Bridging gender gap critical to women empowerment – Wema Bank CEO

One of Nigeria’s lenders, Wema Bank, says the need to bridge the gender gap and give the womenfolk a sense of belonging, informed its decision to create tailored products targeted at women.

“As a bank, we recognise the gender equality gap that exists globally, and we understand the need for a tailored approach to addressing this challenge. This is why we launched our women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, in 2019, and why we continue to take intentional steps towards empowering women,” Moruf Oseni, managing director, Wema Bank, said.

Oseni spoke at the Wema Bank International Women’s Day 2025 event in Lagos, where he emphasised the bank’s long-standing commitment to empowering women. “We walk the talk when it comes to women empowerment,” he stated.

The event, themed “Harnessing innovation & technology to accelerate financial inclusion for women,” brought together iconic women from diverse fields to discuss innovative approaches to promoting financial inclusion for women.

Read also: IWD: Wema Bank to strengthen women financial inclusion

Oseni noted that the bank’s women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, launched in 2019, which has enabled the lender to provide financial services to over 400,000 unbanked women, disburse N75 billion in low-interest loans, and create over 900 jobs for women.

According to him, the bank has provided market access for 3,000 women, connecting them with over 135,000 customers and generating over $4 million in sales.

“The mission of empowering lives is one that is deeply rooted in our identity as Wema Bank. From inception in 1945 to present, we have carried on the mission of empowering our people. A lot has changed in the last 8 decades but one thing that has remained constant is our commitment to inclusion, empowerment and support for women.

“We walk the talk when it comes to women empowerment and today, we are gathered here to not only celebrate the exceptional impact we have made in empowering women for eight decades, but more importantly, raising the right conversations and driving the right actions as we look ahead to a future of much greater possibilities,” Oseni noted.