100 women entrepreneurs trained in Kano on creative business scheme  

Against the backdrop of persistent economic and social challenges confronting women in Northern Nigeria, a one-day Women Entrepreneurship Boot Camp tagged, “Scale Your Creative Business” has been held in Kano, offering renewed hope for women seeking economic independence through the creative industry.

The boot camp, organised by Terra Academy for the Arts (TATFA) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, took place at the Northwest University City Campus, Kano, weekend.

The programme brought together over 100 women entrepreneurs, creatives and aspiring business owners from across Kano and neighbouring States, focusing on building sustainable creative enterprises and strengthening women’s economic resilience.

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TATFA, established in 2022, has emerged as a transformative force in Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. The academy is dedicated to nurturing, training and sustaining talents in the creative arts while empowering Nigerian youths with practical business and entrepreneurial skills.

Through its collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, TATFA has continued to expand access to opportunities for women and young people who are often excluded from mainstream economic participation.

Speaking at the event, Fatima Aliyu explained that the boot camp was organised in partnership with Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI), a Kano-based non-governmental organisation focused on social inclusion and economic empowerment.

She noted that the partnership was informed by growing concerns over the strong link between women’s economic vulnerability and gender-based violence in northern Nigeria.

According to Aliyu, many women in the region face limited access to education, finance and market opportunities, making them economically-dependent and more exposed to various forms of abuse.

“When women are economically empowered, they are better positioned to make choices, protect themselves and contribute meaningfully to their families and communities,” she said.

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BCAI, she added, supported the programme to provide a safe platform for women to network, share experiences and learn directly from other women who have achieved professional and entrepreneurial success. The initiative aims to inspire participants, build confidence and create mentorship pathways that can help women scale their businesses beyond subsistence level.

Speaking to BusinessDay, on the sidelines of the programme, Yahuza Shehu Atta, Enterprise Development Manager of TATFA in Kano, disclosed that over 100 women participated in the boot camp. He said the programme was designed to equip participants with practical skills in business development, branding, marketing, financial management and leveraging the creative economy for income generation.

Atta stressed that women entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria face multiple barriers that hinder their growth. These include limited access to startup capital and credit facilities, cultural and social norms that restrict women’s mobility and business engagement, low digital literacy, inadequate business training, and weak access to markets, in addition to insecurity and poverty in some communities further compound these challenges, making it difficult for women-led businesses to survive and scale.

He noted that the creative sector offers a viable pathway for women empowerment, as it allows flexibility, home-based production and the ability to reach wider markets through digital platforms when the right support is provided.

“Our goal is to help women see their creative skills not just as hobbies, but as viable businesses that can grow, employ others and generate sustainable income,” Atta said.

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Participants at the boot camp expressed optimism that the knowledge and connections gained would help them overcome long-standing obstacles. Many described the programme as timely, especially in a region where women’s entrepreneurship is often constrained by structural and societal barriers.

As Northern Nigeria continues to grapple with gender inequality, poverty and insecurity, initiatives like the TATFA and BCAI Women Entrepreneurship Boot Camp highlight the critical role of targeted interventions in empowering women.

By addressing economic vulnerability through skills development, networking and access to opportunity, stakeholders believe such programmes can contribute to reducing gender-based violence and fostering inclusive economic growth in the region.

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