The Federation of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Women of Togo (FEFA) launched this Wednesday, April 13 in Lomé, Innov’Up, a business incubator exclusively intended for women entrepreneurs.
Innov’Up, which aims to be the entrepreneurial center for business women in Togo, aims to promote and develop women’s entrepreneurship through active and integrated support for their economic initiatives in sectors with high potential for creating wealth and sustainable employment generation.
To achieve its objectives, the center focuses on 5 main activities starting from incubation, strengthening of entrepreneurial skills, financial engineering, networking, setting up projects for the council of PEM / PMI. At the incubation level, the center provides logistical support consisting of accommodation and general services (a private work space, a broadband internet connection, a meeting room, etc.); leadership support and a connection to the business community. In addition to this internal incubation, Innov’Up offers an external incubation to entrepreneurs who already have offices. This form of incubation has the same advantages as conventional incubation except for hosting the offices of the young shoot.
Far from being a simple seat for startups, the center provides incubated companies with a wide range of training through its “Training Cycle 360” program which aims to give women the skills necessary to run their businesses. This program addressed various themes namely managerial techniques, the role of ICT in the growth of a business, female leadership, credit management etc. The center also intends to organize regular events to connect young entrepreneurs and women leaders in the country to discuss for sharing experiences.
According to those responsible for the center, it is recognized worldwide that there can be no development without the full participation of women in the economic process and Togo is far from having fully capitalized on the potential of its women. Women who account for 48% of entrepreneurs in the informal sector and who have great difficulty in advancing their activities from the micro stage to the small and medium enterprise stage. It was therefore important to create a framework to encourage and accelerate this development.
The project was carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Ministry of Development which is the basis of the National Employment Agency (ANPE). The launching ceremony was attended by eminent personalities including, Ms. Victoire Dogbé, Minister of Development at the base who officially opened the center, Ms. Khardiata Lo Ndiaye, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Togo, Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Regional Director UNDP Africa and many other guests including ministers and heads of companies and institutions.
Access the Innov’Up website
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