By George Ozalla
The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) on Thursday celebrated the 2026 International Women’s Day with a high level gathering of policymakers, financial experts, entrepreneurs and development partners in Abuja, urging stronger institutional support and improved access to finance for women-led enterprises across the country.
The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, brought together leading voices from government, the financial sector and the business community to reflect on the role of women in economic development and to explore practical steps for expanding opportunities for female entrepreneurs.
Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who delivered the keynote address, highlighted the importance of removing structural barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in the economy. She said improving access to finance for women-owned businesses remains critical to unlocking their full economic potential.
Adeosun observed that women across Nigeria have continued to show resilience and creativity in business despite the financial constraints many of them face. She noted that providing targeted support for women entrepreneurs would not only strengthen small businesses but also contribute to broader national economic growth.
According to her, women represent a significant part of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial population and empowering them with the right financial tools and opportunities would accelerate development across multiple sectors of the economy.
The Managing Director of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Tony Okpanachi, who was represented at the event by a senior official of the bank, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting micro, small and medium enterprises through accessible financing and capacity development programmes as well as focused on expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs by working with participating financial institutions to ensure that more women-owned businesses gain access to long-term funding required to grow and scale their operations.
A major highlight of the programme was a fireside conversation featuring prominent agribusiness entrepreneur and investor Ada Osakwe and financial expert Folakemi Fatogbe. Both speakers shared insights on leadership, entrepreneurship and the importance of strengthening financial inclusion for women.
Osakwe spoke on the need for women entrepreneurs to build strong networks and strategic partnerships capable of supporting business growth. She noted that women across sectors such as agriculture, technology and manufacturing continue to demonstrate leadership and innovation despite limited access to capital.
Fatogbe stressed the importance of sustained mentorship, financial literacy and policy support to help women entrepreneurs move their businesses beyond survival level to sustainable expansion.
The event also featured the presentation of grants to selected women entrepreneurs in recognition of their innovation and contributions to enterprise development.
Enthusiastic participants at the gathering called for deeper collaboration between development finance institutions, government agencies and the private sector to strengthen the ecosystem supporting women-led businesses across Nigeria.
The International Women’s Day celebration provided a platform for reflection on the progress made in advancing women’s economic participation while also highlighting the work that still needs to be done to create a more inclusive business environment.
The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) was established to address financing challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprises by providing wholesale funding and risk sharing facilities to financial institutions for on-lending to small businesses across the country.
