Her Royal Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III, has graduated 108 women entrepreneurs from the first cohort of the EstablishHER Entrepreneurship Academy, while also launching a N150 million micro-business fund to support women-led enterprises across the South-South region.
The graduation ceremony, held on Friday in Warri, Delta State, also witnessed the induction of 208 new participants into Cohort 2 of the programme.
The initiative is organised by the Royal Iwere Foundation (RIF), the humanitarian arm of the Warri Kingdom monarchy, as part of efforts to expand economic opportunities and strengthen entrepreneurial capacity among women in the Niger Delta.
Speaking during the event, Olori Atuwatse III, who is also the Visioner and CEO of RIF, said the programme goes beyond business training to focus on identity transformation and confidence building among women.
“When a woman begins to see herself differently, everything about her possibilities begins to change. EstablishHER was created to help women rediscover their worth, their strength, and their capacity to build something meaningful not only for themselves but for their families and communities,”.
The EstablishHER Entrepreneurship Fund, the flagship women’s empowerment programme of RIF, runs as a six-month entrepreneurship academy designed to help underserved women transition from informal petty trading into sustainable small and medium-scale businesses.
According to organisers, the programme combines enterprise training, mentorship, access to capital, identity transformation, and market linkages to support women in building viable businesses.
Since its inception, EstablishHER has impacted over 5,550 women and supported more than 1,700 businesses across several communities in the Niger Delta.
Participants operate across sectors including trade, agribusiness, fashion, food processing, creative services and digital commerce.
The academy is structured across three progressive stages — EstablishHER, UpscaleHER and UnleashHER , beginning with identity reformation, trauma healing, and mindset development before advancing into enterprise development, branding, financial management and leadership training.
Speaking at the event, Chief Operations Officer of RIF, Ogechukwu Ezeobiorah, said the initiative is designed to build resilient women-led enterprises capable of strengthening local economies.
“EstablishHER is not simply about training women to start businesses. It is about nurturing resilient leaders who can build enduring enterprises. When women are empowered with the right mindset, skills and support systems, the ripple effect of that empowerment is felt across entire communities,” she said.
Project Lead for EstablishHER, Joshua Eze, said the programme was intentionally designed to guide participants through a journey of personal discovery and enterprise growth.
“Watching these women evolve from uncertainty to confidence has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this work. Today’s graduation is not the end of their journey. It is the beginning of something much greater,”.
Five outstanding entrepreneurs were also honoured for their exceptional commitment and progress during the programme. Each received special recognition and a N1 million grant to support the expansion of their businesses.
The awardees include Clinton Diseye (Resilience & Grit Award), Angela Irikefe (Standard Bearer Award), Emekarhe Eseyoma Tessy (Emerging Impact Leader Award), Esubi Alice John (The Becoming Award), and Ezewu Rukevwe Anabel (Enterprise Excellence Award).
Speaking on behalf of the graduating cohort, valedictorian Eyetomewo Eyituoyo Gift described the academy as a life-changing experience.
“Many of us came in with ideas and uncertainty. Today, we leave with knowledge, courage and a community of women who believe in one another. EstablishHER has given us the confidence to dream bigger and the tools to pursue those dreams,” she said.
The foundation also recognised four volunteers — Obi Joy Chidinma, Juliet Ewuzie Chinelo, Ogilo Christabel Utseoritselaju and Lemuel Ifuwe — with the RIF Star Volunteer Awards for their contributions to programme delivery.
Organisers noted that graduates will continue to receive mentorship, community support and access to growth opportunities through the EstablishHER alumni network.
With the induction of 208 new women into the academy, RIF said it remains committed to scaling its impact across the Niger Delta through skills development, mentorship and access to capital for women entrepreneurs.
