Alitheia Capital, a leading investment firm, has emphasized the need for financing solutions tailored to women-led businesses in Nigeria. The firm made this call at the third edition of the W.O.M.A.N. conference, held in Lagos, where entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and development partners converged to discuss barriers to capital, energy, technology, and markets affecting women-led businesses. The conference focused on scaling women-led enterprises in manufacturing, agribusiness, and nutrition.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, represented the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the conference. Olusanya noted that women-led businesses face significant barriers in accessing finance and growth capital, hindering their ability to transition from survival to sustainable growth. She emphasized that closing this gap requires a collective effort from governments, financial institutions, private equity, venture capital, development partners, and entrepreneurs themselves.
The conference highlighted the importance of business formalization, financial discipline, and corporate governance for women-led enterprises seeking investment. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, Co-Founder of WIMBIZ and Founder and CEO of DO.II Designs Limited, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the role of financial discipline in creating business legibility, credibility, and access to capital. Ighodalo stressed that financial discipline is crucial for businesses to gain access to capital and growth opportunities.
Alitheia Capital's investment-readiness program aims to equip entrepreneurs with practical knowledge on financial statements, unit economics, governance, and capital structuring. The firm's Co-Founder, Jumoke Akinwunmi, noted that the major challenge is not the readiness of women-led businesses but the ability of the wider business ecosystem to provide suitable financing. Akinwunmi emphasized that the conference showed that women-led businesses are ready, but the ecosystem around them needs to be ready to respond.
The conference featured discussions on regulatory and infrastructure constraints, financing options for small and growing businesses, and the use of green manufacturing to reduce costs and strengthen operational resilience. Alitheia Capital's Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Tokunboh Ishmael, noted that the participation of over 300 screened, revenue-generating businesses demonstrates that many women-led enterprises have already crossed important thresholds required for formal investment.
Ishmael emphasized that Alitheia Capital's investment experience has demonstrated the commercial case for developing financing structures specifically for women-led businesses. With over $250 million in assets under management, Ishmael noted that the firm's portfolio proves that when women-led businesses scale, local economies scale, and that this is not a social argument but a financial one. Alitheia Capital will monitor the participating businesses over the next 12 months, tracking their access to capital, revenue growth, and application of skills acquired during the conference.
The W.O.M.A.N. program, now in its third edition, combines a two-day conference with a 12-month follow-up program for high-potential women-led businesses. The program aims to provide pathways to capital, energy, AI, and markets for business resilience. With the participation of over 300 women-led businesses, the conference has demonstrated the growing interest in supporting women-led enterprises in Nigeria.
Key points
- Alitheia Capital calls for financing solutions tailored to women-led businesses.
- Women-led businesses face significant barriers in accessing finance and growth capital.
- Alitheia Capital's investment experience demonstrates the commercial case for developing financing structures specifically for women-led businesses.
