20-years WinBiz Celebrates Legacy
By Ifeoma Ikem
Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) held its 20th Annual Conference on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th, November 2021. The hybrid event, themed Celebrating Legacy, was a celebration of the non-profit’s 20 years of impacting women in Nigeria and beyond, based on the foundation built by its founders.
Speakers charged delegates to build formidable legacies and emulate pace-setters who have shattered glass ceilings, overcome adversity, broken stereotypes, enabled empowerment and created opportunities for all.
Speaking to WIMBIZ’s legacy, Chairperson, Executive Council, WIMBIZ, Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, in her welcome address acknowledged WIMBIZ’s intentionality as a catalyst which inspires, connects and empowers women, as well as its resoluteness in the promotion of gender diversity, sustainability and inclusive prosperity.
In his keynote speech, Founder, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (now GTCo) and FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola, OFR, mni. lauded the seamless transitions of leadership within WIMBIZ’s 20 years’ existence and the sacrifice of personal ambition for the common good in this regard. In his view, the WIMBIZ vision was clearly worked for, shared and realized in a society that scavenges on insecurities.
The event’s diverse panel of speakers, provided practical and transformative insights on topics such as ‘Legacy: Build to Last’, ‘Sharing Stories: How I Changed The Narrative’ and ‘Owning The Future: Women in Leadership.’ Other keynote speakers included the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Founder, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Anap Business Jets Limited and Atedo N.A. Peterside Foundation, Atedo Peterside, CON.
The Annual Conference is WIMBIZ’s flagship event which holds in November of each year with an average attendance of over 1500 delegates to deliberate on a contemporary theme with a broad range of topical issues that are relevant to women in the business, corporate, public and development sectors.