Imade Bibowei-Osuobeni: Championing Female-Led Businesses in Underserved African Communities
Imade Bibowei-Osuobeni, a public policy advisor, business consultant and the founder of Tech Herfrica, received the Global Women in Business and Leadership Award issued by the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade (GCPIT) on Friday 31 March 2023, in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions in the field of business and leadership.
Imade is the founder of Tech Herfrica, a non profit organization that is providing digital access for female traders and farmers in rural communities in Africa to connect with domestic and international buyers, and advancing the overall growth of their businesses leveraging technology.
Pending the launch of its e-commerce platform herlocalmarket.com, the dynamic team of experts at Tech Herfrica, currently facilitates trade using WhatsApp for rural women in Nigeria, and as at 28 March, it had facilitated over 10,000 USD in sales since the commencement of the initiative in February 2023. It hopes to expand across Africa in the coming months.
In addition to its e-commerce focused initiative, Tech Herfrica partners with stakeholders to facilitate access to; internet- enabled smartphones for farmers and traders, digital financial literacy programmes using a localized approach, health insurance, business finance, supply credit, and micro pension plans to enable female traders and farmers to live financially stable and healthy lives. It also provides the required technology to help sellers in underserved communities in Africa increase production.
In her words Imade recognizes that “without focused evidence-based collaborations amongst stakeholders, the unintended consequences of the digital economy growth will result in the widening of existing income gaps, inequalities and deepening poverty, especially for women. Thus, through her work, she is leading the park and paving the way for female farmers and traders in Africa to reap the gains of the fast-growing digital economy.”