Wema Bank Unveils Top 10 Nominees for 2026 SARA Gives to Empower Her Award

 Wema Bank Unveils Top 10 Nominees for 2026 SARA Gives to Empower Her Award

Wema Bank has announced the Top 10 nominees for its 2026 SARA Gives to Empower Her Award, a women-focused initiative aimed at recognising and rewarding women who have demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering other women.

The award, now in its second edition, is an extension of the bank’s women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, and aligns with the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme, “Give to Gain.” This year’s theme, “When She Gains, We Grow,” underscores the importance of providing women with time, opportunities, resources and support to drive collective growth and development.

The Top 10 nominees include Social Entrepreneur Bosede Nwachi; NGO Founder Chigozie Blessing; Customer Success Leader Ekwutosi Cynthia; Coach and Public Speaker Franca Ozini; TEDx Speaker Hassanat Abubakar; Mentor Ikepo Osawaye; Marketing Professional Jennifer Edem Ekong; World Safety Ambassador, Ambassador Mabel Abel-Onaiwu; Founder of Patrick Stephen Purple Heart Foundation for Widows, Oluwaseun Joan Stephen; and Virtual Assistant Coach Victoria Ezechukwu-Obiya.

Launched in 2024, the She Empowers Her Award was created to celebrate women who have built a legacy of impact by uplifting other women both personally and professionally. The 2026 edition, tagged “SARA Gives To Empower Her Award & Grant,” places special emphasis on women who have consistently given back to support the growth and advancement of others.

According to the bank, the selection process combined public nominations, an internal jury review and a voting phase, all overseen by an independent audit body to ensure transparency. The call for nominations opened on February 12, 2026, and closed on February 22, 2026. A total of 2,332 nominations were received, representing 351 women across various sectors. From this pool, 10 finalists were shortlisted based on measurable impact and a verifiable track record of empowering women.

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on March 4, 2026, during Wema Bank’s International Women’s Day event in Lagos, where five winners will emerge.

Voting for the final five winners is currently open to the public, with participation available via  https://bit.ly/VoteSARASheEmpowersHerAward bank’s designated online platform. The announcement of the winners will be broadcast live on Wema Bank’s official YouTube channel from 10:00 a.m. on the day of the event.