By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Nigeria’s finance sector boasts of the highest number of women in leadership positions, this achievement is a testament to the strides women have made and continue to make in breaking barriers and defining new possibilities, said Founder of Leading Ladies Africa, Francesca Uriri.

Uriri spoke in her welcome address at the Women in Finance Breakfast Forum organized by Leading Ladies Africa with the theme: “Women Economic Power: Dismantling Gender Norms and Stereotypes” held in Lagos.

She said that women would chart a path that strengthens gender-inclusive leadership across all sectors by working together.

She explained that Leading Ladies Africa is a women-focused nonprofit and media organization with a mission to advance gender-inclusive leadership, equity, and socioeconomic justice for African women and girls through programs, corporate events, advocacy, and communications campaigns.

Her words: “According to research from Women’s World Banking and the IMF, Nigeria’s finance sector boasts the highest number of women in leadership positions. This achievement is a testament to the strides women have made and continue to make in breaking barriers and defining new possibilities.

“We see that there is a large number of women doing excellent things within the finance sector.

Speaking that the panel sessions, Managing Director/Chief Executive of Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF), Uche Uzoebo; Chief Customer Experience Officer of Interswitch, Oremeyi Akah; and Advocacy Lead of Enhancing Financial Inclusion & Advancement (EFInA) Nigeria Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo, said women economic power is important in the pursuit to realizing financial independence, even as they advise women to be conscious of their talent and be confident.

“Women are capable of great competence when given the right encouragement and stimulation. Get them to a level where they are educated as much as can be encouraged. Encourage the ones that want to read and want to go to school.

We need to encourage mentorship. We need to start sponsoring women. Sponsoring, not discarding, that woman or that little girl, even in small ways. We must intentionally think of our fellow women when spaces open up,” she said.