Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton Season 8: How Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs Can Apply for the Access Bank/IFC Mini-MBA and Business Grants

If you are a woman running a registered business in Nigeria and you have been praying for the kind of push that combines free world-class training with real money, Season 8 of the Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton is one you should not scroll past.

Access Bank, through its W Initiative, has just launched the eighth season of this programme in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The season 8 edition comes with a ₦7 million grant to help accelerate women-owned businesses, on top of a fully funded, IFC-certified Mini-MBA.

What Is the Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton All About?

The Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton is Access Bank's flagship women-in-business programme, and it has been running since 2019. This season, 120 women business owners will go through a three-week Mini-MBA training beginning in November 2026, delivered in partnership with the IFC. The goal is simple: give women entrepreneurs the business management skills, funding access, and mentorship they need to build stronger, more scalable businesses.

According to Access Bank's leadership, this is not a small pilot — the programme has now supported more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs across 10 African countries since it began, and past participants have gone on to win national recognition, including the Nigeria MSME Awards.

The Season 8 process follows the familiar six-step structure Access Bank has used before:

•Apply online with your personal and business details.

•Top applicants submit a one-minute video pitch about their business.

•Top 120 applicants get enrolled in the IFC-certified Mini-MBA programme.

•Participants pitch their businesses before a panel of judges.

•Top 20 participants are selected to receive business grants.

•Selection is competitive and based on the published eligibility and selection criteria.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

Based on the official flyer and Access Bank's published criteria for this season, you should apply if you:

•Are a woman, aged 18–55 years

•Own and manage a business in Nigeria

•Hold at least 50% shareholding in the business

•Have operated the business for more than 1 year

•Hold an Access Bank Individual or Business Account

•Have a business registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

•Operate in any business sector (Agriculture, Fashion, Health, Tourism, Education, ICT, Manufacturing, and more have all featured in past seasons)

•If you don't already have an Access Bank account, you can open one as part of preparing your application — this is a firm requirement, not optional.

What Do You Stand to Win?

- A fully funded, IFC-certified Mini-MBA (three weeks of intensive training)

- A share of the ₦7 million grant pool for this season, with the top winner receiving the major grant and 19 other beneficiaries also receiving financial support

- Mentorship, business coaching, and access to a growing network of women entrepreneurs across Africa

- Exposure through Access Bank's #BuiltByHer campaign

When Is the Deadline?

This is where you need to move fast rather than wait. The Mini-MBA training is scheduled to begin in November 2026, which means the application window will close well before then — likely within the next few weeks. Access Bank has not published an exact closing date in the announcements seen so far, so the safest move is to apply as soon as possible rather than wait for a "final deadline" reminder, since previous seasons have closed applications with little notice once a strong number of entries came in.

(We'll update this post the moment an official closing date is confirmed — bookmark this page or follow @GanariousConsults on Instagram for the update.)

How to Apply

•Visit the official application portal: www.womenpreneur.thewcommunity.com

•Fill in your personal and business details accurately.

•Submit your application before the window closes.

•If shortlisted, prepare your one-minute video pitch — make it clear, confident, and specific about the problem your business solves.

Final Word from Ganarious

For our Arewa women and women-led businesses across Nigeria building anything from fashion to agro-processing to tech, this is exactly the kind of opportunity that changes trajectory — free training from a world-class partner, mentorship, and real grant money, with no cost to apply. If you meet the criteria, don't sit on this one.

Got questions about how to position your business for this pitch, or want a second pair of eyes on your application? Reach out to Ganarious Consults on Instagram (@GanariousConsults).