avenue for these women to gain access to some entrepreneurial trainings from experienced business men and women, who armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully.
Following the huge success of the event, Phase two of the event began in August 2022, where ELOY Awards Foundation enrolled 50 women who are small business owners onto the three months ELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Programme (SEP).
These small business owners were mentored for a period of three months and had access to information on affordable finance, access to entrepreneurial trainings from experienced business men and women, who mentored and armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully every month, and 10 of these women were given a grant to assist them in their businesses. Some of our mentors included Femi Olayebi, Adanne Uche, Ommo Clark, Tayo Afolabi, Madame Merola, Ebun Feludu, Yasmin Obadaki, Toyin Onigbanjo, Princess Kelechi, Trish O and Tewa Onasanya.
The focus and aim of the sustainable empowerment program (SEP), was to expose these business owners to important business skills, networking, and the ELOY FOUNDATION BUSINESS TOOLKIT, which contains a collection of business survival information, grants and affordable loans to be executed through First Bank’ First Gem 9 per cent Loan Scheme created for female-owned MSMEs and the SME Connect Initiative.
The programme rounded up with the graduation ceremony in November, 2022 and 10 business owners were awarded grants to sustain their businesses. Also, one of the beneficiaries was awarded with the ELOY Award for business woman on the ELOY Sustainable Empowerment Programme Award.
Following the huge success of the event, all 50 women are now a part of the ELOY Foundation Network 2022. Where these women continue to get access to business information, training and continued support to grow their businesses