Gendered Biased Lending Practices limit access to funding for Female-Led and Owned Businesses in Nigeria

With support from African Women Development Fund, our team carried out a survey to further provide evidential data into what limit’s funding and investment into female led MSMEs. 

Nigeria is top on the list for a country with high number of women entrepreneurs and business owners, contributing to the GDP of the Nation. 

Why are women businesses still experiencing limited funding form financial institutions? Our infographic report is detailed, showing the key outcomes of our project. 

While we noted with applause, 10 Nigerian Financial Institutions with women leaders as MDs:CEOs, we look to seeing the evaluation of policies and practices that can review the gendered norms institutionalised that stifle women in accessing investments.  Featured banks with women as CEOs/MDs are Zenith Bank, Lotus Bank, Sun Trust Bank, CitiBank, Fidelity Bank, GTBank, FCMB, Access Bank, FSDH Merchant Bank, FCMB.

Parastatals that are created to ensure funding for business in Nigeria such as the Bank of Industry, require a critical view of their policies to also check the lending practices that are institutionalised that still limit women access.

While we promote that women should represent interests of women, we humbly call on the leaders of Banks and Financial Institutions to demonstrate the representation of their positions to impact on MSMEs for women. 

HEIR Women Hub is impact driven for inclusion for young women’s businesses. 

Añuli Aniebo

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