Empowering Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs: FAO Launches Fourth Edition of the Accelerator Mentorship Program for Women-Led SMEs

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the International AgriFOOD Network (IAFN), officially launched the fourth edition of the Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-Led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa during the 2025 FAO Science and Innovation Forum in Rome. 

The programme continues FAO’s commitment to supporting women’s entrepreneurship and fostering inclusive rural development across the continent.

Carlos Watson, Chief of the Private Sector Engagement Unit at FAO’s Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU), highlighted the programme as an example of FAO’s dedication to creating an enabling environment where women led enterprises can thrive through innovation, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships.

Running from October 2025 to June 2026, the fourth edition will provide 50 women entrepreneurs from across Africa with mentorship, business coaching and access to FAO’s eLearning Academy. Its blended learning model promotes peer-to-peer exchange, networking, and capacity building, enabling participants to strengthen their enterprises and enhance their impact on local communities.

Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Africa, stressed that “When women are supported, they lead transformation,” underscoring the importance of gender-responsive financing, digital solutions, and policies that remove barriers to women’s economic empowerment.

Programme participants shared their experiences and achievements:

• Amie Bangura, CEO and Founder of Mama Afro Ltd (Sierra Leone), described her journey from Europe back to her home country, where she now cultivates over 500 acres of rice and vegetables, supplying food to 310 schools. “When you empower a woman, you empower a nation,” Bangura stated. “This programme equips us with the mentorship, knowledge, and confidence to scale our businesses and drive community transformation.”
• Faith Mumo, Co-founder and CEO of Iviani Farm (Kenya), explained how her team turned post-harvest losses into economic opportunities through steam-drying technology for fruits and vegetables. Iviani Farm now works with over 10,000 farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, creating jobs and export opportunities. “This mentorship is a steppingstone for our next phase of growth,” Mumo noted, “helping us strengthen operational systems and forge meaningful partnerships.”
• Eunice Mwongera, CEO and Founder of Hillside Green and a long-standing programme mentor, emphasized the mutual benefits of the mentorship model: “Mentorship is a two way learning process. Together, mentors and mentees combine experience with innovation, supporting each other’s growth.”

Since its inception, the programme has supported over 150 women entrepreneurs, reaching more than 750,000 people across Africa through knowledge transfer, job creation, value addition, and sustainable agrifood innovations.

Fatouma Seid, Deputy Director of PSU, celebrated the new cohort and reaffirmed that the programme’s impact extends beyond individual participants, generating ripple effects across entire communities through women’s leadership.

Through this fourth edition, FAO and IAFN aim to strengthen mentorship networks, scale women led enterprises, and accelerate transformative change in Africa’s agrifood sector.