In a major step towards bridging the gender gap in emerging technology, Women in DeFi (WID) has released the list of speakers for its 2026 Summit, which will be at The Zone Tech Park, Gbagada, Lagos, on Saturday, April 25. With a mission to transition more African women into leadership and technical roles, the summit has gathered a diverse group of “builders and believers” to headline a day of transformative panels, technical lightning talks, and networking.

The summit themed, ‘Beyond the Bridge: African Women Leading the Future of Web3,’ will feature a high-impact keynote, founder fireside chat, three specialised panels, and technical lightning talks designed to equip African women with the skills to lead the global decentralised economy.

Anchoring this year’s summit as the Gold Sponsor is Zcash, a privacy-first cryptocurrency that utilises zero-knowledge cryptography to provide users with the freedom to transact securely and without surveillance.

Leading the charge as the Keynote Speaker is Tejumade Tejuosho, a renowned leader in the African tech ecosystem. Her address will set the stage for a day dedicated to innovation, leadership, and the tangible future of Web3 on the continent.

The 2026 Summit is structured around three critical pillars of the Web3 space, beginning with a deep dive into “Stablecoins, Tokenisation, and Financial Innovation,” where panelists–Blessing F. Nduka, Jennifer Chinelo, and Sarah Wahinya–will join moderator–Vivian Adeniyi–to discuss the future of decentralised finance for African women. This will be followed by a high-stakes session on ‘Funding, Founding, and the Female Factor in DeFi and Blockchain,’ featuring insights from industry pioneers Progress Ochuko (Koxy), MaryCynthia Amarachi, Chisom Edwin (Crypto Mama), and Chidubem Emelimadu. Closing the panel discussions, Toria Dickson will moderate a technical and career-focused session titled ‘From Skill to Stack: Transitioning Into Web3 as a Builder,’ featuring Ayomide Oluwashinabajo, Nkechi Enebeli and Dr. Eloho Erezi-Kesi aimed at equipping attendees with the roadmap to move from learning to professional execution.

In a Fireside Founder’s Session, WID Founder, Sarah Idahosa, will sit down with moderator, Onone Peace Ega, to discuss the journey of building sustainable Web3 communities and the strategic vision for African women in the digital age.

To provide rapid-fire technical and professional insights, the summit will feature specialised sessions with Faith Njah (AI x Web3), Ayomide Junaid (Crypto Compliance in Africa), and Beatrice Eneje (Personal Branding for Women in Tech).

The summit will be hosted by Akintola Oluwapelumi (Flames), with Giwa Sheedah (Qingthecreator) conducting deep-dive speaker interviews. Simbiat Lawal will lead the guest and crowd interviews, capturing the pulse of the attendees throughout the day.

Through the support of Zcash, the event will highlight the necessity of “encrypted money for everyone,” reinforcing the idea that privacy is not just a feature, but a normal and essential standard for the global digital economy.

The WID Summit is the flagship conference of the Women In DeFi community that brings together women from across Africa building, leading and growing in the Web3 space.

Its mission is simple but powerful: To create a space where women across the continent, whether they are actively building in the ecosystem, just starting their careers, or looking to transition into Web3 can connect, learn, and grow.