First Bank in partnership with ELOY Foundation launched the 2022 Edition of the ELOY Foundation Business Shower in June, 2022. The first ever “ELOY BUSINESS SHOWER”, which was aimedand dedicated to promoting and empowering businesses owned by female entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
The Business Shower by the ELOY Awards Foundation was held in FIVE different states; namely, Lagos, PortHarcourt, Abuja, Kano and Abia states from the 23rd of June to the 7th of July, 2022.
The event which was held to support new business owners on their journey to building a sustainable business hosted over 500 hundred women across Nigeria. It was an avenue for these women to gain access to some entrepreneurial trainings from experienced business men and women, who armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully.
Following the huge success of the event, Phase two of the event began in August, 2022, where ELOY Awards Foundation enrolled50 women who are small business owners onto the three monthsELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Program (SEP).
These small business owners were mentored for a period of threemonths and had access to information on affordable finance, access to entrepreneurial trainings from experienced business men and women, who mentored and armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully every month, and 10 of these women where considered for a grant to assist them in their businesses.
The focus and aim of the sustainable empowerment program (SEP), was to expose these business owners to important business skills, networking, and the ELOY FOUNDATION BUSINESS TOOLKIT, which contains a collection of business survival information, grants and affordable loans to be executed through FirstBank’ FirstGem 9% Loan Scheme created for female-owned MSMEs and the SMEConnect Initiative.
The program rounded up with the graduation ceremony in November, 2022 where 10 business owners were awarded grants to sustain their businesses. Also, one of the beneficiaries was awarded with the ELOY Award for business woman on the ELOY Sustainable Empowerment Program Award.
Following the huge success of the event, all 50 women are now a part of the ELOY Foundation Network 2022. Where these women continue to get access to business information, training and continued support to grow their businesses.
About the ELOY Awards Foundation
The ELOY Awards Foundation aims to sustain women empowerment through access to affordable finance, entrepreneurial training, mentoring, networking opportunities and more.
The foundation is about empowering and challenging thousands of women to be more and do more by providing access to resources, business skills and tools for them to be able to grow, transform and sustain their businesses, which will in turn benefit their families and the community at large.
