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Applications are open for the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Accelerator 2026, a programme supporting women-led and gender-diverse technology startups in Egypt.
The programme aims to help women entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses through funding opportunities, expert support, tailored workshops and access to the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem.
What the Programme Offers
Selected startups can receive:
- Up to US$35,000 in equity-free funding
- Access to Standard Chartered’s global networks
- Expert mentorship and business support
- Tailored workshops to support business growth
- Support in areas such as business strategy and governance
- Opportunities to connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Have a gender-diverse team with at least one female co-founder
- Operate an early-stage startup that has been active for at least one year
- Have at least a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Be at the seed or pre-Series A stage
- Demonstrate that their solution is innovative and scalable
- Show the technology’s sustainable environmental, social or economic impact
- Be registered and operating in Egypt
- Be available to participate in programme activities held both online and in person.
Why You Should Apply
This opportunity is particularly relevant for women entrepreneurs building technology-enabled startups with the potential for measurable impact. Beyond the funding, participants can benefit from mentorship, strategic support and connections that may help them strengthen their businesses and prepare for growth.
The broader Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech initiative operates across multiple markets in Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan, although this specific call is for startups registered and operating in Egypt.
How To Apply
Interested founders can review the full eligibility criteria and application information on the official programme page:
Apply for the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Accelerator 2026
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Business
NASC Strengthens Cassava Seed Certification and Quality Assurance
The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s cassava seed system, focusing on quality assurance, effective seed certification and improved access to certified planting materials for farmers.
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NASC, Hon. Fatuhu Muhammed, said access to quality-assured planting materials was essential to improving agricultural productivity, strengthening farmers’ resilience and advancing food and nutrition security.
Muhammed spoke during a two-day training for Licensed Seed Inspectors (LSIs), Seed Certification Officers (SCOs) and cassava stem-cutting producers under the Programme for Seed Systems Innovation for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa (PROSSIVA). The training was held in Abuja from August 26 to 27.
He said NASC had worked with development partners over the years to establish a sustainable and commercially viable cassava seed system, building on interventions under the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS) programme and the ongoing PROSSIVA initiative.
According to him, LSIs, SCOs and cassava stem-cutting producers play critical roles in ensuring farmers, particularly those in underserved communities, have access to quality planting materials.
While seed inspectors and certification officers are responsible for enforcing established quality standards, he said stem-cutting producers must ensure that sufficient quantities of quality cassava planting materials reach farmers.
Muhammed urged participants to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism, integrity and technical competence, noting that their performance would directly influence confidence in Nigeria’s cassava seed certification system.
“The professionalism, technical competence and integrity of the LSIs and SCOs are essential to maintaining confidence in the cassava seed certification system,” he said.
He also urged cassava stem-cutting producers to view themselves as responsible seed entrepreneurs rather than focusing solely on profit.
“Your priority should not be profit alone, but also the production and distribution of certified quality seeds to farmers,” Muhammed said.
The NASC boss disclosed that the Council had developed, validated and gazetted three regulations aimed at strengthening the regulatory and technical framework of Nigeria’s seed industry.
They are the National Harmonized Plant Varieties (Registration and Release) Regulations, 2025; National Early Generation Seed Production (Liberalization) Regulations, 2025; and Third-Party Seed (Certification) Regulations, 2025.
Muhammed described the gazettement of the regulations as a significant milestone in strengthening NASC’s regulatory oversight and improving quality assurance across the seed sector.
He, however, stressed that the regulations would only achieve their objectives if stakeholders understood and implemented them effectively.
He said NASC would therefore prioritise awareness and sensitisation among seed producers, inspectors, certification officers and other stakeholders to promote effective implementation.
The PROSSIVA training also provided participants with practical knowledge on cassava seed production, field inspection, certification, traceability and quality assurance.
Muhammed said the Council would measure the success of the programme by improvements in practices within cassava-producing communities rather than simply by the number of people trained.
“The success of this programme should not be measured by the number of people trained, but by improvements recorded afterwards: better field inspections, stronger compliance with certification standards, healthier planting materials and increased farmer confidence in certified cassava seed,” he said.
NASC Project Coordinator, Malam Dahir Rabiu, described cassava as a strategic crop for Nigeria’s food security, rural livelihoods and agro-industrial development.
He said sustainable cassava production must begin with farmers having access to healthy, true-to-type and quality-assured planting materials.
Rabiu explained that the vegetative propagation nature of cassava makes the quality of planting materials particularly important because infected stems can transmit diseases from one production cycle to another.
“Because cassava is vegetatively propagated, poor-quality or diseased stems can rapidly spread diseases and reduce productivity across successive production cycles,” he said.
He stressed that effective seed certification and quality assurance were therefore critical to protecting farmers’ productivity and strengthening the cassava value chain.
NASC said the Licensed Seed Inspector system would help expand the reach of seed inspection and certification services while ensuring that national seed quality standards are maintained.
The Council, however, warned that increased private-sector participation in inspection and certification must not come at the expense of quality standards.
Muhammed said licensing seed inspectors must be backed by competence, integrity, professionalism and accountability because inspection decisions have direct implications for seed producers, farmers and the credibility of Nigeria’s seed system.
The Council also urged cassava stem producers and outgrowers to recognise that their responsibilities extend beyond simply multiplying planting materials.
It said they were effectively producing the foundation upon which farmers’ productivity and livelihoods depend.
NASC further called for stronger collaboration among regulators, researchers, development partners, seed entrepreneurs and farmers to improve access to certified planting materials across cassava-producing communities.
The Council commended the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Sahel Consulting and other research institutions for their support towards the implementation of PROSSIVA.
It also urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the training to improve seed production and certification practices in the field.
NASC reiterated its commitment to developing a credible, technology-driven and sustainable seed quality-assurance system that supports responsible private-sector participation without compromising national standards.
The Council said improving access to certified cassava planting materials would help increase productivity, reduce losses associated with poor-quality stems and strengthen farmers’ confidence in Nigeria’s formal seed system.
Business
NIBSS Launches Pan-Industry Quarterly Journal
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc has launched NIBSS Digest, a quarterly digital publication designed to deepen industry conversations around the infrastructure, policies and innovations shaping the future of financial services.
The inaugural edition, themed “Redefining the Future of Payments,” brings together insights from key players across Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, including regulators, commercial banking executives, fintech founders and global payment experts.
According to NIBSS, the publication will serve as a platform for examining developments in digital payments and how payment infrastructure can support broader economic growth.
The first edition explores the role of interoperable, intelligent and inclusive payment infrastructure in driving sustainable economic development. Key areas covered include financial inclusion, operational resilience, customer experience, artificial intelligence, digital identity, payment infrastructure and cross-border integration.
The publication also examines emerging payment initiatives such as Open Banking, application programming interfaces (APIs), sovereign payment rails and the National Payment Stack (NPS), reflecting the rapid transformation of Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.
Adewunmi Oshilaja, Head of Corporate Communications at NIBSS, said the publication was created to broaden discussions around payments and highlight their wider impact on economic activity.
According to Oshilaja, the goal is to shift the conversation beyond the movement of money towards how payment systems can contribute to moving economies forward.
He said the inaugural edition provides a forward-looking perspective on the development of a financial ecosystem that is more inclusive, secure and interconnected.
Oshilaja also acknowledged the contributions of stakeholders across the financial and technology ecosystem, noting that collaboration among regulators, financial institutions and technology innovators remains important as payment systems continue to evolve.
NIBSS said the NIBSS Digest will be published quarterly, with each edition focusing on a core theme addressing critical developments within the payments industry.
The publication is available free of charge to readers on desktop, tablet and mobile browsers through the official NIBSS website.
NIBSS has also opened submissions for the second edition, inviting regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies, academics, development partners and technology leaders to contribute articles, case studies and commentary.
The launch comes as Nigeria’s payments ecosystem continues to evolve, with digital infrastructure, financial inclusion, artificial intelligence and interoperability becoming increasingly important to businesses, consumers and financial institutions.
For fintechs and other businesses operating within the digital economy, the publication could provide a platform for sharing industry insights, highlighting innovations and contributing to conversations around the future of payments in Nigeria and across Africa.
Business
Lagos Trains Rice Millers as Fortified Rice Market Set to Hit $38.4bn
The Lagos State Government has begun training rice millers and regulatory agencies on fortified rice production as the global fortified rice market continues to expand, with its value projected to reach $38.4 billion by 2035.
Future Market Insights estimates that the global fortified rice market will grow from $22.5 billion in 2025 to $38.4 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 per cent.
The three-day training, held in Lagos, is designed to strengthen the capacity of rice millers and position the state’s rice industry to tap into the growing market while improving the nutritional quality of rice consumed in Nigeria.
The opportunity comes amid strong domestic demand for rice. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service shows that Nigeria’s rice consumption is projected to reach 8.6 million metric tonnes in the 2025/26 marketing year, representing a five per cent increase from the 8.2 million tonnes projected for the previous marketing year.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Systems, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, said Nigeria’s high rice consumption provides a significant opportunity to expand food fortification.
“Rice is the singular food product that best reaches everybody, from the youngest to the oldest,” Fashola said.
He said fortifying rice could help deliver essential micronutrients to Nigerians, particularly children and young people, through a staple food consumed across the country.
However, he noted that rice fortification remains at an early stage in Nigeria, with only about six rice mills currently having the capacity to fortify rice.
Fashola stressed the need to expand production capacity, raise consumer awareness and encourage wider adoption of fortified rice.
“We need to promote it. We need to encourage its consumption and its knowledge,” he said.
Lagos State has already introduced Eko Fortified Rice, alongside Eko Rice Farm Fresh and Eko Rice Classic. The fortified product contains essential micronutrients, including iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.
The state launched its rice fortification plant and Fortified Eko Rice at the Lagos State Rice Mill in Imota, Ikorodu, in November 2025. According to the state government, the facility is among the few rice mills in Nigeria with the capacity to fortify rice with essential micronutrients.
Fashola said the government would continue to collaborate with rice millers, regulators and development partners to increase the adoption of fortified rice and strengthen the rice value chain.
The training also highlighted the importance of standards and regulatory compliance in ensuring that fortified rice meets quality and safety requirements.
The Deputy Director and Head of the Food and Agriculture Group, Standards Development Department, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mrs Nene Obianwu, said standards would help maintain product quality and build consumer confidence.
She explained that the code of practice was developed to guide manufacturers in producing high-quality fortified rice and ensure consistency across products from different mills.
Obianwu said a standard would ensure that fortified rice produced by one manufacturer meets the same requirements as similar products produced elsewhere.
“The standard helps you to get it right. It helps you maintain consistency so that you do not deteriorate,” she said.
Regulatory compliance has also featured in previous training programmes involving the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. TechnoServe has been supporting rice millers to produce fortified rice in line with national regulatory requirements.
The Project Manager of Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria, TechnoServe, Seun Elere, said growing concerns about anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies had increased the focus on rice fortification.
He added that government-led food distribution, nutrition and social-protection programmes were also contributing to efforts to expand fortified rice production and consumption.
Elere urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the training to their operations, strengthen quality-control systems and comply with regulatory requirements.
TechnoServe, in partnership with the World Food Programme, is implementing the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) project to increase the adoption of rice fortification among millers and processors and encourage the consumption of fortified rice.
The project provides rice mills with equipment, technical assistance and fortification inputs, with the broader goal of improving nutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations.
For Nigeria’s rice industry, the push towards fortification presents both a nutrition opportunity and a potential new market for millers and processors as demand grows for staple foods with added nutritional value.
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