In a recent announcement, Mr. Ngozi Anyogu, CEO of AG Mortgage Bank, unveiled an innovative partnership with HACEY, a not-for-profit organization. This collaboration will provide annual support to 500 women-led businesses in Nigeria, backed by a substantial investment of N100 million through the ES-TIW initiative.

At the launch event, Anyogu emphasized the initiative’s significance, explaining that ES-TIW stands for Empowering Societies Through Investment in Women. He articulated his personal commitment to fostering the success of women-led enterprises as a driving force behind the project.

The initiative will distribute low-interest loans to women entrepreneurs, specifically targeting nano, micro, and small-scale businesses, with a repayment period of up to 12 months. The ES-TIW project will initially roll out across five states: Lagos, Abuja, Edo, Delta, and Abia. Notably, 60 percent of the 300 selected beneficiaries will come from the Assemblies of God Church.

To enhance sustainability, Anyogu pointed out that business owners will participate in educational programs, organized into small clusters of five. Each group will be paired with mentors to provide guidance as they work to improve their businesses.

He stated, “With the ES-TIW project, we are empowering women and equipping them with the resources they need to contribute to their families. With a robust Environmental, Social, and Governance framework developed by Deloitte, we aim to reach 500 women in our first year, including 300 beneficiaries from the Assemblies of God Church.”