SME.NG Set to Launch Ebi Marketplace to Empower Female Entrepreneurs

Chiamaka Ozulumba

SME.NG is set to launch an e-market platform with the aim of empowering women-owned businesses with economic opportunities, business sustainability and improving resilience to the negative effects of the pandemic and the economic downturn.

The platform which is set to launch in August will help overcome the barriers female entrepreneurs currently face in Nigeria, as digital solutions offer a new and scalable pathway to not just solve the issues of access to finance but will generate market linkages for female entrepreneurs.

In addition to its all-women’s She Works Here accelerator and the Ebi Fund targeted at women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, SME.NG is providing this e-market solution to give access to finance, access to markets and financial inclusion for female-owned businesses. Since its launch, SME.NG has sought to empower and improve the livelihoods of women in the SME ecosystem to thrive.

Commenting on the purpose of the Ebi Market Platform, the Managing Director, SME.NG, Ms. Thelma Ekiyor, said, “This year, due to the impact of the global pandemic, COVID-19, we have deemed it pertinent to empower Nigerian female-owned businesses to help them thrive.

“With SME.NG at the helm of providing Nigerian Female Entrepreneurs the opportunity to grow their businesses through financial services, trading opportunities, advisory services, mentorship and networking and so much more, we will continue to provide female entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial opportunities to create wealth and support their livelihood.”

The Ebi Marketplace platform will be Nigeria’s first all-women’s e-market platform which is safe and user-friendly. The platform will also feature a Nigerian women SME directory with sector and location tags to expand the reach of products and services across Nigeria and beyond.

The Ebi Marketplace will be all inclusive and will offer a one-stop shop information portal of opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The platform will provide women entrepreneurs and their customers with a unique and seamless online trading and shopping experience. It also includes features that will help drive sales and boost revenues for women-owned businesses, as well as provide other resources that will enable women-owned businesses to thrive.

To join the Ebi Market Platform, interested female entrepreneurs can register to be vendors on www.ebimarketplace.com. The Ebi marketplace will officially go live on the 1st of August and the App will be available for download on Play Store and Apple Store.

Successful sign-ups would officially become vendors on the platform and can access all the benefits on the Ebi Market Platform.Connect with Ebi Market on social media @ebimarketplace on Instagram and Twitter.

SME.NG was established to bridge the gaps in women’s access to finance through “gender lens investing”. It is an impact investment platform that invests in Nigerian SMEs to realize measurable environmental, social, and financial returns. The platform’s approach to SME financing is through a “blended financing” model, which leverages private capital, public sector investments and philanthropic giving. SME.NG has two funds for women and operates an all women accelerator, “She Works Here”.