Trade Lenda, a Nigerian digital financial services platform, has announced a $10 million commitment to expand credit access for women entrepreneurs as part of its broader push to close the financing gap and promote inclusive economic growth in underserved communities.
The announcement was made during an event in Lagos to mark Trade Lenda’s four-year anniversary of operations in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem. Co-founder and CEO, Adeshina Adewumi, stated that the capital injection will be targeted at supporting women-led small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria, with a focus on those excluded from formal credit channels.
“This $10 million initiative reinforces our founding mission — to democratise access to finance for underserved businesses,” Adewumi said. “Women-led cooperatives, rural traders, and informal entrepreneurs are central to our strategy, and we are scaling support to enable their businesses to thrive.”
Since its inception, Trade Lenda has positioned itself as a technology-first platform addressing structural financing challenges facing SMEs.
The platform leverages proprietary credit assessment tools to extend short-term loans and working capital to entrepreneurs often neglected by conventional financial institutions.
According to Adewumi, the company has disbursed credit to thousands of traders across Nigeria, many of whom are women operating in low-income urban and rural areas.
“We have empowered businesses ranging from provision store owners to young agripreneurs, helping them increase productivity and scale operations,” he added.
The CEO also confirmed the company’s strategic intent to evolve into a full-fledged financial institution, building on its strong performance in the alternative finance space. “We are not just a lender; we are becoming an activist for shared economic prosperity,” Adewumi said.
Beyond financing, Trade Lenda has invested in complementary initiatives such as financial literacy training, trust-building in excluded communities, and partnerships with grassroots cooperatives and development financial institutions.
Adewumi called for stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders to build an ecosystem that ensures inclusive capital deployment.
“We urge government stakeholders to prioritise affordability and access in policy development. Intentional capital is required to finance the future of inclusion,” he said.
The organisation’s impact over the last four years has attracted commendation from industry stakeholders. During a panel session at the event, several female founders highlighted the structural challenges women face in accessing credit, calling Trade Lenda’s model a critical intervention.
“It hasn’t been easy accessing funds, especially as a woman entrepreneur in Nigeria,” said Adeyinka Tekena, founder of Happy Coffee Nigeria. “Trade Lenda is creating opportunity, not just funding. It’s building networks, trust, and visibility for women in business.”
In response to questions on future expansion, Adewumi noted that the company is exploring regional growth across West Africa, while maintaining a strong focus on Nigeria as its primary market.
He added that the company would continue to deploy technology to address information asymmetry in credit scoring and improve lending outcomes.
Trade Lenda’s latest funding commitment is expected to benefit a significant number of female entrepreneurs over the next 18 months, aligning with Nigeria’s financial inclusion targets and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s financial services strategy.
The move positions Trade Lenda as one of the leading private sector players driving inclusion in Nigeria’s digital finance landscape with a growing reputation for innovation, gender equity, and impact-led growth.
