The United States Consulate General in Lagos on Tuesday announced a call for applications for the 2020 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a U.S. Government initiative that supports women entrepreneurs around the world.

For the second annual AWE, we will select 120 female entrepreneurs from across southern Nigeria to receive virtual and in-person training and mentoring. To support the comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration of returned migrants, we will select 20 female returnees to take part in the program.

During the intensive program scheduled to run from November 2020 to March 2021, successful applicants will receive lessons on business management, network with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors, and learn the practical skills required to create and run successful and sustainable businesses.

United States Consulate Acting Public Affairs Officer Jennifer Foltz explained that the goal of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is to teach women around the world to become successful entrepreneurs.

According to her, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy, the U.S. Consulate General aims to work with the AWE participants to develop their businesses.

“One of the U.S. government’s goals is to promote entrepreneurship worldwide.  Through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, we are doing just that by giving ambitious businesswomen the skills they need to take their ventures to the next level. For this year’s program, we encourage motivated and self-driven female entrepreneurs to apply,” Acting Public Affairs Officer Foltz said.

Leading local business leaders will help facilitate the workshops.  In addition, participants will receive access to DreamBuilder, a blended business-training course developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan.

The U.S. Consulate General has partnered with Ascend Studios Foundation to administer this program. Chief Executive Officer of Ascend Studios Foundation, Ms. Inya Lawal, said “We are excited that the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos has partnered with us for the second time to implement this important program tailored for women’s economic empowerment.

“With the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic has presented, a lot more women are looking for new ways to pivot their businesses, and AWE is on the lookout for such women.”

Female entrepreneurs interested in participating in the AWE program can apply at no cost by filling out the application form via shorturl.at/bqGT6. Application closes on November 8, 2020.

The AWE is a component of the White House Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, thereby creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all. The first edition of the program was held in Lagos in September 2019.