The African Women in Banking and Finance Association has held the maiden edition of its conference in Lagos, with several female key players from various institutions across the sector in attendance to advocate for increased female representation in leadership.
The founder of the AWBFA conference, Wassila Amor, supported by the co-founder of Woman Banker Magazine, Dina Amor, described the event as a continental platform designed to bring together women shaping Africa’s financial future.
With a mandate to expand across various African countries and see more women in leadership roles across the banking and finance sector, they viewed the conference as a convergence of leadership, influence, and opportunity.
Speaking on women in leadership, the Director of the Strategy, Management, and Innovation Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Monsurat Vincent, enumerated how the apex bank embraces female leadership in the financial sector while enhancing mentorship and implementing new ideas.
“We collaborate more and see how operators’ issues are being addressed. There is enough room for more women to be in roles of leadership in the sector,” she stated.
In his goodwill message, the President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Pius Olanrewaju, remarked that women have continued to shape and redefine excellence in finance across all continents and cultures, driving economic growth within institutions.
“The contribution of women is not just normal but essential,” he said.
Olanrewaju, who was represented by the second Vice President of the institute, Dr Mojisola Asieru-Sweet, advised women never to underestimate the power of their voices, urging them to leverage partnerships and platforms like the AWBFA to collaborate and sustain a financial system that is more impactful for humanity.
Speaking on the attributes expected from women aspiring to leadership roles in the sector, the Chairperson of the Association of Professional Women Bankers and an awardee at the conference, Rafiat Onitiri, identified collaboration and creativity as the core drivers making the association stand out.
While stressing self-discovery, mentoring, and continuous training as critical criteria, Onitiri pointed out that her association had collaborated with the Nigerian Exchange Group to train emerging board members, enforcing capacity-building structures available across three cadres.
Meanwhile, the first panel session, moderated by Tolu Ajibola, focused on ‘Leadership and Representation Breaking Barriers: Women’s Representation and Leadership in Africa’s Banking Sector’.
The panellists, who included Onitiri and the Deputy Manager of Institutional Banking at The Alternative Bank, Felicia Tamuno, agreed that statistics indicated Nigeria was performing relatively well regarding the number of women in leadership.
However, Tamuno stressed the need for women at the helm to guide and mentor emerging professionals to rise. She highlighted the significance of professional networks and called for increased sensitisation regarding banking policies to pave a clear path and drive accessibility for others.
In her welcome address, the Project Director of the conference, Schola Andem, established that the initiative was positioned as a continuous movement built on the belief that Africa’s financial future cannot be fully actualised without the active participation of women.
According to Andem, the platform aims to expand access to capital for women-led enterprises among many other strategic objectives.
The conference concluded with the presentation of awards across 20 categories. Notable awardees included the Manager of Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, Aniekan Essienette, and the Managing Director of the Financial Inclusion Centre, Rafiat Onitiri, among others.
