The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank, Kayode Lawal, has described the bank’s long-standing commitment to women’s empowerment as a fundamental driver of both corporate success and social stability.
Speaking at a special seminar to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, Lawal noted that the bank’s two-decade focus on gender-centric initiatives has evolved into a core corporate culture that defines its service delivery and community engagement.
Reflecting on the event’s theme, ‘Gender Equity as a Business Imperative: The Give to Gain Advantage’, the MD emphasised that empowering women yields exponential returns for the broader economy.
“This theme speaks to a timeless truth: that the greatest progress societies make often begins with what we are willing to invest in others. When we give opportunities, we gain innovation. When we give support, we gain resilience. And when we give women the tools to thrive, we gain stronger families, stronger institutions, and stronger economies,” Lawal stated in a press release issued on Sunday.
He further highlighted the bank’s leadership in social advocacy, particularly its 20-year crusade against breast cancer, noting that such efforts are “more than corporate social responsibility; they are about protecting mothers, daughters, and sisters whose strength holds our communities together.”
Beyond advocacy, the bank has integrated women’s growth into its commercial strategy through its flagship product, Pearl, and the Women Connect Monthly Series.
The bank’s Executive Director, Abimbola Ozomah, reinforced this during her welcome address, asserting that female empowerment is a calculated business move.
“At Polaris Bank, we firmly believe that empowering women is not merely a social responsibility; it is a strategic imperative. When women rise, institutions grow stronger, perspectives become richer, and innovation flourishes. This is why gatherings such as this are not symbolic exercises for us; they are deliberate platforms designed to ignite conversations and shape future leadership,” Ozomah noted.
The seminar featured high-level insights from industry veterans, including the immediate past MD/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Tomi Somefun. She challenged women to view every professional opening as a high-stakes investment.
“The theme is ‘Give to Gain’. This means every opportunity given to you is an investment. Each role you occupy comes with an opportunity cost—there are many others who could have been in that position. The question, therefore, is: Are you making that investment worthwhile?” Somefun asked the participants.
Adding a different perspective, entrepreneurship specialist Belinda Indimachi warned against the “crisis of the ‘me’ era”, advising women to prioritise meaningful presence and contribution to secure their place in leadership.
Through these initiatives, Polaris Bank continues to position itself as a leading financial partner for female entrepreneurs, particularly within the SME sector, providing the financing and advisory services necessary for women-led businesses to scale globally.
