Five Nigerian Women Founders Win $10,000 Each, and the Problems They Are Solving Are Very Different

Five Nigerian women founders have won $10,000 each, a combined $50,000, from the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Accelerator, with the winners announced on 3rd October. They were chosen from the 11 ventures in this year's cohort, the programme's seventh, after five finalists pitched growth plans to a judging panel.

The Five Winners and What They Build

• Jennifer Esiaba, Mariam Grey Pharmacy: an AI-powered telepharmacy that gives people access to medication and pharmacist consultations through smartphones and USSD.

The Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayodeji Adelagun presents cheque to Jennifer Esiaba. Source: @stanchartng on Instagram

• Christine Imoukhuede, Ahavaplan: an AI-powered CRM platform for event planners to manage clients, communications and operations.

The Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayodeji Adelagun presents cheque to Christine Imoukhuede. Source: @stanchartng on Instagram

• Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya, Adaptive Atelier: an accessibility technology firm that offers AI auditing and a marketplace for disabled professionals.

The Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayodeji Adelagun presents cheque to Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya. Source: @stanchartng

• Fara Popoola, Proc360: a B2B platform that helps African SMEs trade with confidence through supplier verification and secure payments.

The Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayodeji Adelagun presents cheque to Fara Popoola. Source: @stanchartng on Instagram

• Adejoke Haastrup, Kidsthatcode: an edtech company teaching African children coding and digital skills through classes and hackathons.

The Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayodeji Adelagun presents cheque to Adejoke Haastrup. Source: @stanchartng on Instagram

Why the Mix Matters

The five businesses touch health, events, accessibility, trade and education. Mariam Grey Pharmacy is built for USSD, which works on basic phones without data, so it reaches people a smartphone-only app would miss. Adaptive Atelier is aimed at disabled professionals, a group many job platforms overlook. That range is a good picture of what a Nigerian founder pipeline looks like right now.

How the Programme Works

The accelerator is run by the Standard Chartered Foundation with Village Capital, the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) and Pan-Atlantic University. Since 2019 it has trained more than 70 women and funded 35 women-led businesses across Nigeria, per the announcement. Standard Chartered's Head of Corporate Affairs, Joke Adu, said: "Empowering women entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways to drive inclusive economic growth."

A Wider Pattern

Nigerian founders are building for everyday gaps in transport, energy and payments. PINCHED has looked at LotGrids and its plan for an EV charging network in Nigeria, and this cohort adds health, events, accessibility, trade and education to the list.

What to Watch Next

The first thing to follow is what each founder does with $10,000, and whether any of the five raises further funding. The second is whether any of them expands beyond Nigeria. PINCHED has not spoken to the founders, and this article is based on the programme's published announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Won the Women in Tech Accelerator in Nigeria?

Jennifer Esiaba (Mariam Grey Pharmacy), Christine Imoukhuede (Ahavaplan), Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya (Adaptive Atelier), Fara Popoola (Proc360) and Adejoke Haastrup (Kidsthatcode).

How Much Did Each Winner Get?

$10,000 each, a total of $50,000.

Who Runs the Accelerator?

The Standard Chartered Foundation, with Village Capital, the Enterprise Development Centre and Pan-Atlantic University.

How Many Ventures Were in the Cohort?

Eleven, in the programme's seventh cycle.

What Has the Programme Done Since 2019?

It has trained more than 70 women and funded 35 women-led businesses in Nigeria.