The United States Consulate General in Lagos is set to empower female entrepreneurs in southern Nigeria through training and mentoring as part of its 2020 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.
In a statement, the consulate said it would select 120 female entrepreneurs from across southern Nigeria to receive virtual and in-person training and mentoring.
The statement titled ‘US Consulate Announces Application for 2020 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ was issued on Tuesday
The initiative, according to the statement, aimed to support the comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration of returned migrants, and would select 20 female returnees to take part in the programme.
The consulate said successful applicants would receive lessons on business management, network with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors, and learn the practical skills required to create and run successful and sustainable businesses.
The US Consulate Acting Public Affairs Officer, Jennifer Foltz, explained that the goal of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs was to teach women around the world to become successful entrepreneurs.
According to her, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy, the US Consulate General aims to work with the AWE participants to develop their businesses.
“One of the US government’s goals is to promote entrepreneurship worldwide. Through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, we are doing just that by giving ambitious businesswomen the skills they need to take their ventures to the next level. For this year’s programme, we encourage motivated and self-driven female entrepreneurs to apply,” Foltz said.
The consulate added that participants would receive access to DreamBuilder, a blended business-training course developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company, Freeport-McMoRan.
The statement explained that the US Consulate General had partnered with Ascend Studios Foundation to administer the programme that was scheduled to run from November to March 2021.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ascend Studios Foundation, Ms Inya Lawal, said, “We are excited that the US Consulate General in Lagos has partnered with us for the second time to implement this important programme tailored for women’s economic empowerment.
“With the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic has presented, a lot more women are looking for new ways to pivot their businesses, and AWE is on the lookout for such women.”
The statement described AWE as a component of the White House Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, thereby creating conditions for increased stability, security and prosperity for all.
Source: Punch Newspaper
