NOVA MERCHANT BANK PLEDGES SUPPORT TO WOMEN EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA

l-r: Managing Director/CEO NOVA Merchant Bank, Mr. Nath Ude; Managing Director/CEO, Digital Jewels Africa, Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa; Founding partner, Healthcare Capital Africa (Healthcap), Dr Ola Brown; Executive Director, NOVA Merchant Bank, Mrs. Funke Okoya, during the 2023 NOVA International Women’s Day (IWD) conference held at the Bank’s headquarters in Lagos on Thursday.

Fastnews Nigeria reports that NOVA Merchant Bank, the leading Bank in Nigeria, has pledged to promote gender equality by supporting women who embrace technology skills, especially in our ever-evolving world.

The Bank’s Lagos headquarters recently hosted the 2023 NOVA International Women’s Day (IWD) conference, during which this commitment was made.

As part of the Bank’s women empowerment campaign, which began in 2020, the IWD conference brings together women in NOVA to discuss issues with gender equality and provide answers.

In keeping with the general theme of DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality, this year’s event honored notable women who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields by harnessing technology and innovative solutions to create value in Nigeria and Africa.

The Chief-Host and Executive Director of NOVA Merchant Bank, Mrs. Funke Okoya who welcomed participants at the conference, said;

“Given the country’s transition to cashless policy, NOVA believes that women can play a significant role in providing innovative ideas to capitalise on the benefits of this disruption by leveraging innovation and technology.”

 

She continued by saying that NOVA would keep pushing for the advancement of women’s causes and the capacity building of women in tech in Nigeria.

The Chief Information Officer, NOVA Merchant Bank, Mrs Mabel Irona-Nduka, reiterated the Bank’s stance on female empowerment, adding;

“NOVA will continue to lead the many voices committed to women empowerment by making deliberate efforts to close the gender gap in traditionally male dominated roles like information Technology and most especially, at leadership levels.”

Guest Speaker at the event, Dr Ola Brown who is the Founding Partner, Health Cap Africa said;

“Having tech savvy women in leadership roles means making more profits especially in a hyper-competitive industry such as banking where we must leverage and utilize all legitimate and innovative alternatives to optimize profit irrespective of gender, and this is where embracing equity is important.”

Brown highlighted the importance of women having confidence in their abilities to push for quotas in all fields, including technology, politics, and their employment.

In her own submission, the Managing Director/CEO, of Digital Jewels Africa, Mrs, Adedoyin Odunfa who spoke on protecting the rights of women and girls in the digital space, said;

“50 percent of women online have suffered some form of online violence and harassment from the responses and nuances.” She noted that it is critical to teach women and girls digital skills and how to deal with online violence, and also put policies in place to protect women’s rights in the digital space.”

The Nigerian bank NOVA Merchant Bank Ltd, which has an investment-grade rating, provides a comprehensive array of financial services, including financial intermediation, corporate and investment banking, asset and securities management, trade services, cash management, transaction, and digital banking.