L-R: Olorunfemi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay Nigeria; Kemi Okusanya, CEO, Hydrogen; Chika Nwosu, MD, PalmPay Limited; Harriet Kariuki, Head of SME PalmPay; and Nneka Okekearu, Director, Enterprise Development Centre (Pan-Atlantic University) at the PalmPay Purple Woman 3.0 Masterclass held recently in Lagos.
PalmPay Nigeria has expressed commitment to increasing women’s participation in the financial technology sector through its Purple Woman program, as the company hosted the third edition of its Purple Woman Masterclass, designed to equip young women with digital and professional skills.
Speaking at the event, Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, said the initiative was launched to address the low representation of women in fintech and the broader technology ecosystem.
“This initiative is because we noticed that there are not so many women in fintech and in the tech industry, and we intend to bridge that gap. We want to see a whole lot of women in leadership positions in fintech,” Nwosu said.
The programme, organised in commemoration of the 2026 International Women’s Day, forms part of PalmPay’s broader effort to create an inclusive digital economy and empower women with technology-driven skills.
According to Nwosu, empowering women produces long-term social and economic impact. “Money in the hand of a man feeds a family, but money in the hand of a woman feeds generations,” he said, noting that women’s financial empowerment often translates to better education and opportunities for children and stronger households.
“In the past 3 years, we have empowered about 250 young women with the vision of fostering inclusivity in the fintech ecosystem. This year, over 1000 women submitted entries, and we shortlisted 100 of them to be a part of the 3-Day Masterclass on Human Resources, Data Analysis, Digital Marketing, Personal Financial Management, Ux/UI, Software Engineering, and Product Management.
At the end of the masterclass, 10 participants were selected for a six-month internship programme at PalmPay, where they will receive practical experience across different departments.
Explaining the selection process, Anthony Iwuala, Human Relations Manager at PalmPay, said the company used a merit-based system to identify the most qualified candidates. “For us at PalmPay, we believe in equity and equality and following the right process. As a company, we believe in people who have skills and talent, so we ensure that we select qualified people,” Iwuala said.
According to him, participants were assessed through the classes and written tests conducted during the programme. Participants went through the classes and took tests for every class, he said.
Iwuala added that the selected interns will be deployed across departments such as marketing, human resources, administration, product development, sales and business intelligence, where they will receive mentorship and hands-on training. “We assign mentors to them, and these mentors will provide on-the-job training for six months,” he said.
He stressed that the programme is designed not only to train participants but also to create employment opportunities. “We are not just taking them to train them; we train them to employ them,” he said.
He noted that previous editions have already produced tangible results. “The Purple Woman 2.0 programme saw the ten women we trained offered full employment at PalmPay, and they are still working with us currently, Iwuala said. “These will not be different.”
In her presentation, Nneka Okekearu, director of the enterprise development centre at Pan-Atlantic University, delivered a masterclass focused on self-worth, confidence and self- awareness for women.
Okekearu explained that many women grow up with unconscious biases that affect their confidence and career choices. “A lot of women have grown up being told they cannot do certain things. Unlike their male counterparts, they are sometimes discouraged from pursuing opportunities,” she said.
According to her, the session focused on helping women recognise their abilities and build confidence. “A lot of women have so much to give, but they are shackled by unconscious bias. The session focused on self-awareness, building confidence and realising that we know it and should own it,” she added.
She acknowledged that progress has been made in female leadership in Nigeria’s corporate sector. “Today, we have more than 30 per cent of commercial banks with female CEOs. We now have women serving as bank chairpersons and more women on corporate boards,” she posited.
However, she highlighted what she described as the missing middle, where many women leave the workforce at critical career stages.
“When women enter the workforce, by the time they get married and have children, many leave. We need systems that allow them to return without losing their career progress,” Okekearu said.
