Female entrepreneurs and aspiring business founders across Cross River State have been encouraged to apply for the third cohort of the IgniteHer Bootcamp, an initiative aimed at empowering women with the skills, mentorship and opportunities required to build and scale innovative, technology-driven businesses.
The call for applications was announced by the Commissioner for Science, Innovation and Technology, Assoc. Prof. Justin Beshel, who urged eligible female founders and co-founders in the state to take advantage of the programme.
The IgniteHer Bootcamp is organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with a focus on strengthening women’s participation in Nigeria’s innovation and technology ecosystem.
Cohort 3 will cover four geopolitical zones: North-East, North-West, South-East and South-South, creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs across the selected regions to develop their business ideas and transform them into sustainable ventures.
According to the programme details, selected participants will benefit from business pitching opportunities, mentorship, industry connections, as well as access to incubation and acceleration pathways.
Participants will also have a pipeline into the NITDA iHatch Programme, while outstanding candidates may qualify for a sponsored innovation exposure trip to Japan.
The application deadline is November 18, 2026, while the bootcamp is scheduled to hold from November 23 to December 4, 2026.
Interested and eligible female entrepreneurs and aspiring founders can submit their applications through the programme’s official website at https://www.igniteher.ng.
The Commissioner further encouraged women in Cross River State, particularly those with innovative and technology-enabled business ideas, to seize the opportunity to strengthen their entrepreneurial capacity, build valuable networks and position their businesses for growth.
The initiative is expected to provide participating women with greater access to the knowledge, connections and support needed to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s growing digital economy.