Nigeria

Boosting Leadership in Climate Action Amongst Nigeria’s Female Entrepreneurs

Organisation

Development Bank of Nigeria Plc

Website

Support area

Adaptation to climate change

Funding

1999893 €

Project duration

Nov, 2025 – Aug, 2029

Nigeria faces significant vulnerabilities to climate change, including extreme weather events and ecosystem degradation. These challenges threaten critical sectors such as agriculture and energy supply, especially in rural areas. Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), and the International Climate Initiative (IKI) are partnering to make climate and biodiversity financing available for women-led businesses. These businesses are operating in sectors like renewable energy or agriculture and are crucial for improving climate-resilience, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. However, they face substantial barriers to accessing appropriate finance. The project will support 5,000 women-led businesses in total. 240 high-potential enterprises will receive additional support through tailored capacity development and funding. The project will indirectly benefit 25,000 individuals, enhancing local livelihoods, enterprise performance, as well as climate and biodiversity outcomes.

Capacity development

Climate leadership and business resilience training for 5,000 women-led Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs)
Structured incubation and tailored technical assistance for 240 high-potential climate-adaptation enterprises
Financial readiness and investment preparedness support for incubated MSMEs
Capacity building for MSMEs delivering ecosystem-based, nature-positive climate adaptation solutions
Monitoring, learning, and impact tracking to strengthen biodiversity and climate outcomes

This project is co-financed by Global Affairs Canada and implemented within the IKI Small Grants programme strengthening local solutions for effective climate and biodiversity action. IKI Small Grants is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and run by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is part of Germany‘s International Climate Initiative (IKI).

About the organisation

The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc. (DBN) is a development finance institution established in 2017 to facilitate sustainable socioeconomic development through the provision of finance to Nigeria’s underserved MSMEs through eligible financial intermediaries, with a strong focus on women-led enterprises and green finance.