The Alternative Bank (‘AltBank’) has announced the launch of the Alternative Bank – Utiva Women in Tech Scholarship
The Executive Director, South, The Alternative Bank, Korede Ademola-Adeniyi, made the announcement during a virtual convening held to commemorate the International Day for Rural Women.
The virtual convening had the theme: “Rural Women and MSMEs: Driving Sustainability, Strengthening Economies, Securing Our Shared Tomorrow.”
The Alternative Bank is an independent financial organisation licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to operate in the Non-Interest Banking (NIB) Sector.
Ademola-Adeniyi said that the initiative was designed to empower women entrepreneurs with digital skills, innovation design, and business growth training.
She described the initiative as both symbolic and strategic.
According to her, women are the heartbeat of food systems, the lifeline of families and the silent architects of community resilience.
“Empowering rural women is a moral imperative as much as it is smart economics and a cornerstone of sustainable national growth.
“The doors of the Alternative Bank remain open, ready to partner, finance ideas, and co-create sustainable solutions that empower women and strengthen communities,’’ she said.
Ademola-Adeniyi said that the scholarships were designed to equip 20 women entrepreneurs with digital and business innovation skills, adding that the inaugural cohort was set to begin in November 2026.
She said that the initiative formed part of the Bank’s wider corporate social investment commitment to bridge gender and digital divides.
She said it was also the bank’s commitment to equipping women with tools to scale their enterprises and strengthen their participation in the emerging digital economy.
The Chief Executive Officer, Utiva, Eyitayo Ogunmola, expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to redefine access to digital opportunities for women.
Utiva is a one-stop platform for building and deploying world-class tech talent by enabling individuals to learn advanced tech skills and empower companies globally to hire top talent seamlessly.
Utiva is involved in teaching, global hiring, talent deployment and international payroll.
The chief executive said that at Utiva, it was believed that when women are equipped with the right digital skills, the women do not just transform their businesses but they transform their communities.
According to Ogunmola, its partnership with the Alternative Bank is about creating pathways for inclusion, innovation, and long term economic empowerment for women who are shaping the future of enterprise in Africa.
Gift Johnbull, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to women’s empowerment.
Johnbull said that women in the rural areas are mostly farmers, because most of the rural communities are agrarian, adding that these women are the reason for food being in our cities and on our tables.
She said that women made up to 70 per cent of our food system in Nigeria and worldwide.
“Yet, they face barriers like access to education, finance, and other productive opportunities.
“We acknowledge this and are making progress to ensure these barriers are totally eradicated from our society,’’ she said.
Also speaking on behalf of the UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Osalobo Osemhenjie, Programme Specialist at UN Women, highlighted ongoing interventions supporting women’s economic advancement and called for joint stakeholders’ effort to address existing gaps. .
Osemhenjie said that all should commit to changing this narrative by investing in rural women’s leadership, expanding access to finance, and fostering digital and entrepreneurial skills.
She stressed that the United Nations Women was also providing mentorship programmes for young women and consultancy services through affirmative procurement.
According to her, only then will we unlock a future that is not only sustainable but equitable.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation by Kemi Ayanda, Economic Development and Trade Strategist for Africa and the Middle East.
Ayanda challenged participants to rethink traditional development models.
She said that true transformation began not with funding, but with reimagining systems that recognised resilience as an economic asset and women as critical stabilisers.
The event brought together thought leaders, policymakers and development partners to celebrate, empower, and advocate for rural women across Nigeria and Africa.
