TAFTA trains women creatives through a three-day bootcamp with Mastercard Foundation to equip female artists with entrepreneurial skills

The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, has successfully concluded its three-day Women Entrepreneurs Development Program (WEDP) Bootcamp an initiative aimed at empowering female creatives to transform their artistic talents into thriving enterprises.

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Held from October 27 to 29, 2025, the hybrid program brought together women aged 18 to 35 for a robust learning experience that blended virtual masterclasses on entrepreneurship with a physical pitch event at Terra Kulture in Lagos.

The bootcamp focused on key areas such as business formalisation, financial literacy, digital strategy, market access, and investor readiness equipping participants with the skills to build sustainable businesses in Nigeria’s creative economy.

Founder of TAFTA, Bolanle Austen-Peters, reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to empowering women creatives:

“At TAFTA, we believe that talent without opportunity is potential unfulfilled. This bootcamp reflects our commitment to ensuring that women we train not only become skilled artists but confident entrepreneurs capable of building, growing, and scaling businesses that transform their communities.”

The first two days of the program featured virtual sessions led by industry experts including David Agboto, Chinedu Isagbah, Faith Desmond, Adefunke Smith, Favour Ofem, and Uloma Nkemakolam. Participants learned how to formalize their ventures, manage finances, and create compelling digital marketing strategies.

The final day’s in-person showcase at Terra Kulture featured live pitch presentations before a panel of mentors, investors, and industry stakeholders.

Facilitators such as Juliet Ibhadiyi and Bayo Babatunde led discussions on funding access, partnership development, and storytelling for investment.

Joseph Umoibom, Academy Lead at TAFTA, noted that WEDP was helping to break gender barriers in the creative economy:

“The creative economy is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, yet women remain underrepresented in leadership and ownership roles.

Through WEDP, we are building an ecosystem where women can access funding, forge partnerships, and lead innovation in the industry.”

Participants left the bootcamp with actionable business plans, pitch decks, and ongoing mentorship support, along with connections to women-focused funding channels and creative industry investors.

The initiative underscores TAFTA’s mission to democratize access to creative education and promote gender equity in Nigeria’s arts and culture sector.

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For more information about TAFTA’s Women Entrepreneurs Development Program and upcoming initiatives, visit www.terraacademyforarts.com or follow @tafta_academy on social media.