The W awards is intended to reward Nigerian women

In its bid to celebrate the totality of the African woman, Access Bank has initiated the W Awards. In a statement, the bank said that the essence of the awards is to appreciate women’s contribution to sustainable socio-economic development in Nigeria.

According to the bank, this contribution is hinged on accessible major infrastructure particularly un-interrupted power supply, basic educational facilities and safe drinking water. All these strongly influence the quality of life of the populace and contribute greatly to the economic development of any nation.

Although government has a responsibility in provision of basic infrastructure for the citizenry, every institution in Africa, public or private, has a role to play in the socio-economic development landscape.

Apart from institutional support, women are at the heart of development as they control most of the non- monetary economy such as subsistence, agriculture, child bearing, and domestic labour among others. Women also play an important role in the monetary economy through trading, labour, and employment. Indeed, the role of women in the family unit has made them indispensable entities in the struggle to survive against the harsh realities of time and tended to endow them with significant influence in the society. Accordingly, the steady evolution of women in contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development and their progressive prominence in the national structure have, to a large extent impacted on the Federal Government.

As a Bank that is committed to the development of strong and sustainable institutions in Africa, Access Bank has consistently demonstrated its leading role in advancing women’s economic and social development.

Ope Wemi-Jones, group head, Inclusive Banking, Access Bank said the bank is aware of the fact that the contribution of women in nation building cannot be understated. “In line with this, the Bank instituted the W Initiative in 2014; a home for everything Access Bank has to offer women. ‘W’ is about women, the Nigerian woman and women around the world. This new approach to banking women provides banking solutions to meet the unique financial and lifestyle needs of women across distinct sub segments whether it’s a Young professional, a Woman with a Family or a Woman in Business,” she explained.

This year, Access Bank is set to host the W Awards, a first-of-its-kind awards ceremony to celebrate Nigerian women who defy all odds to stand out in family, career, commerce and the community. The W Awards is designed to discover and commend women who have dedicated their time and energy to becoming beacons and models for other women to emulate. Success in the W Awards is not dependent on affinity with any organization or person. Rather, it is about recognizing quality and impact.

Nominations for the W awards is currently ongoing via www.thewawards.com and will close in October.

“The Bank is also looking for nominations for categories of other women that fit the profile of one who has helped shaped or is shaping Nigeria. This category of women will be profiled in The Power of 100 – a compilation that is designed to educate everyone on what these great women did and are doing. The book will be launched at the awards presentation ceremony in December 2015 and will be available in libraries, airports etc,” Wemi-Jones said.

According to her, the W awards is intended to reward Nigerian women that model the four cardinal values of Access Bank’s W initiative which signifies everything Access Bank has to offer women. Nominations for the four different categories of awards are scheduled to end October 9, 2015 while a presentation ceremony and the launch of the ‘Power of 100’ will be held in December 2015.

“The award categories are; W Entrepreneur, W Young professional, W Seasoned Professional and W Amazon. The first category is the “W Entrepreneur” of the year (W in Business) award. This award recognises an entrepreneur who has shown immense growth in her business. Accordingly, she must be fully engaged and active in the day-to-day running and decision making in the business.

The second category is the “W Young professional” of the year award. This award is for women between 25 and 35 years who are making significant contributions in their chosen professions particularly in any organisation and have a drive to reach the top of their careers.

The third and fourth categories are “W Seasoned Professional” of the year and “W Amazon” of the year awards. The award for the seasoned professional will go to a woman who has seen it all and who has done great things in any organization, while, the W amazon award recognizes family women who have impacted societal growth and development. The awardee will be a special woman who has been able to combine family and business effectively,” she explained.

The nominations can be done via the website, www.thewawards.com or, by sending an SMS using the short code, 30812. (The format for the sms is also available on the website).Self-nominations and posthumous nominations are permitted for all the award categories.

Victor Etuokwu, executive director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, said success in the W Awards is not dependent on affinity with any organisation or person. Rather, it is about recognizing quality and impact.

“The profiles will include 100 inspirational women who have directed the course of the Nation from the early pioneers, to social justice fighters and leading businesswomen amongst others. The book will represent a fraction of the thousands of women who have played an important role in impacting Nigeria’s past and present and will be launched at the awards event. We believe that their contributions will inspire the actions of Nigerian women for generations to come,” he said.

Wemi-Jones said further: “Nevertheless, the ‘Power of 100’ compilation is in itself a long term strategy to recognise, promote and encourage a culture of excellence in Nigeria. It seeks to recognize women who have in one positive way or another shaped the Nigeria we have today. This impact can be in any sector of the society such as Arts & Culture, National Leadership, Business, Philanthropy, Communications, Professions, Community Action, etc. It is an opportunity for the Bank to celebrate 100 women who have helped shape Nigeria.”