100 Women in Finance, a global gender equity organisation, has launched its presence in Nigeria, with the aim of empowering Nigerian women and others across the African continent, to prosper in business, take up leadership roles and investment opportunities.
The launch of the organisation in Nigeria kicked off with the coming together of women at a cocktail reception held in Lagos on Tuesday to honour Amanda Pullinger, the global chief executive officer of the 100 Women in Finance.
The reception was organised by the members of the Nigeria Working Group of the 100 Women in Finance including Tariye Gbadegesin of ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Corporation; Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes of Aruwa Capital Management; Taiwo Okwor of Africa Finance Corporation and Nieros Oyegun Soerensen of Verod Capital.
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, founder, and managing partner of Aruwa Capital Management, who spoke on behalf of the Nigeria women working group of 100 Women in Finance, said the idea is to bring women of like minds together to network and close the gender gap across all levels of the finance industry in order to ensure retention and promotion.
According to her, organisations like 100 Women in Finance which is a global bring together women in all finance roles including private equity, investment banking, or corporates, to network and learn from one another.
“We are opening the Chapter of 100 Women in Finance in Nigeria. The organisation has received a grant from Dambisa Moyo to open some locations across Africa including Kenya and South Africa. We are here today to officially launch the Nigeria chapter and I am here as part of the working group that is leading the effort to make sure Nigeria is successfully opened,” she explained.
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Rhodes further said that Nigeria has a very strong network of women in finance already, even as she said that there are nine female bankers CEOs, which is why the chapter wants to continue to ensure that women are empowered to progress in the financial sector.
“Sometimes there are a lot of women at the bottom level but no woman at the top level. But with a peer network like 100 Women in Finance, women can lean on it to progress in their careers,” she said.
Earlier, Amanda Pullinger, the chief executive officer of 100 Women in Finance, commended the leadership role Nigerian women are playing in the financial institution in the country.
She noted that the percentage of Nigerian women in the sector is higher than that of the UK and the US.
“What is amazing to me is the number of senior women in high-level roles in the finance industry both in banks and other financial institutions. The number of women who are chairing boards in the sector is far higher than in the UK and the US and the rest of the world. What the 100 Women can bring to Africa and into the three locations we are exploring is actually if for the outside world to know what is going on here by giving women in Nigeria the platform to network,” she explained.
The gathering of 100 women in Finance which was the first of its kind in Nigeria afforded women in the financial industry the avenue to network, share ideas on the opportunities to harness the potential of women in the corporate world.
The highlight of the networking cocktail was a panel discussion that had Elizabeth Uwaifo, partner ASAFO & Co; Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, board member, Stanbic IBTC; and Olaitan Martins, group executive, Corporate Banking, First Bank Nigeria. It enabled them to share their experiences and how they scale the hurdles to remain at the top levels despite being a woman.
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