Mary Olushoga, the founder of Africa Women Pioneers (AWP), emphasized the crucial role of collaboration and partnership in achieving success during an interview with journalists on Thursday. Olushoga made these remarks after presenting at the EcoAction 2025 Summit held in Asaba, Delta State Capital. She emphasized that true success in any field cannot be fully realized without working together with others, whether individuals or organizations.
The EcoAction 2025 Summit, organized by Olushoga in collaboration with Shimite Love, aimed to provide training for entrepreneurs in Delta State. Olushoga stressed the importance of collaboration for Nigeria’s growth, noting that for the country to achieve the development it deserves, there must be stronger partnerships across various sectors.
Olushoga further noted that this event, which brought together entrepreneurs from across Delta State for a two-day training on business growth and skill development, was just one of many initiatives. She revealed that after Delta State, her team would continue the journey, visiting other states like Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Adamawa, and more, before reaching major cities like Lagos and Abuja.
Olushoga expressed her disagreement with the practice of focusing empowerment efforts solely on the two major cities of Lagos and Abuja. She believes that empowering entrepreneurs outside these urban centers is essential for sustainable development in the country.
“A lot of people empowering the informal sector stay only in Lagos and Abuja. We need to look for ways to solve the problems of entrepreneurs beyond these two cities and bring them together to create real empowerment,” she said.
While her initiatives are inclusive of men, women, and youth, Olushoga highlighted that her primary focus is on empowering women. She explained that the goal of her work is to support women in growing their businesses, becoming self-sustaining, and supporting their families.
Olushoga, a multi-award-winning community and economic development professional, has built a career around creating business opportunities for African women and youth entrepreneurs. In 2020, she launched the AWP Network Vendor Program to increase the number of women vendors who can supply large retailers across Africa. Through her efforts, she has established partnerships with major retailers such as ShopRite Nigeria, Jara Stores, Miniso Nigeria, and Next Cash n Carry, among others.
In 2012, Olushoga founded the AWP Network (awpnetwork.com) to foster small business success for African entrepreneurs. The AWP Network shares the stories of African entrepreneurs, organizes events, webinars, and training clinics, and creates opportunities for network members to connect with business experts in various fields, including marketing, technology, and HR.
Olushoga’s commitment to empowerment also extends to women in agriculture, as seen in her strategic partnership with the Planet Earth Institute to offer agribusiness training to women farmers. Additionally, she launched the DREAM Initiative with Covenant University to help secondary school students in Lagos develop business plans. These programs support the economic development and sustainability of African women and girls.
As an experienced professional, Olushoga has held roles such as Assistant Vice President and Senior Business Advisor at Pursuit Lending in New York, where she managed the J.P. Morgan Chase Entrepreneur of Color fund. She also served as Senior Business Advisor at Columbia University’s School of Business and has worked with the United States Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency.
Over the years, Olushoga has become a well-recognized voice for entrepreneurship, having presented her work at prestigious institutions such as the UK House of Lords, Harvard University, Duke University, and Yale University, among others. She has been featured in prominent outlets like BBC World News, Black Enterprise, and The Guardian Nigeria. Olushoga is also a writer for platforms such as GE Ideas Lab and The Huffington Post.
Through the AWP Network, Olushoga continues to be a champion for African women, advocating for their role in shaping the future of business and technology on the continent.
