The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has partnered with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to roll out the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women programme, aimed at equipping Nigerian female entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and networks needed to grow their businesses.
Delivered through the University of Leeds, the programme offers practical business education, interactive activities, and mentorship from world-class educators. It builds on FCMB's SheVentures initiative, which in the past five years has provided over ₦800 million in zero-interest loans and trained thousands of women-led SMEs.
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FCMB Managing Director, Yemisi Edun, noted that empowering women entrepreneurs drives innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth. The bank's Divisional Head of Business Banking, George Ogbonnaya, added that the partnership will promote gender equality in business and foster sustainable SME development.
Globally, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women programme has reached more than 200,000 entrepreneurs, offering participants access to all ten courses and entry into its alumni network.
Applications for Nigerian participants — open to both start-ups and established SMEs — run from August 1 to August 31, 2025. The initiative is expected to create a ripple effect of economic empowerment for women across the country.
