Hadijah Nankanja is a women’s economic empowerment leader and entrepreneur, and the Founder of Community Women Enterprise Network Uganda Limited (CWEN)—a business resource platform supporting women entrepreneurs across sectors, with a strong footprint in food, innovation, and trade. Through CWEN, Hadijah provides business intelligence, technical support, and market access solutions that enable women-led enterprises to scale sustainably, grow revenues, and compete in local and regional markets.

Guided by a strong belief in strengthening the capacity of high-potential, low-income entrepreneurs, Hadijah focuses on transforming informal and early-stage businesses into market-ready enterprises, increasing productivity and visibility. Over the past decade, she has worked extensively on development initiatives that bridge entrepreneurship, gender inclusion, and market systems.

Under her leadership, CWEN has reached over 2,832 women entrepreneurs across Uganda, facilitated the market entry of 264 products through its flagship Women on the Shelf programme, and contributed to the creation of 492 jobs, significantly advancing women’s livelihoods and economic resilience. In 2019, Hadijah initiated #CWENMeets, a series of curated networking events that foster collaboration and business partnerships among women entrepreneurs. As of 2024, the initiative has hosted 10 events, generating over UGX 60 million in sales.

Expanding the narrative on women-led innovation, Hadijah spearheaded the launch of Uganda’s first online magazine spotlighting Women in Food, Innovation, and Technology, amplifying women’s contributions and driving visibility for emerging enterprises.

Beyond CWEN, Hadijah serves as a volunteer board member at Trade and Impact for Women-led Enterprises and as Board Secretary of Tusome Children’s Resource Centre. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from Makerere University Business School, is a co-owner of several ventures, including Nakoha Natural Products Limited, Books & More, and Interest for Change, and is a Rotarian of RC Kampala Naalya, Uganda.

Through her leadership, Hadijah continues to build inclusive, market-driven ecosystems where women entrepreneurs, particularly in food and agribusiness, can thrive and lead Africa’s economic transformation.