Access Bank has launched its “Power of 100 Africa” initiative, aimed at recognising and celebrating women who have made contributions to various fields across the continent.

The bank made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.

The bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Mrs. Chizoma Okoli, said the initiative, focuses on women in health, education, business, advocacy and technology.

According to her, the initiative, originally launched in 2015 as “Power of 100” to honour Nigerian female trailblazers, has now expanded to spotlight women from across Africa

Okoli said that the expansion showed the bank’s unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment and its desire to inspire the next generation of female leaders.

According to her, the “Power of 100 Africa” initiative will recognise women from 16 African countries where the bank operates.

The countries include; Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and Nigeria, among others.

“We are thrilled to take this to a continental scale because we believe that women across Africa are making extraordinary contributions to their communities and industries.

“This initiative is about driving positive change in communities where these women lead.

“It will create a network of women supporting each other through the W Community, promoting collaboration and shared success,” she said.

Abiodun Olubitan, Group Head of W Initiatives and Emerging Businesses, Access Bank, said the nomination process had been opened to the public.

“We have ensured that this initiative is conducted in a transparent and ethical manner.

“A jury made up of highly respected individuals will scrutinise every nomination to ensure that the selected women meet all necessary criteria,” she said.

Olubitan said that the honourees would be selected based on several criteria, including leadership, innovation and societal impact.

Highlighting some of the benefits, she said that the honourees’ would gain global recognition, and their contributions would be showcased on a dedicated platform.

“Honourees will be engaged in mentorship and capacity-building programmes, granted access to exclusive events, networking opportunities and unlimited resources within the W Community by the bank, among other benefits,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nominees must be 25 years or older, be a citizen of any of the 16 counties where the bank has a presence.

Also, the nominees must be females who have been celebrated publicly, whether through awards or media coverage, community accolades or industry recognition.

NAN also reports that participants can either nominate themselves or other deserving women leaders by visiting the bank’s website.