Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc, has emerged winner in the “Women on Bank Boards” category at the Africa Women in Banking and Finance Conference and Awards (AWBFA 2026).

Amaka Onwughalu

The event, themed “Redefining Women’s Leadership in African Finance”, held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja on Friday, 8 May 2026, is a platform established to celebrate women driving leadership and impact across Africa’s financial services ecosystem. It also spotlights professionals whose contributions are often overlooked, while advancing visibility for women shaping banking and finance.

In her acceptance remarks, delivered through Ezinwa Unuigboje, Company Secretary, Fidelity Bank Plc, Onwughalu described the recognition as a timely reminder of the role inclusion plays in strengthening board effectiveness and corporate governance.

“This recognition matters because inclusion at board level strengthens governance,” she said, noting that when diverse perspectives are represented, “oversight is sharper, risk conversations are richer, and strategy is tested more thoroughly.”

She added that inclusive leadership sends an important signal to the market and the next generation of leaders, emphasising that boardrooms should reflect “competence, experience, and the society the financial system serves.”

For Fidelity Bank, the Chairman linked the award to the institution’s governance priorities and growth trajectory. She noted that strong governance aligns with the bank’s consolidation of “key milestones in capital strengthening, international expansion, and sustained business growth.”

She also highlighted the wider benefits for the Nigerian banking industry, noting that inclusive boards support stability and trust, improve decision quality, and help institutions remain responsive to customers, communities, and an evolving regulatory environment. She said the honour was accepted “with gratitude, and with renewed commitment to champion inclusive leadership at the highest level.”

Organisers have positioned AWBFA 2026 as more than a conference, describing it as a movement focused on celebrating excellence, driving inclusion, and strengthening leadership pipelines for women across Africa’s financial ecosystem.

Abuja Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned Blessing Gozi-Anyaokei, managing director, Viscount Microfinance Bank, over allegations of unlawful conversion of investment funds amounting to N19 million and $30,000.

Blessing Gozi-Anyaokei, managing director, Viscount Microfinance Bank

Gozi-Anyaokei was brought before Justice Y. Halilu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a two-count charge bordering on alleged illegal conversion and obtaining money under false pretence.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by  Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, the defendant allegedly received N19 million from one Ernest Terkula Jor in 2022 for investment purposes while serving as the Managing Director of the bank.

The anti-graft agency accused her of diverting the funds for personal use, contrary to the provisions of the Penal Code Act.

In the second charge, the EFCC alleged that she also received $30,000 from the same individual for investment purposes but dishonestly converted the money for her personal benefit.

The commission stated that the alleged offences contravene Section 311 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990, and are punishable under Section 312 of the same Act.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read before the court.

Following her plea, prosecution counsel, S.N. Robert, requested a date for the commencement of trial.

Justice Halilu subsequently granted the defendant bail with two sureties who must possess landed property within Abuja.

The court also ordered her to surrender her travel documents and barred her from travelling outside the country without court approval.

The matter was adjourned until July 19, 2026, for commencement of trial.

Ms. Cynthia Rowe, the Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission Abuja, has completed high-level engagements with Kano and Jigawa States, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to development and reform in northern Nigeria.

The engagements with state governors, senior government officials and civil society leaders, underscored the UK’s modern approach to development as a genuine partnership with Nigeria. This approach prioritises state led ownership and sustainable development that delivers lasting impact through strengthening systems and partnerships grounded in investment, trade, climate financing, technical expertise and joint accountability.

Nigeria remains one of the United Kingdom’s most significant development partners, and the engagements underlined the strength and ambition of the bilateral relationship reaffirmed during the recent UK-Nigeria State Visit.

Kano State

In Kano, Head of Development Cooperation, Cynthia Rowe, met with Deputy Governor Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo and senior officials including the newly confirmed Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the State Government. The visit recognised Kano’s progress on climate finance, health system reform and private sector investment supported through UK technical assistance.

Jigawa State

In Jigawa, she met with Governor Umar Namadi and heads of key ministries, departments and agencies. The meeting celebrated more than 25 years of UK-Jigawa partnership, one of the most longstanding bilateral development relationships at the subnational level in Nigeria. Discussions covered the state’s continued progress on health systems reform, agriculture, and governance and the path forward under UK-technical assistance.

Since 2022, PLANE has supported Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa to strengthen state-led education delivery systems, working through Ministries of Education, SUBEB and key agencies. Its RANA+ foundational learning packages have reached 1.4 million pupils across the three states, alongside wider system strengthening.

At the end of the visit, the Head of Development Cooperation, Cynthia Rowe said: “For more than 25 years, we have worked side by side with state governments including Jigawa and Kano states, their communities, and civil society to build stronger health systems, improve learning outcomes for millions of children, support farmers to grow their businesses, and help states attract the investment they need to thrive.

These visits have reinforced our confidence in what this partnership can achieve. We are working together to deliver lasting change, and deepening a relationship built on genuine mutual respect and shared ambition for Nigeria’s growth and development.”