Access Bank which recently acquired NBK has launched the “W” Initiative, a proposition aimed at giving women-backed businesses access to more funding opportunities.
The W suite offers tailored banking solutions, including W Cards, W Insurance, and W Loans/Trade facilities, supported by strategic partnerships that derisk women-owned SMEs. It also provides extensive non-financial support, including capacity-building, exposure trips, market linkages, and networking opportunities, all delivered with personalized customer experience.
The initiative is backed by Access Bank’s Africa-wide footprint, the W Initiative is aimed to unlock opportunities, deepen financial inclusion, and accelerate the success of women entrepreneurs across the country. Already, the W Initiative has disbursed $141 million to women across the Access Bank PLC network.
The W Initiative in Kenya unifies NBK’s current women-focused programmes – NIA (conventional banking) and Almasi Lady (Shariah-compliant solution), into a single, inclusive ecosystem. This ambitious partnership reflects Access Bank’s commitment to advancing gender-lens financing, promoting equitable economic transformation, and expanding the role of women-led businesses in Kenya’s growth story.
National Bank of Kenya and Access Bank Kenya Board Chair, Barbara Barungi, noted that the initiative aligns with the Bank ’s broader agenda of fostering inclusive prosperity and enabling women to build sustainable enterprises. “The W Initiative is not just another product-it is a comprehensive ecosystem intentionally built around the realities, ambitions, and economic potential of Kenyan women. When women rise, communities rise, and tonight marks the beginning of many powerful stories yet to be written.”
National Bank of Kenya Managing Director George Odhiambo reiterated the Bank’s long-standing support for SMEs and highlighted the importance of targeted investments in women-led businesses. “Women entrepreneurs are a vital force within Kenya’s economy. By jointly deploying this proposition, we are signaling our commitment to dismantling barriers and equipping women with tools that translate ambition into measurable growth,” he said.
Despite the remarkable growth of women-led enterprises across Africa, studies show that deep structural gaps persist in the financing landscape. In Kenya, these disparities are even more pronounced: only about 7 per cent of women-owned MSMEs can access formal credit, and women-led businesses receive just 36 per cent of total MSME lending, despite women driving a significant share of the entrepreneurial sector.
These numbers point to an urgent need for solutions that go beyond lending and address broader ecosystem barriers that hold women back. The W Initiative is designed to do precisely that. By bringing together accessible financing, practical business support, mentorship, and community networks, the programme offers Kenyan women a comprehensive platform to grow, compete, and thrive.
Its rollout in Kenya builds on Access Bank’s proven model across Africa, delivering a holistic ecosystem tailored to the realities and ambitions of women at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.