Industry leaders and policymakers in Nigeria’s financial sector have called for a shift from equality to equity, advocating a 40 per cent benchmark for women in leadership roles as part of efforts to strengthen workforce inclusion and global competitiveness in banking.
The call emerged as a key outcome of the 2026 Annual Women’s Marquee Event organised by the Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB), where stakeholders examined structural barriers limiting women’s advancement in the financial services workforce.
Speaking at the event, themed ‘Redefining Power: Women Shaping the Future of Finance’, APWB Chairperson, Ms. Rafiat Onitiri, described the gathering as a turning point for workplace inclusion, noting that leadership in finance is increasingly shaped by technology, trust, and value-driven systems.
She said the industry must move beyond representation metrics to focus on fairness and access, adding that women currently occupy between 38 and 40 per cent of leadership roles in banking.
“Women are redefining power across industries, not just in finance. Mentorship, executive coaching, and increased board participation are critical to amplifying women’s voices in decision-making spaces,” she said.
For employers and HR leaders, the discussions reinforced the growing importance of structured talent development systems, particularly mentorship pipelines and leadership training, in closing gender gaps within organisations.
Delivering the keynote address, the Managing Director of GTBank, Mrs. Miriam Olusanya, emphasised that women must be positioned as central drivers of workforce growth and inclusion.
“Women must be seen not just as participants but as agents of inclusion and engines of scale,” she said, linking gender inclusion directly to business performance and sector-wide innovation.
The conversation also highlighted the role of organisational design in shaping workforce outcomes. Ms. Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, Executive Director at the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc, stressed that gender inclusion must be embedded into systems such as recruitment, onboarding, and product development.
“Inclusion must be embedded into infrastructure and product development, not treated as an afterthought,” she said.
The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, framed gender equity as both a workforce and economic priority, noting that stronger representation of women in leadership is essential for building resilient institutions.
“Women’s empowerment is a strategic imperative for building a resilient and globally competitive financial system,” he said, calling for measurable outcomes such as increased leadership representation and structured mentorship pathways.
The renewed push for a 40 per cent benchmark signals a shift from regulatory compliance to competitive advantage. In 2012, the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles, which set a minimum target of 30 per cent female representation in senior roles.
By raising the bar, stakeholders said the focus is now on building inclusive talent pipelines, strengthening leadership diversity, and ensuring that women are not only present in the workforce but are actively shaping decision-making at the highest levels.
The discussions also underscored broader workforce challenges, including persistent gender gaps in financial inclusion and access to economic opportunities, which continue to affect women’s participation and career progression in the banking sector.
Stakeholders agreed that advancing women in leadership is no longer a social aspiration but a business imperative that will shape the future of work in Nigeria’s financial industry.
