Nigeria’s Keystone Bank has added another feather to its cap as it emerged the winner at the just concluded 2018 Global Impact Leadership Award held in New York, under the “Best Bank In Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment Category”. As one of Nigeria’s fastest growing financial institutions, the bank was recognized on account of its demonstration of extraordinary support for Women Entrepreneurs. 

Over the years, Keystone Bank Limited has been working in line with the United Nations’ campaign and all-time committed mission to invest in the economic empowerment of women with a goal to set a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication, and inclusive economic growth. 

As the world strives to give women folk due recognition, Keystone Bank has been making effort to promote women making enormous contributions to the economy in major small and medium enterprises, farm businesses, and as entrepreneurs or employees. By doing this, the bank has facilitated their access to economic assets like lands and loans.

According to the organizers, the award is in recognition of Keystone’s leading role in expanding access to funds for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria and the rest of Africa where it operates. The bank’s commitment to fulfilling its promise of delivering tailor-ready, convenient, and reliable solutions to its customers has been recognized and described as real-time #PressforProgress.  

In the past, Africa’s economy suffered from years of relegating women to the background. Instead of experiencing a robust economic drive, her old tradition of men-centred cultural orientation has denied women the opportunity to participate fully in economic life and social engineering across all sectors in building stronger economies while achieving internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability in a bid to improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.

As a private financial institution, Keystone Bank has set the pace for other banks to design schemes and develop strategies capable of aiding and supporting women on the global scene, therefore, the Bank can go on and enjoy the pleasure of its well-deserved winning.