PalmPay Nigeria strengthens female participation in fintech through its Purple Women initiative, offering mentorship, skills training, and internships for leadership development

PalmPay Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing women’s participation in the fintech sector through its Purple Women initiative.

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The programme equips young women with digital, business, and leadership skills to thrive in the evolving digital economy.

The announcement was made during the third edition of PalmPay’s Global Women’s Masterclass, organised in partnership with Global Women’s International Campaign Nigeria to mark International Women’s Day.

PalmPay’s Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, said the initiative addresses the low representation of women in fintech and aims to build a pipeline of female professionals for leadership roles.

“We want to see a whole lot of women in leadership positions in fintech. Empowering women creates long-term economic and social impact,” Nwosu said.

The Purple Women programme combines mentorship, skills development, and access to career opportunities. Although hosted in Lagos, women across Nigeria can participate through an online registration platform.

Ten participants from the masterclass were selected for a six-month internship at PalmPay.

Interns will gain practical experience across marketing, HR, administration, product development, sales, and business intelligence.

Anthony Iwuala explained that selection was merit-based, following rigorous testing and training sessions.

Each intern is paired with a mentor to provide hands-on guidance, creating pathways to full-time employment.

“We are not just training them; we train them to employ them. Participants from the previous edition are now full-time employees,” Iwuala added.

At the event, industry leaders encouraged women to take active roles in tech development and leadership.

Kemi Okusanya highlighted the importance of female perspectives in product design:

“The world needs us more. Men can’t design products for women without gaps. Build solutions locally, scale globally.”

Dr Nneka Okekearu emphasised confidence and self-awareness in career progression and highlighted the “missing middle” challenge, where women leave the workforce during critical life stages.

Nwosu revealed that PalmPay intends to expand future editions of the Purple Women programme, reinforcing the company’s vision of a more inclusive digital economy.

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“The fourth edition will definitely come, and we are going to make it bigger and better,” he said.