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Wema Bank, renowned for its innovation and as Africa’s first fully digital bank through ALAT, marked International Women’s Day 2025 with a grand event at its Head Office in Lagos on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The celebration brought together iconic women from diverse industries to discuss the theme, “Harnessing Innovation & Technology to Accelerate Financial Inclusion for Women”, inspired by the global IWD 2025 theme, “Accelerate Action.”
The event emphasized the importance of innovative strategies in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable empowerment for women. Key moments included the graduation ceremony of the Big Sister Programme Cohort 2 under the Wema Women Network, captivating musical and poetry performances, and the HeForShe 2025 Awards. The awards recognized outstanding male employees who have made significant contributions to advancing women empowerment, encouraging more men to support gender equality initiatives.
A thought-provoking panel session followed, moderated by media personality Olive Emodi. The panel featured Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre at Pan-Atlantic University; Solape Akinpelu, CEO of Harvest; and Tochi Ginigeme, Lead Deal Matchmaking at Impact Investors Foundation. The panelists shared insights on overcoming obstacles and leveraging innovation to empower women.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mrs. Oluwayemisi Olorunshola, Chairman of Wema Bank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As Wema Bank’s first female chairman, she emphasized the need for decisive action to achieve the fifth SDG, “Gender Equality.”
Mr. Moruf Oseni, MD/CEO of Wema Bank, highlighted the bank’s long-standing dedication to empowering women. He noted that since the launch of the women-focused initiative SARA by Wema in 2019, the bank has significantly impacted women’s financial inclusion. This includes banking over 400,000 unbanked women, disbursing over ₦75 billion in low-interest loans, awarding over $20,000 in grants, creating more than 900 jobs, and generating over $4 million in sales through market access for 3,000 women.
Reflecting on the bank’s 80-year journey since its inception in 1945, Mr. Oseni expressed pride in Wema Bank’s consistent commitment to inclusion and empowerment, emphasizing that “Accelerating Action” is more than a slogan — it is an ongoing commitment.
As Wema Bank approaches its 80th anniversary on May 2, 2025, the institution continues to set the standard for gender inclusion and financial empowerment, reaffirming its legacy as Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank and a trailblazer in the African banking sector.
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