On March 8, International Women’s Day, the ballroom at Eko Hotel & Suites carried a different kind of authority. The Women of Impact in Africa 2026, an initiative of ARISE News Channel, convened women whose leadership spans governance, finance, healthcare, regulation, technology, diplomacy, and the creative industries. The timing was intentional. The room, even more so.
Founded by Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the ARISE and THISDAY Media Group, the platform has steadily evolved into a continental register of influence, celebrating women whose decisions shape institutions rather than merely participate in them.
Cocktails began at 7:00 PM, with the main programme commencing at 8:00 PM inside the Eko Convention Centre. By then, the hall had taken on a layered presence. The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; and Professor Benedict Oramah of Afreximbank were among those seated alongside senior executives, regulators, diplomats and industry leaders.
Honourees travelled from across Nigeria and the rest of Africa, reinforcing the continental reach of the award ceremony.
The evening was hosted by Katie from South Africa and Yolanda Roberts from Zimbabwe, whose poise and fluid handover maintained a distinctly pan-African cadence throughout the programme.
Now firmly established as an annual fixture, the Women of Impact in Africa has become one of the continent’s most anticipated gatherings of leadership. Across tables and conversations that stretched late into the night, the room reflected something unmistakable, the growing presence of women shaping the direction of Africa’s institutions, industries and ideas.
Setting the Tone
Opening remarks by Efe and Eka Obaigbena set the direction for the evening. The awards, they noted, were conceived not as ceremonial decoration but as a deliberate acknowledgement of leadership that has long shaped the continent.
Daughters of ARISE and THISDAY Media Group founder Prince Nduka Obaigbena and directors within the ARISE Global Media network, the sisters spoke about the thinking behind the platform and the moment it seeks to capture.
International Women’s Day, they explained, offered the appropriate setting to recognise the undeniable force of African women, their work, brilliance and sacrifice, as well as the steady ways they continue to influence institutions, economies and communities.
Across the continent, they observed, women have long occupied spaces of responsibility and influence, in boardrooms, classrooms, courtrooms, markets and farms, often shaping progress without the benefit of widespread acknowledgement.
The Women of Impact in Africa, they noted, were created to bring that influence into a single moment of recognition, convening women from across Africa whose leadership continues to shape the direction of their sectors and societies.
Music and Moment
The Nigerian Navy Band opened the evening with the national anthem, their precise delivery giving the room a sense of ceremony before the programme properly began.
Later in the evening, one of the night’s most memorable moments arrived when Tiwa Savage stepped forward to introduce Asa’s performance. The announcement alone drew an immediate stir across the hall.
Asa appeared in a sleek silver silhouette and opened with Preacher Man, her voice filling the convention centre with the kind of calm command that has long defined her performances. Guests could be heard humming along from different corners of the room. For a few minutes, the formal rhythm of the ceremony softened, giving way to music that carried the evening forward.
The Women of Impact
At the centre of the evening were women whose work, taken together, formed a layered portrait of contemporary African leadership.
The awards did not orbit a single profession or industry. They cut across law, finance, healthcare, governance, regulation, technology and culture, placing women who move capital beside those who shape policy, and those who build institutions beside those who shape narrative.
Senior advocates stood alongside physicians who have built specialist medical centres from the ground up. Investment executives influencing capital allocation shared space with regulators overseeing national energy frameworks. Activists demanding accountability were honoured beside entrepreneurs exporting African creativity to global markets.
Acceptance remarks throughout the evening were measured but purposeful.
Activist Yemi Adamolekun urged reflection on “the kind of country that we want to live in,” grounding recognition in civic responsibility rather than ceremony.
Investment leader Adesuwa Rhodes Okunbor returned to one practical theme: capital. Empowerment, she implied, must be backed financially, because when women are supported with real resources, transformation becomes structural, not symbolic.
Business, Finance & Enterprise
Creativity,Culture and Technology
Law, Justice & Public Order
Leadership & Governance
Science,Medicine, Philanthropy & Humanity &Social Impact
Guests
The Last Word
The formal programme concluded with remarks from Chinwe Obaigbena, bringing the evening to a composed close.
She thanked the honourees, partners, dignitaries and guests for their presence and continued support, acknowledging the collective effort behind the platform. She also extended International Women’s Day wishes to the women in the room and across the continent, reinforcing the significance of March 8 as both a moment of recognition and reflection.
The Africa Women of Impact Awards was reiterated as part of ARISE News’ ongoing commitment to spotlighting women whose work continues to shape industries, institutions and communities across Africa. Now firmly established as an annual fixture, the platform continues to convene leadership across sectors within a single institutional space.
