Industry leaders have highlighted the need to address structural barriers limiting the visibility, mentorship access, and leadership advancement of women in Nigeria’s treasury and finance profession, despite their growing presence in the sector.
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‎They made the call at the launch of the Women in Treasury (WIT) initiative of the Association of Corporate Treasurers of Nigeria (ACTN), an effort aimed at supporting the growth, development, and advancement of women within the treasury profession.

The stakeholders noted that the treasury function has evolved significantly in recent decades, with corporate treasurers playing central roles in shaping financial strategy, managing risk, ensuring liquidity resilience, and supporting long-term business sustainability within organisations.
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ACTN President and Chairman of Council, Yinka Ogunnubi, said the Women in Treasury initiative had been two years in the making and represents an important milestone not only for the association but also for the broader corporate treasury and finance community in Nigeria.
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‎He noted that women already lead treasury teams in major multinational and local institutions, managing complex financial structures, driving innovation in financial markets, and shaping strategic financial decisions, but acknowledged that many talented women in treasury and finance still face structural barriers that limit their visibility, access to mentorship, and opportunities for leadership advancement.
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“However, we must also acknowledge that many talented women in treasury and finance still face structural barriers that limit their visibility, access to mentorship, and opportunities for leadership advancement,” he said.
‎‎Therefore, he highlighted that the Women in Treasury initiative was established as a dedicated platform to support the growth and advancement of women within the treasury profession.
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‎According to him, the initiative will focus on four key pillars — mentorship, capacity building, advocacy, and visibility — aimed at creating structured opportunities for experienced treasury leaders to guide emerging professionals, strengthen competence in treasury practice, and promote greater inclusion within leadership, noting that a strong profession is built on diversity of thought, experience, and perspective.
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“These pillars are designed not simply to create conversations, but to drive real progress and measurable impact,” he said.
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Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking at Access Bank Plc, Iyabo Soji-Okusanya, described treasury as one of the most strategic functions in any organisation, noting that professionals in the field are responsible for managing the financial assets and liabilities that sustain businesses.
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‎“Treasury is one of the most strategic functions in any organisation because treasurers are responsible for holding the treasures of organisations, and without those treasures being managed properly, organisations cannot succeed,” she said.
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She noted that although more women are becoming active in finance and treasury and increasingly leading teams and shaping strategic financial decisions, progress in representation does not happen by chance but through deliberate efforts to create platforms that support women’s growth and advancement.
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‎“Progress like this does not happen by accident. It happens because people intentionally create platforms like Women in Treasury,” Okusanya said, adding that the platform would provide a community where women can connect, learn, mentor one another, and build confidence for leadership roles.
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She also urged women professionals to build strong technical foundations in areas such as cash management, liquidity planning, risk management, and financial analysis, while emphasising the importance of continuous learning, mentorship, and investing in personal development to remain competitive in an evolving financial landscape.
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‎Also speaking, Chief Executive of BMG Seven Limited, Binta Max-Gbinije, said initiatives such as Women in Treasury have the potential to strengthen financial leadership within organisations by empowering women professionals through the four pillars.
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‎“If all of those pillars are actualised, organisations will be better for it because you have women who are trained, who know what they are doing and who bring their A-game to the job,” Gbinije stressed
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She urged women professionals to prioritise competence, continuous learning, and collaboration, stressing that developing technical skills, pursuing professional certifications, and supporting one another would help women move from participation to influence within the treasury profession.
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Additionally, Chair of Women in Treasury, Titilola Osinowo, said the initiative was designed to build a stronger ecosystem for women in treasury as the profession continues to evolve, with treasurers increasingly serving as strategic partners responsible for liquidity management, financial risk management, and capital allocation.
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‎Osinowo added that the initiative aims to create pathways for more women to rise into leadership roles in treasury and corporate finance while strengthening the profession in Nigeria’s evolving financial ecosystem.