Tech Herfrica Launches Fund for Nigerian Rural Women Founders

• Tech Herfrica has officially unveiled a $100,000 RuralMarket Fund
• Its objective is to support rural women entrepreneurs through digital and financial literacy tools
• Founder Imade Bibiwei-Osuobeni released the fund announcement on Wednesday

Tech Herfrica, a social impact NGO, has announced the establishment of the $100,000 RuralMarket Fund, which aims to improve digital and financial inclusion for rural women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

Imade Bibiwei-Osuobeni, Founder of Tech Herfrica, announced the fund during the second edition of the PoliServe Dialogue at Kabusa Market, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Imade mentioned that the fund, launched during the event, builds on the excellent work achieved during the original pilot program held in 2023, which had a 100 percent repayment rate throughout the life of the project.

The RuralMarket Fund is structured as a revolving non-interest fund, which will support rural women in expanding their businesses, engaging customers, and improving financial resilience.

According to Bibiwei-Osuobeni, 70 percent of pilot participants reported they were able to scale their businesses and increase their income.

She said the movement's purpose is to create a bridge between policy and practice by placing rural women at the forefront of sustainable development practices across Africa.

"The RuralMarket Fund is more than capital; it is a vehicle towards empowerment. Rural women access affordable and equitable capital, they will transform their communities and build local economies," she said.

The fund will be operated on a commercial basis, with no interest on the loans that will be issued. Beneficiaries will be formed into clusters and will receive financial management training and customized support for their businesses.

The PoliServe Dialogue held concurrently with the 2025 International Day of Rural Women, held government, private sector and civil society stakeholders to discuss inclusive economic development strategies.

The event, which was centered on the theme of “Smart Business, Sustained Growth,” had panel discussions on topics such as financial inclusion, leveraging digital tools for business growth, mental health of entrepreneurs, and new tax regulation.

Panelists included representatives of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), FCT-Internal Revenue Service, Guaranty Trust Bank, and other development partners.

Angonimi David-Imeh, Chairman of PoliServe Dialogue 2.0 and Founder of the Hope Raisers Global Foundation, said that working together is key to supporting rural women entrepreneurs.

“When we combine the right partnerships with smart financing, we can help rural women entrepreneurs go from initial survival to sustainable growth,” he said.

The event had several partner organizations, including Corporate Affairs Commission, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, EFInA, GTBank, FCT-IRS, Hope Raisers Global Foundation, Prince 7 Youth Development Initiative, Rendra Foundation, Holyhill Relief Foundation, Organisation of Women in International Trade, and YALI Network Abuja.