Benin Invests $100M to Help 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs

The World Bank just approved $100 million to transform how women entrepreneurs do business in Benin, opening doors that have stayed firmly shut for too long.

The Women Entrepreneurship Development and Access to Finance Program will support more than 10,000 women-led small and medium businesses with loans, training, mentoring, and career advice. Right now, only 3.9% of women-managed businesses in Benin can access bank loans, leaving thousands of talented entrepreneurs stuck without the resources to grow.

The program will create a Women's Business Center and identify promising women-owned enterprises to become "Agodjié Champions," named after the legendary women warriors of Benin's history. These champions will receive comprehensive support packages including technical assistance, tailored financing, investment coaching, and market access designed to position their businesses as job-creation engines.

"When women entrepreneurs have access to finance, training, and mentorship, their business performance and job creation increase significantly," said Mamadou Tanou Baldé, World Bank Acting Country Manager for Benin. The program acknowledges that women face specific barriers beyond the normal challenges all businesses encounter.

The International Finance Corporation is partnering on the initiative, bringing expertise in capital structuring and the ability to mobilize regional investors. IFC will offer its own financing solutions focused on small and medium enterprises with commercial potential, including its Banking on Women program for partner financial institutions.

The Ripple Effect

This investment does more than help individual business owners. By 2035, the program aims to create an entire ecosystem where Beninese small and medium enterprises operate competitively in a business environment that supports wealth creation and sustainable jobs.

When women gain economic power, entire families and communities benefit. Women business owners typically reinvest earnings into their households and communities at higher rates than men, creating a multiplier effect that reaches far beyond their own bottom lines.

The program aligns with Benin's National Policy for the Development and Promotion of SMEs 2025-2035, showing government commitment to making this transformation stick for the long haul.

Ten thousand women entrepreneurs are about to get the chance they've been waiting for.