From this month, popular social media network Facebook will be expanding the SheMeansBusiness program to Senegal for the first time, in partnership with Smart Ecosystems for Women.
The SheMeansBusiness Program aims to provide support to thousands of female business owners in Nigeria and South Africa.
In 2018 Facebook undertook a partnership with She Leads Africa to launch training initiatives across Nigeria to train over 4000 female entrepreneurs with digital skills.
To date, Facebook has trained over 7 000 female entrepreneurs in 10 states in Nigeria, and is set to continue to expand the program in 2020.
Last year, Facebook launched the #SheMeansBusiness Program in South Africa targeting to reach 4 000 women-owned small and medium-sized businesses and female entrepreneurs across all the nine provinces in South Africa, in partnership with UN Women and a local public-benefit organisation, Siyafunda Community Technology Centres.
Facebook has trained over 6 500 female entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMBs in all the nine provinces, hosting over 150 training sessions.
"Facebook is committed to building a pipeline of skilled talent to help build digital industries across Africa.We believe in the power of African youth to help drive future economies across Africa. Digital industries can be an important contributor to local economies and we are invested in doing what we can to help build a pipeline of talent to support these industries for future growth," said Facebook in a statement.
The Aspiring Entrepreneurs Program is an in-depth four-week training programme that gives selected entrepreneurs the opportunity to master the art of digital marketing as well as acquire key skills to take their businesses further.
In partnership with the Fate Foundation, these sessions have run in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Aba, Abeokuta, Calabar, Kaduna, Enugu and Ibadan. Graduates of this programme receive mentorship support and access to business tools and applications.
IOL TECH