The AfriWomen for Entrepreneurship Initiative (AfriWomen) is proud to announce its annual International MSME Day 2025, set for June. This highly anticipated event will spotlight women led businesses in agribusiness and fashion, celebrating their innovation, resilience, and growing economic contributions across Nigeria.
Carrying Forward a Legacy of Impact
Building on the tremendous success of last year’s MSME Day, AfriWomen continues to champion women’s transition from informal to formal business operations. In 2024, over 250 women entrepreneurs and 50 AfriWomen champion men were supported to register their businesses, access regulatory agencies, and scale with legal and financial recognition.
Through strategic collaborations with CAC, NAFDAC, SON, NEPC, BOI, AfriWomen Cooperative, and key Oyo State ministries, the event moved many “backyard enterprises” into the limelight giving them the structure, access, and recognition needed to grow.
A Proven Leader with Deep Expertise
Adebukola Oso, Founder & CEO, AfriWomen
At the helm is Adebukola Oso, Founder and CEO of AfriWomen, a confident, visionary leader and tireless advocate for women-led enterprises. With decades of experience across the public and private sectors in both Nigeria and the UK, spanning housing, economic and social welfare, manufacturing, agribusiness, and commodity trade (including fashion and confectionery), Adebukola Oso is uniquely positioned to guide emerging MSMEs into national and global markets.
“MSMEs are the engines of inclusive growth, and when women are at the forefront, entire communities rise. We are not just hosting an event, we are building a future,”
Empowering a Movement: The 2025 Mission
AfriWomen is committed to upscaling 1,000 women in agribusiness and 250 in fashion and garment production by facilitating:
- Human capacity development
- Market linkages
- Access to land
- Access to finance
- Sustainable mentorship
This year’s theme centers on visibility, opportunity, and scale, allowing participants to showcase their products directly to key stakeholders, industry leaders, export and finance experts, and public-private development actors in Oyo State and beyond.
Why It Matters: The Numbers Tell the Story
According to the World Bank, MSMEs represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. In emerging markets like Nigeria, women-led MSMEs still face formidable challenges, especially in accessing funding, infrastructure, and sustainable mentorship.
AfriWomen’s mission directly tackles these gaps, connecting women entrepreneurs to systems that support growth, visibility, and legitimacy.
Expanding Hubs, Expanding Impact
AfriWomen’s model of clustering and cooperative development is gaining momentum. Women are organizing business hubs across Ibadan, Ogun, Ekiti, and Kwara States, where AfriWomen’s membership is growing. These clusters serve as peer support systems, production units, and micro-marketplaces, preparing members for local and global expansion.
A Call to Action for Donors and Development Partners
AfriWomen invites donors, partners, and sponsors to join this bold movement. Your support can help scale these MSMEs into sustainable businesses that feed families, employ others, and lift communities.
“We are not waiting for change. We are creating it, one woman, one business, one success story at a time.” says Adebukola Oso.
Support AfriWomen. Invest in Nigeria’s future.
Contact Information:
- 📞 Phone: +234 703 750 4696
- 📞 What’s App: +234 702 567 5635
- 🌍 Website: www.theafriwomen.org
- 📍 Location: 19 Okunola Abass Street,
New Bodija, Ibadan
Follow @theafriwomen on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook
About AfriWomen
AfriWomen for Entrepreneurship Initiative is a registered non-profit dedicated to empowering African women through enterprise. It provides practical tools and resources for scaling women-led MSMEs across sectors, enabling them to thrive in a global economy.