By Juliet Umeh

In a renewed effort to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria’s financial technology sector, digital payment platform, PalmPay, has reinforced its commitment to women empowerment with the expansion of its Purple Woman initiative.

The programme, now in its third year, is designed to nurture, mentor and equip young women with the skills needed to take up leadership roles in the fast-growing fintech industry.

Through the initiative, the fintech firm invited young women from across Nigeria to register and compete for a six-month internship designed to provide practical, on-the-job experience in departments including marketing, HR, admin, product, sales, and business intelligence. After the training, 10 outstanding women won internship opportunity in the company, joining a growing network of female professionals who have completed the programme.

CEO of PalmPay, Mr. Chika Nwosu, said: “We noticed that there are not so many women in fintech, and we intend to bridge that gap. Our goal is to see more women in leadership positions in this sector. As I said in my opening speech, money in the hand of a man feeds a family, but money in the hand of a woman feeds a generation. By empowering women, we can create a stronger, more prosperous society,” she said.
Nwosu shared her vision for the future of Purple Woman: “We want to be part of an ecosystem that ensures Nigerian women succeed across industries, not just fintech. These young women are the future of this country, and we are committed to helping them reach their full potential.”

The Purple Woman 3.0 initiative exemplifies PalmPay’s commitment to gender equality, empowerment, and creating opportunities that transform lives, not just for women, but for communities and society at large.

Head of Human Resource at the company, Mr. Anthony Iweala, elaborated on the rigorous selection and mentorship process. “From Purple Woman 1.0 to 3.0, we believe in equity, equality, and following the right process. Candidates go through classes, complete tests, and are ranked; only the top 10 are selected.

These women are then assigned to departments with mentors who guide them through six months of on-the-job training. After the internship, we evaluate their performance. Our aim is not just to train, but to employ them. For instance, all 10 women trained through Purple Woman 2.0 were offered full-time roles at PalmPay, and they are still thriving with us today,” he said.

Guest speakers at the event also highlighted the importance of self-awareness, confidence, and breaking barriers in male-dominated industries.

Director of Enterprise Development Centre at Pan-Atlantic University, Dr. Nneka Okekearu, noted, “Many women are held back by unconscious biases instilled from a young age. Our session focused on building confidence and understanding self-worth so these women can thrive and lead. The world needs women to take active roles in shaping products and services that affect them.”
CEO of Hydrogen Payment Services Company Limited, Kemi Okusanya, urged women to embrace opportunities in tech, saying, “There is nothing stopping us from becoming global leaders. The world needs our perspectives. We can’t keep having men develop products for women. Women need to take charge and innovate from their own experiences.”