Rafiat Onitiri, chairman of the Association of Professional Women Bankers, has urged women in the financial sector to embrace innovation and position themselves as drivers of transformation in an evolving global economy.

Ms Onitiri made the call at the APWB Annual Women’s Marquee Event in Lagos on Thursday night with the theme ‘Redefining Power: Women Shaping the Future of Finance’. 

She said the global economy was undergoing significant disruption, driven by technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, and the rapid rise of fintechs, which are reshaping traditional banking models.

According to her, the changing landscape presents opportunities for women to turn challenges into impact and take up leadership roles in the sector.

Ms Onitiri said that APWB remained committed to building capacity, fostering networks and preparing women for leadership positions in banking and finance.

She said the event aimed to celebrate outstanding women and institutions that promote financial inclusion and women’s empowerment.

The APWB chairman called on women to move beyond conversations to action and take ownership of opportunities for growth and leadership.

The president of the Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Pius Olanrewaju, said women were key to the future of finance in Nigeria.

Mr Olanrewaju called for greater inclusion of women in leadership to drive growth in the financial sector. He said women were redefining leadership in finance through inclusivity, ethical values and long-term value creation.

He said that empowering women must translate into increased leadership representation, equal opportunities and structured mentorship. According to him, accelerating women’s inclusion is essential to building a resilient and globally competitive financial system.

The managing director of GTBank, Miriam Olusanya, who was the event chairman, explained that financial disruption in Nigeria is broader than technology, focusing on access, inclusion, and trust that reshape economic participation.

Ms Olusanya, in her keynote, highlighted women as key drivers of innovation, financial inclusion, SME growth, and human-centred finance.

She said that sustainable progress depended on strong leadership, stable institutions, and the removal of gender and access barriers so the benefits of disruption are widely shared.

Panellists at the event highlighted the urgent need to move beyond theory and address structural and unconscious biases that limit women’s access to finance, leadership, and investment opportunities.

They said that women must be positioned not just as beneficiaries but as creators and drivers of financial systems with intentional efforts to include them in decision-making and product design.

They identified four major barriers, namely awareness, accessibility, availability and affordability. The panellists said that many women remained excluded due to limited knowledge of financial products, difficulty in accessing funding, and high interest rates.

They also underscored the importance of designing financial solutions that reflect women’s real-life experiences, especially those in informal and grassroots economies and called for stronger representation of women across all levels of leadership and in critical business functions, noting that exclusion at mid- and senior levels limits advancement to top roles.

They also highlighted the role of technology and inclusive infrastructure in scaling financial inclusion while cautioning that solutions must be tailored to diverse female user needs.

The panellists encouraged female bankers to actively pursue leadership roles, speak up in decision-making spaces and build confidence backed by preparation and expertise.

The panellists were Markie Idowu, chairman of the Council, National Institute of Credit Administration; Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems Plc, among others.

(NAN)