WIMBIZ AT 25: ROOTED IN PURPOSE, RISING IN IMPACT, READY FOR THE WORLD

Olusegun Odufuwa 15th October 2026

Celebrating 25 Years of Advancing Women in Leadership, Business and Public Service

For 25 years, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) has championed women’s leadership, strengthened professional networks and created opportunities for women to thrive in business, management and public service.

What began as a vision to address the barriers limiting women’s advancement has grown into a global network connecting accomplished women across industries, generations and more than 20 countries. Through mentorship, leadership development, advocacy, capacity-building and strategic partnerships, WIMBIZ has continued to create pathways for women to realise their potential and contribute meaningfully to society.

As the organisation celebrates its silver jubilee, it is reflecting on a legacy of measurable impact while setting an ambitious course for the next generation of African women leaders.

25 Years of Transformative Impact

Over the past 25 years, WIMBIZ has recorded significant milestones in advancing women’s leadership and empowerment, including:

• Impacting over 367,000 women worldwide through its programmes and initiatives.
• Building a global network of more than 4,100 accomplished women across management, business and public service.
• Mentoring and training over 5,654 women in leadership, including through its Women on Boards and Women in Law mentoring programmes.
• Facilitating more than 35 grants for businesswomen through its Impact Investment Programme.
• Mentoring over 11,269 young girls in secondary schools, helping to nurture the next generation of female leaders.
• Reaching more than 78,000 families through its WIMBIZ Cares initiatives.

These achievements represent more than numbers. They reflect the women who have gained leadership skills, accessed mentorship, built professional relationships and found opportunities to advance their careers and businesses.

Through its programmes and initiatives, WIMBIZ has demonstrated the importance of investing in women, strengthening leadership pipelines and creating supportive networks that enable women to overcome barriers and reach their full potential.

Its 25-year journey reinforces a fundamental message: empowering women is not simply a social responsibility; it is an important investment in economic growth, institutional development and national progress.

Rooted, Rising, Ready: Born in Africa, Built for the World

At the heart of WIMBIZ’s silver jubilee is the theme of its 25th Annual Conference: “Rooted, Rising, Ready: Born in Africa, Built for the World.”

The theme captures the organisation’s journey over the past quarter-century and its ambition for the future. It reflects a vision of African women who draw strength from their heritage, pursue growth with purpose and are prepared to compete and lead on the global stage.

Rooted represents African identity, shared values and the foundation established by generations of women who have challenged barriers and created opportunities for others. It celebrates the legacy upon which today’s women leaders continue to build.

Rising reflects the determination of women to advance into leadership, expand their businesses, break new ground and challenge limitations. It speaks to entrepreneurs scaling their enterprises, professionals pursuing executive positions and emerging leaders preparing to influence their industries and communities.

Ready represents the knowledge, confidence, capacity and ambition required to seize opportunities in an increasingly interconnected world. It calls on African women to build globally competitive businesses, influence decision-making and participate actively in shaping the continent’s economic future.

Together, the three pillars express WIMBIZ’s commitment to translating 25 years of progress into greater global relevance, stronger economic participation and lasting impact.

From Breaking Barriers to Building Global Businesses

As WIMBIZ looks towards the next 25 years, a major priority is to strengthen women’s economic participation and support more women in building sustainable, scalable businesses.

Access to finance, professional networks, markets and business expertise remains important to the growth of women-led enterprises. WIMBIZ’s focus on practical solutions reflects the need to move beyond identifying these challenges towards creating opportunities that enable women to overcome them.

The 25th Annual Conference will explore issues spanning leadership, business, technology, wealth creation, innovation, the green economy and Africa’s creative economy.

Discussions will examine opportunities in areas such as intellectual property protection, digital distribution, business development and access to expertise. These are essential considerations for women seeking to expand their enterprises, enter high-value industries and participate in global markets.

The ambition is to help more women move beyond small-scale operations towards sustainable businesses that create jobs, generate wealth and compete internationally.

By connecting women with knowledge, networks and strategic opportunities, WIMBIZ aims to strengthen the foundations for women-led businesses to grow and contribute more significantly to Africa’s economic development.

Advancing Women’s Leadership and Influence

Economic empowerment is closely linked to women’s participation in decision-making. Across corporate boardrooms, public institutions, entrepreneurship and policymaking, expanding women’s representation remains an important priority.

WIMBIZ’s commitment to mentorship, advocacy and leadership development reflects the importance of preparing women for positions of influence. Programmes such as Women on Boards and Women in Law provide structured opportunities for leadership development, while the organisation’s wider initiatives support women’s professional growth across sectors.

Looking ahead, sustained progress will require stronger partnerships among women, men, corporations, public institutions and development organisations. Inclusive policies, deliberate leadership development and improved access to opportunities will be essential to creating environments where women can lead, innovate and contribute meaningfully.

The next chapter of WIMBIZ’s work will require more than celebrating individual success stories. It will involve strengthening the systems and partnerships that enable more women to succeed and create opportunities for those coming behind them.

The Next 25 Years: Building on a Legacy

WIMBIZ’s 25th anniversary is both a celebration of its achievements and a call to action for the future.

Its track record demonstrates the value of sustained mentorship, professional networks, advocacy and collective action. Its vision for the next 25 years calls for greater ambition: more women in leadership, stronger women-owned businesses, wider access to economic opportunities and a new generation of girls equipped to shape the future.

The organisation’s 25th Annual Conference will bring together women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, policymakers and changemakers to examine practical approaches to these priorities.

Scheduled for November 5–6, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the conference will offer both physical and virtual participation. More than 3,000 women are expected to attend, with over 50 speakers contributing perspectives and expertise from diverse sectors.

As WIMBIZ marks 25 years of advancing women in leadership, its message extends beyond the anniversary celebration. It is a call to build on past achievements, create new opportunities and prepare African women to shape businesses, institutions and industries on a global scale.

The next 25 years present an opportunity to turn progress into greater economic influence, leadership into lasting impact and individual achievements into collective advancement.

Rooted in purpose. Rising through impact. Ready for the world.

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