Ecobank Launches Leadership Training Programme to Support Women-Owned Businesses Across Africa

Ecobank has launched its Ellevate Leadership Training Programme in partnership with the Global Business School Network (GBSN). The Ellevate Leadership Training Programme forms part of ‘Ellevate Equip’, the brand name for all capability and training support initiatives for Ellevate by Ecobank, the bank’s gender financing programme. 

This Leadership Training programme is being delivered to an initial cohort of 40 top tier Ellevate customers from 10 African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Ecobank, said: “Ecobank launched Ellevate to serve and nurture the success of women-owned and women-led businesses by providing them with a comprehensive suite of financial and non-financial solutions. It aims to help them reach their full potential and increase their commercial and economic impact. ‘Ellevate Equip’ is a natural extension of these aims and has been designed by the Ecobank Academy to empower African women leaders by providing them with the right tools and skill sets to lead themselves, their businesses and support their communities effectively.”

This is a unique training programme designed and delivered by the Ecobank Academy in partnership with the Global Business School Network and supported by its members, School of Business, INSEAD Africa Initiative and INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute (EMI), Lagos Business School, MIT Sloan Global Programs, Stanford Seed, and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

Speaking at the launch, Dan LeClair, Chief Executive Officer, Global Business School Network said: “The Global Business School Network is excited to partner with Ecobank Academy in alignment with our mission to improve access to quality, locally-relevant management, and entrepreneurship education for the developing world. We are especially excited – through our diverse membership – to bring so many world-leading academics together to present this Leadership program. As a network, we see this as a mutual learning experience where we encourage the cohort to take full advantage of the teaching expertise, but also confident that the faculty will look to absorb just as much about the local contexts within which these women leaders operate.”

The selected business leaders will learn how to:

• Identify and work on key leadership challenges.
• Master leadership perspectives – reframe challenges with a growth mindset  
• Think strategically to advance individual and corporate objectives
• Build resilience – effectively manage stress, uncertainty, and setbacks.
• Leverage on action learning to identify new business opportunities and improve other areas for business growth.
• Gain a complete view of themselves as leaders.
• Effectively lead high-performance teams.

Graduating participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Ecobank Group and GBSN.

Ellevate by Ecobank is a multi-award-winning solution designed for businesses owned by women, managed by women, businesses with a high percentage of female board members or employees, and companies that manufacture products for women. Ellevate customers benefit from smarter cash management solutions, favorable lending rates, and value-added services such as leadership training and networking opportunities designed to bridge the financing gap and scale their businesses.