In Nigeria, where millions of women drive micro and small businesses, access to financial services, digital tools, and basic healthcare remains limited. Recognizing these challenges, HACEY, in partnership with AG Mortgage Bank launched the “Empowering Society Through Investment in Women (ES-TIW)” project under the Fin-Empower Project. This initiative is a bold and holistic step toward empowering 500,000 women across 5 States by December 2025.
The Project provides women with essential resources to improve their livelihoods, combining financial education, digital literacy, healthcare access, and micro-loans. Women participating in the project are trained on how to manage and grow their businesses, access health services, and navigate digital financial tools with confidence. These efforts are implemented through the well-established network of women’s groups, creating a support system that promotes shared growth and accountability.
One of the project’s most notable features is the cluster system. To access a loan, each woman must belong to a cluster, fostering peer mentorship, accountability, and collaborative progress. This model ensures that beneficiaries are part of a community that supports and encourages business success, while keeping one another accountable for loan repayment. Loans range from ₦20,000 to ₦200,000, are given at a manageable interest rate of 2.5%, and can be repaid daily, weekly, or monthly over a period of up to three months. Loans are disbursed directly through AG Mortgage Bank into participants’ mobile accounts, making access more secure and efficient.
To ensure sustainability, the project ties loan disbursement to the completion of financial and business training. This guarantees that beneficiaries are well-prepared before accessing funds. The training spans two days and includes a health seminar at the end, emphasizing the importance of personal and family well-being alongside business development. Women also receive mentorship and support on how to use mobile phones for digital banking, savings, and repayments, bridging the digital divide and making financial services more accessible.
The project is intentionally inclusive. Though it uses the Assemblies of God Church as a delivery platform, it is open to women from the wider community. Women aged 20 to 60, regardless of church affiliation, can participate, and the training is conducted in English to accommodate diverse backgrounds. The initiative was recently introduced on March 15, where stakeholders reaffirmed the importance of coupling financial access with training and digital support to ensure long-term impact.
Fin-Empower is more than a financial aid program, it is a movement to uplift women and strengthen communities. By giving women the knowledge, resources, and community support they need, the project is laying the foundation for lasting economic independence and social transformation. As the women trained under the project grow their businesses, improve their health, and embrace digital tools, they are not only changing their own lives, they are becoming pillars of strength within their families and communities.
This is the power of investing in women. And with Fin-Empower, that power is being unleashed across Nigeria, one woman, one business, and one community at a time.
