Zenith Bank, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, on Saturday, 28 March 2026, marked the climax of its month-long activities to commemorate March as Women’s Month with the maiden edition of the Woman of Power Award. The event, held at The Civic Centre, followed the bank’s International Women’s Day seminar at the same venue on 9 March 2026.

The ceremony honoured exceptional women who have demonstrated resilience in their communities, with vocations that have delivered sustainable impact. Speaker after speaker commended Zenith Bank for its people-centred initiatives and applauded the Ford Foundation for identifying the bank as a worthy partner in advancing support for women navigating diverse cultural and economic realities across the world.

The award, themed “Celebrating Resilience, Leadership, and Generosity”, recognised 19 women drawn from the six geo-political zones, working in trade, petty manufacturing, education, and agriculture. Despite the prevailing economic challenges in the country, these women have shown extraordinary strength, leadership, and measurable community impact.

According to the organisers, the initiative created a platform to spotlight unsung “sheroes” — everyday women making meaningful contributions in their communities and professional spheres. They include market women, small-scale business owners, community leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and others whose vital roles often go unnoticed.

The sponsors noted that each awardee demonstrated excellence across several criteria, including leadership and initiative, community impact, innovation and resourcefulness, perseverance, integrity, community trust, and philanthropy.

Among those honoured were Mrs. Regina Amankulor, a retired nurse empowering young people in the Umuode-Nsulu community, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State; Mary Matanmi, Coordinator of the Nigeria Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists, Lagos State chapter; and Ifeanyi P. Ugwueze, a Guidance Counsellor and Life Coach, who continues to thrive despite blindness and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree.

Others include Amina Musa, a trade educator based in Karonmajiji, AMAC, Abuja; Adenike A. Lambo, the Iyaloja of Ilorin; Sadiya Abubakar, an educator in Jibi (Deidei), Bwari Area Council, FCT; Erikan Idem Andrew, a market woman with significant community impact in Port Harcourt; Ngozi B. Nwankpa, an Aba-based fashion designer; Hadiza Umar, a Development Specialist based in Kaduna, Kaduna State; Joy C. Ezenwa (aka Mama Amala), a trader at Sabon Gari Market, Kano; Shola Esther Babalola (Mama Sho), promoter of natural honey and founder of the Mama Sho Honey brand in Lagos; and Josephine Ugwu, a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), honoured for her honesty in recovering and returning millions of naira mistakenly dropped by passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, among many others.

In her keynote address, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, represented by Executive Director, Adobi Nwapa, praised the awardees and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to women’s empowerment. She stated: “Zenith Bank’s commitment to gender inclusion is not rhetoric, but one of the ethos that the bank holds very dearly.” She added: “Zenith Bank has a 50–50 gender ratio, with women occupying strategic positions in management and on the Board, up to the current Group Managing Director, who is the first female to hold that position.”

The Regional Director of the Ford Foundation, Dr. Chichi Aniagolu, described the Woman of Power Award as an eye-opener, noting that her team’s journey across the country revealed vast, and often overlooked, human potential among Nigerian women.

Both the Ford Foundation and Zenith Bank Plc pledged to sustain and expand the initiative in the coming years.

Zenith Bank also used the occasion to inform attendees about its women-focused products and initiatives, including the Z-Woman initiative, and its 19-year sole sponsorship of the NBBF Women’s Basketball League, further underscoring its position at the forefront of women’s empowerment and economic inclusion in Nigeria.