“Institutional research performed by the Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF) demonstrates that women-owned businesses are often excluded by micro-finance organizations and commercial banks, despite having proven themselves capable of sustaining revenue streams. Nigeria’s women entrepreneurs require training to build their business development abilities and financial management capacities if they want to be included in the financial sector. In 2014, with support from MasterCard, YTF expanded its Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Mobile Value Added Services initiative providing financial capabilities and business skills training to 1,800 women entrepreneurs in the ‘missing middle’ with the goal of giving them new ways to enter the financial services business.”
