The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), in partnership with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Sterling One Foundation, will host the Women Investment Readiness Accelerator (WIRA) Demo Day on November 21, 2025.
The event will showcase the innovation, resilience, and growth potential of women-led enterprises across Nigeria.
The Demo Day marks the final stage of the WIRA program, providing women entrepreneurs who have undergone weeks of business development training, mentorship, and investment readiness coaching with an opportunity to pitch their businesses.
Participants will present their ventures to a targeted audience of investors, development finance institutions, and strategic ecosystem partners.
WIRA was launched to bridge the long-standing capacity and financing gaps faced by women-led businesses in Nigeria.
Women entrepreneurs often struggle to access capital, quality advisory services, market opportunities, and networks, despite playing a critical role in driving economic productivity and job creation.
The WIRA program equips participants with the tools, resources, and confidence needed to grow and sustain their businesses in competitive markets.
Speaking ahead of the Demo Day, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director/CEO of DBN, said the program represents a significant step toward unlocking the potential of underserved women entrepreneurs.
He added, “Empowering women-led MSMEs is essential for achieving inclusive economic growth. The Demo Day will highlight their innovation and connect them to partners who can scale their ideas.”
Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, emphasized the program’s focus on long-term women economic empowerment.
She said, “The Demo Day is more than a pitch event. It is a platform that elevates women’s voices, celebrates their innovation, and links them with growth opportunities.”
The event is expected to attract impact investors, commercial and development finance institutions, private sector partners, and ecosystem stakeholders.
DBN was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with global development organizations, to address financing challenges facing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The bank provides financing and partial credit guarantees to eligible financial intermediaries on a market-conforming and fully sustainable basis.
Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling poverty through programs in health, education, climate action, and food security, with gender equality and women empowerment as cross-cutting priorities.
