Fidelity Bank Plc in partnership with ImpactHER are set to offer free digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills training to women entrepreneurs as parts of efforts to  empower them driveconomic growth.

The five-day training, which benefited 1,276 women, is part of Fidelity Bank’s ongoing commitment to support female-led businesses in Nigeria.

The Divisional Head of Product Development at Fidelity Bank, Osita Ede,  emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating; “Women-led small businesses account for over 40% of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Nigeria. Empowering female entrepreneurs with the relevant skills is crucial for individual growth, business success, and economic prosperity.”

The training, delivered by ImpactHER, covered essential topics such as: Getting Started with Email Marketing; Harnessing AI for Content Creation; and Branding and Positioning.

The sessions were also designed to help women entrepreneurs leverage technology to grow their businesses effectively.

The Founder of ImpactHER, Efe Ukala,  highlighted the digital gap that African women face, noting that women are 25% less likely to use digital technology, four times less likely to know how to program, and 13 times less likely to file for technology patents.

Ukala stressed the importance of providing digital skills to women entrepreneurs.

“Africa can add $180 billion to its GDP by 2025 if we close the e-commerce digital gap. By offering this training for free and partnering with Fidelity Bank, we’re making these vital skills accessible to women who can drive this economic growth”, she noted.

The articipants of the August 2024 cohort commended the practical approach of the training and the immediate applicability of the skills learned.

This session summed up the number of female entrepreneurs trained under the Fidelity Bank and ImpactHER partnership to 5,719.