By Ayomide Otitoju
Zenith Bank Plc, in partnership with Ford Foundation, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, honoured 19 exceptional women across Nigeria at the inaugural Woman of Power Award, held at The Civic Centre.
The event marked the grand finale of the bank’s month-long activities commemorating Women’s Month and followed its International Women’s Day seminar held earlier in March at the same venue.
The award ceremony, themed “Celebrating Resilience, Leadership, and Generosity,” recognised women selected from the six geo-political zones for their contributions to trade, petty manufacturing, education, and agriculture. The honourees were celebrated for demonstrating resilience, leadership, and sustainable community impact despite prevailing economic challenges.
Organisers said the initiative was designed to spotlight often-overlooked “sheroes” — women making significant contributions within their communities, including market traders, small-scale entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare workers, and community leaders.
Speakers at the event commended Zenith Bank for its people-centred initiatives and praised the Ford Foundation for partnering with the bank to advance support for women navigating diverse cultural and economic realities.
Among the award recipients were Mrs Regina Amankulor, a retired nurse empowering youths in Abia State; Mary Matanmi, Lagos State coordinator of the Nigeria Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists; and Ifeanyi P. Ugwueze, a visually impaired guidance counsellor and doctoral student.
Others honoured included Amina Musa, a trade educator in Abuja; Adenike A. Lambo, Iyaloja of Ilorin; Sadiya Abubakar, an educator in the Federal Capital Territory; Erikan Idem Andrew, a market leader in Port Harcourt; Ngozi B. Nwankpa, an Aba-based fashion designer; and Josephine Ugwu of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), recognised for her integrity in returning lost funds to passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
In her keynote address, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Adaora Umeoji, represented by Executive Director Adobi Nwapa, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to gender inclusion. She stated that gender equality remains a core value of the institution, noting that the bank maintains a near 50-50 gender ratio, with women occupying key leadership positions, including the role of Group Managing Director.
Also speaking, Chichi Aniagolu, Regional Director at the Ford Foundation, described the initiative as an eye-opener, highlighting the vast and often under-recognised potential of Nigerian women encountered during the selection process.
Both organisations pledged to sustain and expand the initiative in the coming years.
Zenith Bank also used the occasion to highlight its women-focused offerings, including the Z-Woman initiative and its 19-year sponsorship of the NBBF Women’s Basketball League, reinforcing its role in advancing women’s empowerment and economic inclusion nationwide.
