Lagos, Nigeria, June 2024. 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Nigeria’s digital payment service bank, focused on financial inclusion has echoed the impressive progress demonstrated by the female professionals and entrepreneurs in the fintech sector and Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SMEs) in recent times at this year’s Digital Pay Expo and Exhibition held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The year’s event themed, ‘Redefining Payment’ focused and analyzed the payment habits of the Millennials and Gen Z, the largest generation groups. It spotlighted the crucial effects of the group on the payment world to continue to develop solutions that will gain their loyalty and that of the total market.
Speaking at the session, Women in Fintech, themed, Inclusive Finance for SMEs, designed to mentor participating female undergraduates across institutions of higher learning in Lagos State, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Branka Mracajac, emphasized that women are making significant breakthroughs in the fintech sector and in Smal and Medium Scale Enterprises in recent years compared to what was obtainable in the past. “Although, women are still contending with the male counterparts for positions, it is evident that many women are assuming key executive positions in the finance and fintech sector as well as other areas of human endeavours. The fintech industry is striving to improve the situations occasioned by gender disparity, inclusivity, and financial inclusion to ensure equal growth and opportunities.
‘’Women are founding many business entities and SMEs, it is important to have the right mindset, work hard and put in more efforts to educate yourselves, acquire the right expertise and skills, network and find someone who will inspire you and the opportunities would present itself. We need more prominent professional women leaders in fintech to inspire young girls and for them to look up to, we did not have this in my time, but the dynamics have changed, focused, connect, and look for opportunities to kick-start your career,’’ Mracajac added.
Other female chief executives in the fintech sector, on the panel session which include Ronke Kuye, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Limited (SANEF), Nigeria; Dr. Markie Idowu, Xpress Payment Solutions Limited; Kemi Okunsanya, Hydrogen, Nigeria and Yemi Keri, Heckerbella Limited also offered their pieces of advice to the young undergraduates to have mentors that have attained progressive stages of career growth; build good rapport; have improved social capital and utilise the social media as a means of communication; and communicate their capability, competencies and experience. In addition, they advised them to offer their best and add value to the organization they will be employed in. Furthermore, they should build and keep relationships with colleagues; make sure they leave on a good note whenever they meet people because the future is unpredictable.
Digital Pay Expo is a yearly event designed to bring together industry regulators, fintech top executives, and innovators in the fintech and payment solution space who are looking to collaborate to move the industry forward.
The platform provides a unique opportunity for industry players to discover new use innovative cases and technologies that will accelerate the much-needed growth in the fintech ecosystem.