12/06/2026
Honoured and thrilled to announce that Kwari E-Market has been selected for the 2026 Ignite Stage of the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship (JLMCF) on Entrepreneurship! πOut of thousands of applicants across Nigeria, we are incredibly grateful to be among the 126 student ventures chosen to advance to this intensive phase. Leading this charge is our Founder and CEO, Kassim Muhammad Atiku PMICDFA, who will be representing the venture as a Fellow throughout this rigorous acceleration process. The Vision for Kwari E-Market: Kantin Kwari Market in Kano is the beating heart of the West African textile trade, but traditional physical commerce faces growing hurdles like congestion, logistics bottlenecks, and transit insecurity for regional buyers. Kwari E-Market is changing the narrative. We are digitising this historic hub to seamlessly connect textile traders directly with boutique owners, fashion designers, and bulk buyers across Africa, making trade safer, faster, and borderless. Over the next 6 weeks (JuneβJuly), Kassim will be working through Steps 12-24 of the rigorous Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework alongside top global mentors from the Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC).
A massive thank you to the JLMCF Nigeria Cohort Team [ / ] for this incredible opportunity and recognition. The hard work towards transforming textile commerce starts now! π