By Grace Alegba
Zenith Bank Plc has urged women to seize opportunities and take on leadership roles to accelerate economic and social progress.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the bank, Dr Adaora Umeoji, made the call in Lagos during its 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) Seminar with the theme, “Take It, You Own It”.
Umeoji said the annual event provided a platform for reflection and renewed commitment to gender equity, stressing that meaningful progress required deliberate action.
“Progress does not happen by accident. It happens when people choose action over intentions and outcomes over applause,” she said.
Umeoji noted also that the 2026 global IWD theme “Give to Gain” highlighted the importance of investing in women through mentorship, resources and opportunities.
According to her, empowering women yields far-reaching benefits for families, communities and national economies.
Citing the World Economic Forum’s 2025 report, she said only 68.8 per cent of the global gender gap had been closed and it could take about 123 years to achieve full parity.
She added that Nigeria had closed about 64.9 per cent of its gender gap, with a 19.3 per cent disparity in labour force participation between men and women.
Umeoji said studies by the World Bank and McKinsey Global Institute indicated that closing gender gaps in employment and entrepreneurship could significantly boost global and national economies.
She noted that Nigerian women were already contributing significantly to economic growth, particularly through entrepreneurship, with over 23 million women operating micro-enterprises nationwide.
The GMD said the bank remained committed to promoting gender inclusion, noting that women accounted for about 52 per cent of its workforce.
She added that the bank supported female entrepreneurs through initiatives such as the Z-Women platform, the Small and Medium Enterprises Grow My Business Programme and capacity-building learning series.
Umeoji encouraged women to continue building capacity, supporting one another and boldly claiming leadership opportunities.
“You do not need to beg for a seat at the table — carry a folding chair. When opportunity comes, take it, own it and run with it,” she said.
The bank chief stressed that empowering women remained critical to achieving inclusive and sustainable national development.
The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, commended Zenith Bank for organising the IWD seminar and for creating platforms that celebrated and empowered women.
Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mrs Salamatu Gbajabiamila, also commended Umeoji for her leadership and commitment to advancing women’s empowerment.
She said IWD provided an important opportunity to reflect on progress made in advancing gender equality.
She also recognised that more work was needed to ensure women could fully contribute to economic growth and national development.
According to her, the seminar theme, “Take It, You Own It,” is a strong call for women to demonstrate courage, accountability and intentional leadership.
This, she said, would require women to step forward to influence decisions and shape outcomes in their various sectors.
The first lady added that supporting women through financial inclusion, mentorship and leadership opportunities would help them realise their full potential.
She urged women to organise, support one another and build the confidence needed to participate actively in leadership and decision-making spaces.
Also speaking, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said empowering women through opportunities, mentorship and leadership support was essential for building stronger families.
She added that such support was also essential for growing economies and creating inclusive societies.
‘’I urge institutions, governments and individuals to deliberately create pathways that will enable women and girls to thrive and contribute to national development.
‘’I also encourage women to support and uplift one another, while confidently taking their rightful place in leadership and decision-making spaces, ‘’ Sanwo-Olu said.
Delivering a keynote address, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stressed the need for women to work harder and intentionally support one another.
She urged empowered women to mentor others, sharing her experiences as a broadcaster and head of NiDCOM, where she had supported and rehabilitated distressed women and girls.
Dabiri-Erewa also commended the first lady for her efforts in empowering women across the country.
She urged professional women to participate actively in politics in order to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.
The panel session tagged “Legacy Builders’’ highlighted strategies women could adopt to break barriers and build lasting impact in leadership and society. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Esenvosa Izah/Olawunmi Ashafa
