L-r… Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) Board Chairman, Ebisan Akisanya: Chairperson (WIMBIZ); Bennedikter China Molokwu: special guest, Chairman, Dangote Group. Aliko Dangote; Deputy Governor, Lagos State/ APC Flagbearer & Governorship Candidate 2027. Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat: incoming deputy governorship candidate for Lagos State on the platform (APC) for the 2027 election; Hon. Princess Damilola Sonayon James: CO, founder, WimBiz; Adeola Azeez: Founding Trustee, WimBiz.Mrs Yewande Zaccheaus and others during the 25th annual Conference of Impacting Women held at Eko Hotel in Lagos on 5/11/2026…Photos: Chinyere Ikeanyi.
…@ WIMBIZ 25th conference
Chinyere Ikeanyi
The 25th WIMBIZ Annual Conference opened on a bold economic note as Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, challenged the continent to stop exporting raw materials and start capturing higher value through processing, manufacturing and industrial capability.
Addressing delegates at the landmark silver jubilee event, Dangote argued that Africa’s economic story must be rewritten around “what Africa can make, not only what it possesses.” Drawing from his own group’s journey from commodity trading into large-scale manufacturing, he highlighted the massive value loss that occurs when raw materials leave the continent only for finished products to return at premium prices.
He was blunt about the barriers: unreliable electricity, policy inconsistency, financing gaps and operational risks. His message to entrepreneurs was clear — think at scale, master the business deeply, focus on disciplined execution, protect trust, and take calculated rather than reckless risks.
The keynote set the tone for a day that repeatedly returned to one central theme: ownership. In her welcome address, WIMBIZ Chair Mrs. Ebisan Akisanya described the organisation as a 25-year movement that has pushed women to live with courage, authenticity and purpose. Conference host Bennedikter Molokwu reinforced the message, framing WIMBIZ as an interconnected root system where individual success is strengthened by collective mentoring, resource sharing and collaboration. The next chapter, she argued, must be measured by what members make possible for others, not just how far they rise personally.
Chairman of Airtel Nigeria, Mrs Awuneba Ajumogbia (3rd left), poses with other women.
The fireside conversation, moderated by Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani under the theme “The Geography of Opportunity,” pushed the discussion further. Dangote linked access to capital with trustworthiness and deep business knowledge, urged a stronger savings and investment culture, and advised founders to dominate their home market before expanding regionally.
Public-sector voices joined the call. A goodwill message from the Lagos State Government positioned women’s participation as central to productivity and competitiveness, while acknowledging persistent obstacles around finance, business approvals, market access and the visibility of women in economic data.
The day’s practical sessions moved from inspiration to strategy. Microtalks examined how women can position themselves in continental opportunities, when to build, buy or partner, and how professionals and public servants can also seize economic openings. A major plenary on the green economy and Africa’s food value chain challenged the concentration of women in low-margin, labour-intensive roles and pointed to higher-value opportunities in processing, aggregation, logistics, quality control, storage and waste-to-value businesses.
In the Capital Room, participants confronted the gap between available capital and the funding that actually reaches women-led enterprises. The recurring proposal was clear: form coalitions that bring together finance, supply, energy, logistics and market access rather than expecting individual entrepreneurs to solve every constraint alone.
Three Female Achievers Awards celebrated sustained enterprise-building across beauty (Tara Fela-Durotoye of House of Tara), quick-service restaurants (Kehinde Kamson of Sweet Sensation) and retail pharmacy (Joke Bakare of MedPlus).
As Day One closed, the conference’s cross-cutting message crystallised: participation is no longer enough. The next frontier is ownership of productive assets, higher margins, organisations and investment decisions. Collaboration must become infrastructure. Capital must be treated as an ecosystem. And readiness must move from aspiration to deliberate action.
With the spirit of WIMBIZ described as “alive and unstoppable,” delegates step into Day Two carrying a clear charge — to turn 25 years of sisterhood and networking into routes to markets, capital, scale and lasting institutional impact.
For a better society
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