6-9 December 2022
English-Speaking Africa
Lagos, Nigeria
The rapid spread of digital technologies across Africa is creating many business opportunities. Yet, women entrepreneurs still face obstacles to grow their businesses. To help address this challenge, the eTrade for Women initiative, led by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, hosted a Masterclass for 25 women digital entrepreneurs from 8 English-speaking African countries in Lagos, Nigeria, on 6-9 December 2022. The Masterclass was organized in partnership with Damilola Olokesusi, Founder and CEO of Shuttlers, and eTrade for Women Advocate.
Who can apply to the Masterclass?
In order to apply to the Masterclass, you need to meet the following requirements:
- You are a woman and you are the founder/co-founder of your business
- You have a track record of at least 3 years in this role
- New technologies and digital tools are at the heart of your business model and operations
- You are based in one of the following countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda
- You are making a difference and creating a positive impact on your community
We strongly encourage candidates from indigenous communities, marginalized groups and persons with disabilities to apply, as we are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion.
Do you meet all these criteria? Join us and take a dive into the digital transformation!
APPLICATIONS CLOSEDThe Masterclass is free of charge. Financial support for travel and accommodation may be available for selected applicants.
Agenda
09:00 – 09:30 (Lagos time) - Welcome and registration 09:30-10:00 - Opening of the eTrade for Women Masterclass:
- Welcome by the eTrade for Women team
- Opening remarks by Ms. Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director, Division on Technology and Development, UNCTAD
- Opening remarks by Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business, Nigeria
- Opening remarks by Ms. Damilola Olokesusi, Founder of Shuttlers and eTrade for Women Advocate for English-speaking Africa
Opening remarks by Ms. Kinza Jawara-Njai, Principal Programme Officer and Head of Division
Cross-Border Cooperation, Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, ECOWAS Commission
10:00-10:30 - Introduction to the eTrade for Women eMasterclass:
- Introduction to the eTrade for Women initiative
- Presentation of the Masterclass programme & objectives
10:30-11:00 - Coffee break 11:00 – 11:30 - Connecting the dots:
- Ice-breaker: let’s get to know each other
11:30-13:00 - Learning session (1):
- Design thinking workshop: A powerful tool to set the right goals
- With Isaac Jumba, Founder, Mideva Labs
13:00 – 14:00 - Lunch Break 14:00-15:30 - Learning session (2):
- Engineering Growth - Beyond the Vanity Metrics
- With Kenneth Igharo, Growth Engineer, alGROWithm
15:30-15:45 - Coffee break 15:45-17:00 - Learning session (1) continued:
- Design thinking workshop
- With Isaac Jumba, Founder, Mideva Labs
17:00-17:15 - Wrap-up:
- Reflecting on your take-aways of the day & next steps
17:15 Closing of Day 1
09:00 – 09:30 - Welcome and Introduction to day 2:
- Programme of the day
09:30-11:00 - Learning session (3):
- Laying the foundation – Why scaling your business as a woman digital entrepreneur?
- With Belinda Bowling and Scott Walker, Partners, Systemic Innovation, Authors of “African Scalecraft”
11:00-11:30 - Coffee break 11:30-12:30 - Learning session (4):
- How to scale your operations?
- With Khadija Abu, Head of product, Paystack
12:30-14:00 - Lunch Break 14:00 – 15:30 - Learning session (5): Intellectual Property
- Presentation by the WIPO Academy: “Trademarks and business opportunities”
- Intellectual property case study
- With Professor Adejoke Oyewunmi, University of Lagos
15:30-15:45 - Short break 15:45-16:00 - Wrap-up:
- Reflecting on your take-aways of the day & next steps
16:00 Closing of Day 2 18:00 – 19:30 - Cocktail reception (TBC)
09:00 – 09:30 - Welcome and Introduction to day 3:
- Programme of the day
09:30-11:00 - Learning session (6):
- Raising capital
- With Nneka Eze, Managing Director, Vested World
11:00-11:30 - Coffee break 11:30 – 12:30 - Practise time:
- Group exercise: Get ready to pitch!
- With Damilola Olokesusi and Isaac Jumba
12:30-14:00 - Lunch Break 14:00-15:00 - Policy dialogue
- Moderated discussion with Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business, Nigeria
15:00-15:30 - Coffee break 15:30-16:30 - Learning session (7):
- How to lead a high-performance team
- With Damilola Olokesusi, Founder & CEO of Shuttlers TBC
16:30 - End of Day 3
09:00 – 09:30 - Welcome and introduction to day 4:
- Programme of the day
09:30 – 10:15 - Introducing the eTrade for Women Community
- With Sonia Nnadozie, eTrade for Women
10:15 – 11:30 - Coffee break 10:30 – 11:30 - Inspirational session:
- A conversation with Damilola Olokesusi, eTrade for Women Advocate
11:30 – 12:15 - Feedback session:
- Reflecting on your key take-aways & action plan
- Quick evaluation survey
- Next steps
12:15-12:30 - Certificates Ceremony
- Hand-out of Masterclass Certificates
- Group picture
12:30 - Closing of the Masterclass 12:30 – 13:30 - Lunch break 16:00 – 21:00 - SIDE EVENT
- eTrade for Women Founders Showcase & African evening
- Hosted by Damilola Olokesusi & partners
Lagos, Nigeria Time (time zone calculator)
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Our partners for this Masterclass
