The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank, Miriam Olusanya, has identified leadership, technology, inclusion, and institutional strength as the key forces that will define true disruption in Nigeria and Africa’s financial ecosystem.
Olusanya stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 marquee event of the Association of Professional Women Bankers, themed “Disrupting Finance: Women Driving Innovation, Inclusion & Scale.”
According to her, the future of finance will not be shaped by technology alone, but by the quality of leadership guiding its deployment. She stressed that effective leadership must prioritise discipline, long-term thinking, and trust-building in an era increasingly driven by short-term gains.
“We must be clear about the forces that will define true disruption in African finance,” she said. “The first is technology, but not for its own sake. It must expand access, simplify engagement, and enable institutions to serve customers more efficiently and at scale.”
She described inclusion as the second critical force, noting that it should be seen not merely as a social responsibility but as a strategic growth driver.
“If innovation is about building new systems, inclusion is about ensuring those systems work for everyone. Women are not just participants; they are multipliers. When a woman gains access to finance, household income stability improves, education outcomes improve, and communities become more resilient,” she said.
Olusanya warned that overlooking underserved groups represents a missed economic opportunity, adding that inclusion, when approached strategically, expands markets and drives sustainable growth.
Highlighting the third force, she pointed to the strength of institutions, noting that innovation alone cannot deliver lasting impact without scale, governance, and credibility.
“Financial systems are built on trust, and trust cannot be improvised. It must be earned, reinforced, and protected over time,” she added.
Addressing barriers to women’s participation in the financial ecosystem, Olusanya identified cultural, digital, and representation challenges as key constraints. She noted that limited access to smartphones and internet connectivity, lower digital literacy, and underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making roles continue to hinder women’s full participation.
“If we are serious about disruption, we must be serious about dismantling these barriers. True disruption is not simply about building new systems, but about reshaping who has the power to decide, build, and serve,” she said.
She called for deliberate efforts to close the digital gap and increase female representation in leadership, investment committees, and policy-making bodies, noting that inclusion at decision-making levels ultimately determines who benefits from innovation.
The event brought together industry stakeholders to explore the role of women in driving innovation, expanding access, and shaping the future of finance across Africa.
Leave a Reply