Access Bank Kenya and National Bank of Kenya (NBK) launch the W Initiative to support women-led businesses. The programme provides financing, mentorship, and business support tailored to women entrepreneurs.
The W Initiative is designed to expand financial inclusion, provide business tools, and accelerate the growth of women-owned and women-led enterprises in Kenya. The programme leverages Access Bank’s pan-African presence to unlock new funding opportunities.
Barbara Barungi, Board Chair of Access Bank Kenya and NBK, said the initiative goes beyond loans to address the real needs of Kenyan women.
“The W Initiative is a complete ecosystem built around the real needs and ambitions of Kenyan women. When women rise, communities rise,” she said.
The programme offers a variety of services for women entrepreneurs, including: W Loans and trade facilities for business expansion, W Insurance and W Cards for financial management, Business training, market linkages, exposure trips, and networking opportunities
The banks have also partnered with institutions that mitigate lending risks for women-owned SMEs.
National Bank of Kenya Managing Director George Odhiambo highlighted that women entrepreneurs are key drivers of economic growth.
“Through this joint rollout, we are signalling a strong commitment to remove long-standing barriers and provide solutions that translate ideas into measurable growth,” he said.
Despite the growing number of women-led enterprises, access to financing remains a major hurdle. In Kenya, only 7% of women-owned MSMEs qualify for formal credit, and women receive just 36% of total MSME lending.
The W Initiative merges NBK’s previous women-focused programmes, NIA and Almasi Lady, into a single platform to support women at all stages of their business journey. The programme combines financing, mentorship, and community support to help women scale and compete.
By building on Access Bank’s successful model across Africa, the initiative seeks to remove market barriers, promote gender-lens financing, and strengthen women-led enterprises in the national economy.
