Pathways to Scale: Expanding Opportunities for Young Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Communities Across East and West Africa

In northern Ghana, a young woman runs a small shea butter business with a single grinder. She has the ambition to grow, hire others, and reach new markets. But, like many entrepreneurs in rural areas across Africa, she faces barriers that are hard to see and even harder to overcome: no access to finance, limited market connections, and business support that does not reflect her reality. Her dreams stall—not for lack of talent, but for lack of opportunity.  

Across Africa’s rural villages and towns, young women—including refugees,  displaced women, and women living with disabilities—are the backbone of local economies. They are the farmers, the processors, and small business owners driving growth where it matters most. When women thrive, entire communities benefit: women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families, strengthening health, education, and long-term resilience. This is the opportunity Pathways to Scale (P2S) is designed to unlock.  Led by WUSC in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and supported by Seedstars, P2S is a platform creating new pathways for young women to access opportunities and grow successful businesses.

Over the next five years, P2S is set out to support 13,000 women-led enterprises and unlock 108,000 dignified work opportunities in Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. By investing in young women entrepreneurs, the project is investing in Africa’s rapidly growing and inclusive economic future. 

How P2S Works to Create Lasting Impact

Supporting young women entrepreneurs requires more than isolated interventions. It means building an ecosystem that works around their lives. P2S takes a holistic approach, tackling three interconnected challenges at the same time:

• Access to finance that understands women’s realities: P2S provides concessional loans and incentives designed to meet the needs of young women entrepreneurs , enabling them to scale their businesses, invest with confidence, and create jobs in their communities. 
• Mentorship that matters: Through local Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) women entrepreneurs receive mentorship, training, and market access support that is youth-friendly, disability-inclusive, and responsive to the challenges faced by refugees and displaced populations.
• Stronger, more inclusive ecosystems: P2S invests directly in ESOs themselves. By strengthening up to 50 organizations with gender, youth, and disability lenses, ensuring that long-term, locally rooted support systems remain in place well beyond the life of the project.

From Stronger ESOs to Stronger Women-Led Businesses

The impact of the Enhancement Program extends far beyond the participating organizations. With better-equipped ESOs, young rural women entrepreneurs now have access to:

• Tailored mentorship and practical business tools to innovate and scale sustainably;
• Improved access to financial services to expand operations and create dignified employment; and
• Gender-sensitive guidance and safeguarding that addresses restrictive social norms, limited networks, and systemic barriers;

These improvements translate directly into more resilient businesses and stronger local economies.

Group picture at the ESO Enhancement Program in Lagos, Nigeria.

Impact of the Nigeria ESO Enhancement Program

The Nigeria ESO Enhancement Program marked a critical step forward for P2S, generating outcomes that strengthen the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem:

• Stronger ESO capacity for inclusive impact: Leaders from 21 ESOs gained tools and strategies to deliver gender-responsive, youth and disability-inclusive support aligned with real-life challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
• Empowered women through better support systems: With strengthened ESOs, young women entrepreneurs are better positioned to scale their enterprises, expand networks, and create dignified work for themselves and others.
• Recognized ESOs as catalysts for change: The program reinforced ESOs’ role as essential intermediaries connecting entrepreneurs with finance, markets, and skills.
• Aligned ecosystem priorities: Participating organizations left with a shared understanding of how to address systemic barriers—ensuring more coordinated and consistent support across Nigeria and the broader P2S ecosystem.

Their Vision, Our Commitment

Silvya Kananu, Project Director of Pathways to Scale at WUSC.

“Pathways to Scale is about unlocking and showcasing the potential of young rural women entrepreneurs to meaningfully contribute to positive change in their communities,” said Silvya Kananu, Project Director of Pathways to Scale at WUSC. “By walking side by side with these young women, equipping them with the right tools, finance, and gender-sensitive technical support, they can grow resilient businesses that create meaningful work for thousands of young women like themselves.”

Reflecting on the program, Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, Head of Alumni Engagement & Support Services at the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, shared:“ The ESO Enhancement Program was highly insightful, offering practical tools and shared experiences that will strengthen our support for young rural women entrepreneurs.”

Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, Head, Alumni Engagement & Support Services at Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.

Join Us on the Journey

Pathways to Scale is more than a project—it’s a commitment to reimagining the future of work for young women, youth, persons with disabilities, and displaced populations across Africa. By investing in ecosystems that support women entrepreneurs, we are investing in inclusive, sustainable economic transformation for all.

The young woman in northern Ghana—and thousands like her—already has the vision. Together, we can ensure she has the opportunity to scale it.