IWD: First Bank Launches Dollar Fund for Women

First Bank of Nigeria has unveiled the First Women Network Dollar Fund to enable women diversify their earnings, as part of activities to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day.

This is as women professionals and entrepreneurs have been charged to accelerate action to change the fortunes of the Nigerian economy.

Speaking at the First Bank IWD event, managing director and chief executive of the bank, Segun Alebiosu expressed the need to empower women as a way of growing the economy. Alebiosu, who was represented by the bank’s executive director, Retail Banking, Seyi Oyefeso said, the dollar fund will enable women to diversify their earnings.

According to him, the First Women Network Dollar Fund was launched following the success of the naira fund that was launched in 2022. He explained that with the dollar fund, women are able to ‘invest in USD with as little as $100 at an attractive interest rate. It is another opportunity for women to build a steady stream of income and invest.’

He furthered that, “each time you invest in mutual funds, it’s such a rewarding investment in the sense that your little bit is accommodated in a larger form, and the returns get very exciting. So this is another fund, which I will enjoin you all to be part of. This fund allows you conversion of Naira to USD for investment purposes, allowing our women to further diversify their earnings.”

On her part, the chairperson of the First Women Network and Group executive director, Corporate Banking at First Bank, Mrs Olaitan Martins stressed the need for more women to step into leadership roles, drive innovation and shape the future of finance.

Speaking on the 2025 IWD theme “Accelerate Action”, she said “it is more than just the call. It is a mandate. It is a demand for urgency in our pursuit, our pursuit for self-accomplishment, for economic empowerment, for leadership, representation, sitting and waiting is no longer an option.

“As a woman in banking, I have witnessed firsthand how financial institutions shape complex communities and opportunities. Yet for decades, women have had to fight for the rightful place in boardrooms. What we are craving for is opportunities for more, more women are stepping into leadership roles, driving innovation and shaping the future of finance.

“We all have to support each other. Every decision you make, every opportunity you champion, and every barrier you break down, contributes to the larger movement towards equality.  Let us remember that gender equality is not just a woman’s issue. It is a societal imperative. When women succeed, economics grow stronger, communities become more resilient, and the world becomes a better place for everyone. Let us work together, not just to support women, but to support the younger ones,

“The time for action is now. We have to go forward with purpose, with passion and unwavering determination. Together, we have to continue to break barriers, amplify voices and take the way for a better and brighter and more inclusive tomorrow.”