Layal Jade Tinubu, through her “Be Empowered” initiative in partnership with the Noella Foundation, is making a significant impact on women-led businesses in Nigeria. Beyond simply providing financial assistance, Tinubu’s program aims to equip women with the tools and knowledge necessary to build sustainable and scalable enterprises.
Empowering Women Through Grants and Training
The second edition of “Be Empowered,” held on April 12, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria, brought together over 150 guests for a summit focused on supporting women entrepreneurs. This year, the program attracted over 2,500 applications from across Nigeria. From this pool, 200 business owners were selected to attend the summit. The initiative culminated in the awarding of grants totaling over ₦70 million to 20 women entrepreneurs, enabling them to start, sustain, and scale their businesses.
Tinubu, who is also the Founder and Managing Director of Tots Toys and Co-founder of the Noella Foundation, emphasized the importance of empowering women economically. “These financial empowerments will help them start, sustain, and scale,” she said, reflecting her vision for the initiative.
Comprehensive Support for Sustainable Growth
“Be Empowered” goes beyond monetary support by providing women entrepreneurs with practical tools and knowledge needed to build resilient, long-term businesses. This year’s 20 grant recipients completed a rigorous five-week bootcamp prior to the summit. The training focused on strategic planning, financial management, operational efficiency, and scalability, delivered by experts in various fields.
Previous grant recipients from the 2024 edition shared how the program transformed their businesses, citing the funding and intensive bootcamp as crucial in improving operations, building stronger structures, and pursuing growth with clarity.
Noella Foundation: A Commitment to Social Change
Layal Jade Tinubu co-founded the Noella Foundation in 2018 with a vision to address key societal challenges in Nigeria. The foundation focuses on empowering vulnerable and marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, through strategic partnerships and impactful initiatives. The foundation supports education, creates employability opportunities, combats hunger, and addresses critical healthcare issues, with a particular focus on health issues affecting women and children, such as maternal mortality and sickle cell anemia.
Through the Noella Foundation, Tinubu has demonstrated a commitment to driving positive change in Nigeria and creating a brighter future for all. Her work is making a real difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs, providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed.
