African women entrepreneurs face barriers to scaling businesses – WIMBIZ

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African women entrepreneurs face systemic barriers to scaling their businesses, including gaps in access to capital and support systems, say speakers at a Read More:…

African women entrepreneurs face systemic barriers to expanding their businesses into large, globally competitive enterprises, according to speakers at the 25th annual conference of Women in Management, Business and Public Service.

At a session titled ‘Where Is Africa’s Female-Led Unicorn, and Why Haven’t We Built It?’, participants identified gaps in business support systems, access to capital, collaboration and enterprise development as constraints to the growth of women-led businesses across the continent.

Managing Partner of Alitheia Capital, Tokunboh Ishmael, said the challenge was not the absence of successful African women entrepreneurs but the lack of systems required to help them scale.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Cray, Olalekan Olude, also stressed the importance of collaboration and understanding the fundamentals of business growth.

The discussions took place at WIMBIZ’s two-day conference held on 5 and 6 November, 2026, in Lagos, under the theme, ‘Rooted, Rising, Ready: Born in Africa, Built for the World.’

The conference brought together business leaders, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs to examine Africa’s position in the global economy and the opportunities available to women-led enterprises.

Speaking at another session, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, called for greater investment in African people and businesses, arguing that the continent must move beyond extracting resources towards creating and retaining more value locally.

He identified manufacturing, power supply, domestic savings and investment as critical areas requiring attention to translate Africa’s resources and youthful population into shared prosperity.

Elumelu also called for improved access to capital for women entrepreneurs, saying their businesses needed the financial support to expand.

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