Busha and Women in DeFi Partner to Expand Web3 Opportunities for African Women
African crypto company Busha has entered a strategic partnership with Women in DeFi to expand access to Web3 education, financial skills, technology tools and career opportunities for women across Africa.
The collaboration, announced under the theme “Building Tomorrow Together,” was formally unveiled around the Women in DeFi Summit 2026 in Lagos. Its first initiative provided laptop scholarships to five young women pursuing opportunities in technology, digital finance, design and related fields.
The partnership will also support educational and financial-development programmes aimed at helping more women move from learning about emerging technology to actively building careers and businesses within Africa’s digital economy.
What the partnership includes
Busha and Women in DeFi say the collaboration will combine access to technology with practical education, community support and career development.
The publicly announced initiatives include:
- laptop scholarships for women pursuing technology careers;
- the Women in DeFi Intro to Web3 programme;
- WiD Goes to School;
- a six-month savings challenge powered by Busha;
- financial-literacy education;
- Web3 and blockchain training; and
- career-development programmes.
Women in DeFi has already opened applications for the fifth cohort of its Intro to Web3 programme in partnership with Busha, indicating that the collaboration has moved beyond a general announcement and into active programme delivery.
Five women receive laptop scholarships
The partnership launched with laptops awarded to five beneficiaries during the Women in DeFi Summit in Lagos.
The scholarships are intended to address one of the most practical barriers faced by people trying to enter technology: reliable access to a computer.
A laptop can be essential for learning software development, blockchain engineering, product design, data analysis, digital marketing and other skills needed in the technology sector.
BusinessDay reported that the five beneficiaries were Hannah Kasali, Ebube Achusim, Emmanuela Adio, Peace Omosehe and Marvelous Olatuga. The laptops were intended to support their transition into technical and engineering roles within the Web3 ecosystem.
The scholarship programme existed as part of the Women in DeFi Summit before the broader partnership announcement, with Busha taking a leading role in supporting its 2026 edition.
Intro to Web3 programme
One of the partnership’s main education initiatives is the Women in DeFi Intro to Web3 programme.
The programme is designed to introduce women to blockchain technology, decentralised finance and the wider Web3 economy. It also helps participants identify possible career paths within the sector.
Women in DeFi had completed its fourth Intro to Web3 cohort by May 2026 and subsequently opened applications for Squad 5.0 with Busha’s support.
The programme could help participants understand areas such as:
- blockchain fundamentals;
- digital assets;
- decentralised finance;
- crypto wallets and security;
- community management;
- content and communications;
- compliance;
- product development; and
- technical Web3 careers.
The partnership announcement describes the programme as practical education rather than simply an awareness campaign.
WiD Goes to School
The partnership will also support WiD Goes to School, an outreach programme intended to introduce young women to opportunities in technology, blockchain, innovation and digital finance.
School outreach can help reach participants before they choose university courses or career paths.
It can also challenge the perception that blockchain and financial technology are fields designed primarily for men or experienced cryptocurrency traders.
Details such as the schools involved, number of participants and geographic scope have not yet been publicly disclosed. However, the programme is listed among the planned initiatives under the Busha partnership.
Six-month savings challenge
Busha and Women in DeFi also plan to run a six-month savings challenge using Busha’s savings product.
The initiative is intended to help participants develop stronger financial habits while gaining practical exposure to digital financial services.
This element broadens the partnership beyond blockchain education.
Participants may learn how to set savings targets, manage spending, understand financial risk and build financial discipline. These are useful skills whether or not they eventually pursue careers in cryptocurrency.
The organisations have not yet published full information on eligibility, rewards, savings targets or whether participants will receive financial incentives.
Addressing Africa’s technology gender gap
The partnership comes amid a persistent gap between the number of African women studying science and technology and the number who ultimately secure technology jobs or leadership positions.
McKinsey reported in 2025 that women account for approximately 47% of STEM graduates from African universities, the highest proportion of any global region.
However, women occupy only around 23% to 30% of technology roles in Africa. Their representation falls further at senior levels, with fewer than 12% of technology leadership positions held by women.
This suggests that the main challenge is not simply convincing women to study technical subjects.
Many women encounter obstacles when trying to convert education into employment, progress into leadership, secure mentorship or access funding for technology businesses.
Programmes such as laptop scholarships, structured training and professional communities attempt to address some of these transition points.
What has not yet been disclosed
Although the partnership includes several confirmed initiatives, some important details remain unavailable.
The organisations have not publicly provided:
- the total amount of funding committed;
- the number of women expected to participate;
- a complete implementation timetable;
- the number of schools to be reached;
- eligibility criteria for every programme;
- details of internships or job placements;
- the geographic reach outside Nigeria; or
- measurable targets for employment or business creation.
The partnership should therefore be described as an expanding skills and opportunity initiative rather than a guaranteed employment programme.
Its longer-term impact will depend on how many participants complete the programmes and whether they are able to turn the training into jobs, businesses or technical contributions.
