Wema Bank Launches MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme to Empower 500,000 Women

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s most innovative bank, has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to launch the MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme, an initiative aimed at empowering 500,000 women across Nigeria with vocational and business management skills.

The programme, which is set to run for 24 months, will cover 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and will focus on two areas: vocational skills and business management skills. The programme will also provide grants to participants to support their businesses.

According to Tunde Mabawonku, Wema Bank’s Executive Director of Retail and Digital, “The MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme is designed to empower women to thrive in Nigeria’s ever-evolving macroeconomic landscape. We understand the need for tailored solutions that help women navigate the challenging economic terrain, and we are committed to providing them with the skills and resources they need to succeed.”

The Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, added, “Empowering women is crucial to achieving gender equality and sustainable development. We believe that if we empower women and they start making money, a lot of prevalent challenges faced by women as a result of gender inequality may be averted. This partnership is beyond the Federal Ministry of Women Affair, it extends to the Nigerian Women Affairs.”

The MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme was launched at a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony which held on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Ministry of Women Affairs Office in Abuja.

Wema Bank’s women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, has been empowering thousands of women across Nigeria with access to finance, financial support, access to market, networking opportunities, affordable healthcare, and other benefits curated specifically for women.

The MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme is one of the initiatives under SARA by Wema, and it is positioned to transform the lives of women across the country for the better.

“I encourage every woman out there who is willing to learn a skill with potential for income generation to register for the MOWA-SARA Accelerator Programme,” Mabawonku said. “We also have grants reserved for this programme, so it’s a total package designed to help these women become economically active. Inclusion runs deep for us, so we have curated this programme such that women of various ages from any part of the country can participate and reap the benefits