Hot Source
Funmi Ogundare
TAFTA Empowers Young Women in Creative Industry with Skills to Build, Fund Sustainable Businesses
Funmi Ogundare
Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), Thursday, held a three-day empowerment programme for young women alumni in the creative sector.
The initiative, organised under its Women Entrepreneurs Development Programme (WEDP), was aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to grow and scale their creative enterprises.
Speaking at the grand finale of the bootcamp in Lagos, TAFTA Academy Lead, Joseph Umoibom, stressed the need for the young women to take charge of their destinies and rise above life’s challenges.
He urged them to embrace courage and determination in their entrepreneurial journeys.
Umoibom emphasised that although life is filled with obstacles, every challenge presents an opportunity
for growth and success.
“Our destiny is in our hands, but sometimes we don’t know,” he said. “That’s why forums like this help to open our eyes.
Problems and challenges will always come, but with each one we overcome, we become stronger and bolder.”
Umoibom encouraged participants to adopt a positive mindset and not be deterred by difficulties, noting that resilience is key to achieving greatness.
“If you are not coming out of one problem, you are going into another, it never ends. But each obstacle you overcome makes you better prepared for greater things,” he added.
He commended Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters, founder of TAFTA, for establishing the programme to empower individuals, particularly women in the creative industry, to build successful businesses.
The Sponsorship, Grants and Partnership Manager, Juliet Ibahiyi, urged young women entrepreneurs to actively seek out partnerships and funding opportunities to grow their businesses, noting that many of them are unaware of the numerous support platforms available to them.
She emphasised how they could identify, approach and secure collaborations and funding from individuals and organisations.
According to her, the initiative aims to bridge the knowledge gap and empower young women with the practical tools needed to sustain and scale their enterprises.
“Many businesswomen don’t know about the opportunities that exist for them,” she explained. “That’s why we put together this session, to help them understand how to approach organisations or individuals for partnerships and how to apply for funding. Our young women have the drive to succeed, but they need organisations like the academy for the heart to guide and handhold them through the process.”
Ibahiyi added that the support would continue beyond the event, with the organisers planning to share more funding opportunities and provide ongoing mentorship to participants.
Speaking with THISDAY, she emphasised the key steps discussed during the session, including identifying and researching funding opportunities, crafting compelling proposals, and aligning applications with the goals and objectives of potential partners or funders.
“It’s not enough to say, ‘I want to partner,’” she noted. “You must be ready to do the work; research opportunities, identify organisations seeking collaborations, and write a proposal that clearly aligns with their mission. You also need to set clear timelines on how you intend to implement your project and follow up on every proposal you send.”
Emphasising the relevance of technology, the sponsorship, grants and partnership manager said Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be a valuable tool in preparing funding applications, but urged entrepreneurs to ensure that outputs reflect their business vision.
“AI can help, but you must review the content it generates. Make sure it aligns with your business goals and speaks directly to your potential funders,” she stated Ibahiyi encouraged young women in business to be bold, proactive and visible.
“My advice is to always speak up,” she said. “Attend events, not just to be seen, but to connect. Let people hear your story,
your dreams, and see that you’re taking steps towards your goals. Because when you keep moving, you’re sure to reach your destination.”
In his remarks, the Enterprise Development Manager, David Agboto, explained that the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between unemployment and self-employment by helping participants move from informal business practices to structured, sustainable enterprises.
“Entrepreneurship is very essential, especially in Nigeria where the gap between employment and unemployment continues to widen,” he said. “A lot of people who run small businesses are not structured; they lack defined goals, business models, and value propositions. This training is helping to move them from just saying ‘let me also do something’ to running well-structured businesses.”
He described the feedback from participants as encouraging, noting that the sessions had helped them identify gaps and opportunities within their ventures.
“For them to even identify gaps in their businesses means that, even if they didn’t know before, this training has opened their eyes to the potential of what their enterprises can become,” he said, adding that the academy’s support would continue after the programme.
Agboto urged the women to be bold and believe in their potential, citing TAFTA’s founder, Mrs. Austen-Peters, as a role model in the creative sector.
“We encourage them to unleash their creativity and not be afraid. They can do anything at any time, no matter their age or what they have been through,” he said. “There are no real limitations, only things to figure out.”
