- Jesse Gudah
Women entrepreneurs who tirelessly work to develop innovative solutions to combat climate change and promote sustainable living in Nigeria can now access funding up to $200,000 to upscale and realise their visions. It comes through the Climate Gender Equity Fund and its “She Sustains Accelerator Program. One of those who apply for the grant that closes on 29 March 2024 will win the considerable grant.
Fifty-six entrepreneurs will partake in the $200000 grant. There will be 19 recipients in cohorts one and two and 18 grantees in the third cohort.
Renowned organisations 2X Global and Clean Technology Hub Nigeria manage the grant process.
She Sustains Accelerator Program aims to empower women-led enterprises that drive positive change in the green economy. With this funding, the women entrepreneurs in Nigeria can now turn their dreams into reality.
Examples of projects that the grant can fund are women entrepreneurs powering community-based solar energy initiatives, leading to a reduction in carbon footprints while providing a reliable source of electricity and empowering them economically.
Sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming, water conservation, and waste management will also form the grant distribution.
Additionally, the grant can finance ideas around recycling and upcycling, allowing women to transform discarded materials into functional products such as eco-friendly bags, home decor items, and clothing. This initiative would reduce waste, create employment opportunities, and generate revenue for the communities from which the winners will come.
Throughout the training of the first Cohort, 2X Global, through Clean Technology Hub, will provide ongoing mentorship, training, and guidance to the women entrepreneurs. They will also facilitate networking opportunities, enabling the women to connect with potential investors, partners, and markets, ensuring the long-term sustainability of their enterprises.
The impact of this grant extends far beyond Nigeria. By empowering women entrepreneurs in the green economy, 2X Global and Clean Technology Hub are promoting environmental sustainability and advancing gender equality and economic empowerment. This initiative is a powerful example of how targeted funding and support catalyse positive change, creating a ripple effect that benefits both people and the planet.
Clean Tech Hub is a women-led acceleration hub in Nigeria that is scaling new climate technologies. It manages the She Sustains Accelerator Programme in conjunction with 2XGlobal. Interested entrepreneurs have until 29 March to submit their entries. Women-led green businesses can participate in She Sustains by applying via the link: https://tinyurl.com/CTHSheSustains.
Ifeoma Malo, founder and CEO, said Clean Tech Hub manages the process to ensure proper representation of women and Nigeria in the global climate and environment discourse and activities. She said the winners would get equity-free grants up to $200,000, access to a global pool of investors, and sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities.
The Clean Technology Hub is an accelerator with a network of over 60 women-led start-ups working on clean energy and sustainability solutions in Africa, including a company that designs solar driers for rural farmers, making it more affordable for farmers to dry and process their harvested vegetables while also reducing the use of fossil fuel-powered driers.
USAID promotes the Climate Gender Equity Fund, which is supported by Amazon. It is “a public-private partnership to leverage funding to scale climate finance that advances gender-equitable climate action”, it said.
USAID says CGEF will increase access to climate finance for gender-responsive, women-led, and women-benefiting organisations that address climate change. CGEF is one of the first major activities of USAID’s Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA), a $250 million initiative designed to mobilise $2.5 billion in public and private climate investments by 2030 to fund a range of climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions focused on scaling up the transition to an equitable and resilient net-zero economy.
