Across sectors, Nigerian women are rewriting their stories, and at the heart of this transformation stands an institution that has never wavered in its belief that when women rise, society rises with them. That institution is Wema Bank.
Women are powering undeniable revolution…
There is a quiet but undeniable revolution happening in Nigeria that is powered by the resilience, creativity, and ambition of women. They are the traders in bustling markets who turn small stalls into thriving businesses, the tech enthusiasts breaking new ground in a digital economy, the fashion entrepreneurs stitching dreams into reality.
Gender inclusion is not an afterthought…
For more than eight decades, Wema Bank has served as a pioneer of access by opening doors for the underserved, for those whom the system often overlooks. That legacy of inclusion has never been a slogan; it is a living principle, deeply woven into the Bank’s culture and strategy. And today, that principle finds its boldest expression in SARA by Wema, an empowerment platform that has become a movement designed for the modern Nigerian woman who refuses to be boxed in by limitation. It is no exaggeration to say that SARA has redefined what gender inclusion looks like in the financial sector.
When Moruf Oseni, Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank Plc speaks about this journey, his conviction is unmistakable. “For us at Wema, gender inclusion is not an afterthought. It is a foundation. We know that when women win, society wins. SARA is our way of making that belief practical, measurable, and life-changing,” he explains, with the calm authority of someone who understands that inclusion is not charity; it is strategy. It is about building an economy that taps into the full potential of its people, women and men alike.
The SARA story began in 2019, born out of a simple but powerful insight: women face unique challenges that require more than one-size-fits-all solutions. Traditional financial services, while important, were not enough. Women needed more: access to credit on fair terms, skills to thrive in business and technology, networks to open new doors, and a community that understands their journey.
Read also: Wema Bank to empower women with N2m grant at SheCan Conference
Ayodele Olojede, Divisional Head for Retail and SME Banking, Wema Bank captures this vision perfectly, saying: “SARA is not a campaign. It is a safe space for women to dream, learn, build, and thrive. We designed it to touch every part of the Nigerian woman’s life from her finances to her business, wellness, and future. We created SARA by Wema for women who want better.”
And so, Wema created SARA not as a product, but as an ecosystem. Today, that ecosystem is delivering empowerment on a scale that inspires confidence in what deliberate, institutional commitment can achieve. Since its launch, SARA by Wema has touched the lives of over two million women across Nigeria, each one a testament to what happens when access meets opportunity.
N93billion loans extended to women-led businesses…
At its core, SARA empowers women financially. In a world where access to credit remains a stubborn barrier, Wema Bank has broken ground by extending N93billion in loans to women-led businesses over the last two years. This is the kind of funding that has turned dreams into enterprises, and enterprises into job creators. Over the last two years, the Bank has also disbursed N35 million in grants to support women-owned ventures, ensuring that brilliant ideas are not stifled by lack of capital. Through strategic partnerships like Shecluded, 30 female entrepreneurs have received POS machines, giving them the tools to grow revenue and serve customers better. These numbers are not abstract. They represent lives changed, families uplifted, and communities strengthened.
But SARA’s impact goes far beyond finance. Knowledge is power, and Wema Bank understands that empowerment without education is incomplete. That is why the SARA Academy has become one of the most ambitious capacity-building platforms in Nigeria. In just two years, the Academy has trained over 800,000 women across Nigeria. This is an extraordinary feat that underscores the Bank’s national reach and commitment to scale. These trainings cover entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and vocational skills, ensuring that women are not just prepared for today’s economy, but equipped for the future.
Beyond the Academy, the SARA Accelerator program has sharpened the competitive edge of over 58,000 women entrepreneurs, with more than 10,000 trained through the specialised Accelerator Series that focus on growth strategies, branding, and financial management. In Kano, the partnership between SARA and the Ministry of Women Affairs, MOWA-SARA Accelerator Program, has seen over 10,000 women gain both digital and vocational skills, with shared workspaces for food processing businesses because inclusion must be practical, not theoretical.
The tech economy, often dominated by men, is another frontier where SARA is breaking barriers. Through its “Transitioning to Tech for Women” program in collaboration with Africa Startup Factory, Wema has trained over 2,000 women in high-demand fields such as Cybersecurity, Full-Stack Development, and DevOps. Nine female startup founders received N1 million each in seed funding, demonstrating that Wema is not only building skills but also backing bold ideas with capital. These women are now coding their way into new careers, building startups, and inspiring a new generation of girls to believe that tech is for them too.
SARA By Wema also continues to positively impact women in tech and with brilliant ideas through its collaboration with Wema Bank’s flagship innovation programme, Hackaholics, through the women-led category. In 2023 and 2024 alone, five women founders collectively received N75 million in grants, bringing total funding for female-led ventures to N110 million. 2024’s winner of the women-led startup grant, Jane Agbaohwo, founder and creative director of IRETI, noted that the win would allow her business to reach more women.
She said, “We will be able to reach out to women in urban and rural communities because we are partnering with NGOs. We help to create awareness about breast cancer. It kills, but you stand a chance to live if you detect early and start treatment on time.”
Women-owned businesses receiving market access opportunities…
And while financial access and skills training form the backbone of SARA, market access continues to consolidate its effort like a beating heart keeping the body alive and moving. Too many brilliant women-led businesses struggle because they cannot connect to the right customers. Wema Bank has solved that problem by linking over 4,000 women-owned businesses to more than 200,000 buyers, generating over $6 million in sales. At flagship trade fairs like Naija Brand Chick, Lagos Leather Fair and creative showcases like the Fashion Souk, SARA has positioned women for success; not just as exhibitors, but as entrepreneurs commanding global attention. It is telling that 42percent of these businesses who have received market access opportunities participated in such events for the first time, proving that SARA opens doors that were once firmly shut.
And behind every statistic is a story. Take Omobolaji Shittu, founder of Bolat Paints, who received a N1 million grant through SARA at the SheCan Conference. Her voice brimmed with joy as she recalled that moment: “I feel so excited, I’m happy, and I didn’t see it coming. My sisters, follow the SARA by Wema Community to access more opportunities like me.” Omobolaji’s journey is just one of thousands in a tapestry of transformation that SARA continues to weave across Nigeria.
This impact is amplified through partnerships that extend SARA’s reach and relevance. Wema Bank has supported the SheCan Conference for five consecutive editions, reaching 23,436 individuals through 32 programs, empowering 7,320 women directly, and giving tangible support to 156 businesses. At the sixth edition in 2025, the bank awarded N2 million in grants to three outstanding women entrepreneurs (one of which is Shittu) and provided three additional businesses with exclusive market access opportunities.
At the Lagos Leather Fair, three female entrepreneurs walked away with N1 million each to scale their businesses, fueling growth in a sector that is as culturally significant as it is economically vital. Collaborations with organizations like Debstar and SPAID have seen the training of 30 stylists, helping women in the fashion industry scale their businesses. And the ambition does not stop at Nigeria’s borders as partnerships with Naija Brand Chick London and Fashion Souk in Ghana and London have heralded a future where SARA becomes an intercontinental force.
What makes this commitment remarkable is that it is not confined to Wema’s external engagements; it runs deep within the organization itself. Inclusion at Wema begins at home. The Wema Women Network provides mentorship, leadership roundtables, and learning opportunities for female employees, while initiatives like the HeForShe Awards celebrate male allies championing gender equity. The Bank even introduced a daycare facility at its Head Office, making it easier for nursing mothers to balance career and family.
This internal culture reached a historic milestone in 2023 when Mrs. Oluwayemisi Olorunshola was appointed as Wema Bank’s first female Chairman. Her words capture the significance of that moment: “My appointment as the first female Chairman of Wema Bank is more than a personal milestone. It reflects a culture at Wema Bank where women are seen, heard, and trusted with leadership.” Today, Wema’s board boasts five female directors out of eleven, representing 38percent gender diversity; a figure that shareholders have publicly commended.
All of this begs the question: does inclusion make business sense?
At Wema Bank, the answer is a resounding yes. The Bank’s financial performance tells its own story of alignment between purpose and profit. In 2024, Wema recorded a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N102.10 billion, a staggering leap from N25.05 billion in 2023. 2025’s H1 report shows that Wema Bank’s PBT is up by 229.12percent from the N30.5 billion recorded in the same period of 2024. This is not coincidence; it is proof that empowering women is not just morally right, but economically smart. A bank that invests in women invests in growth because women reinvest in families, businesses, and communities, creating ripples that strengthen the entire economy.
And yet, for all its achievements, Wema Bank is not resting on its laurels. The future of SARA is even more ambitious. The roadmap includes smarter savings tools tailored for women, career coaching, and expanded training cohorts that will reach deeper into rural communities. Strategic partnerships are being forged to give women access to funding, data, and decision-makers at national and international levels. Wema’s vision is clear: make SARA the most impactful female-focused empowerment platform in Africa that will run as an engine of inclusion and shape the next decade of Africa’s growth story.
As this journey unfolds, one truth stands out: Wema Bank’s unwavering commitment to gender inclusion is backed by action. It is evident in every woman who secures a loan to grow her business, every entrepreneur who goes the extra mile to showcase their business, every young graduate who codes her first line in a tech bootcamp, and every employee who rises to leadership without fear of bias. It is evident in the women who are no longer waiting for permission to dream, because they have a partner in Wema Bank and a platform called SARA. This is not a moment; it is a movement. And as that movement gathers force, one thing is certain: when women win, Wema wins, and Nigeria wins too.
