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Summary
The PAWENpreneur Summit & Awards 2025 celebrated African excellence and global relevance through a hybrid gathering of dialogue and connection. The event featured innovation-driven sessions, keynote conversations and a gala honouring outstanding entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, impact leaders, public advocates, ecosystem builders and global allies.
The much-anticipated PAWENpreneur virtual Summit & Awards took place on November 15, 2025, celebrated its theme, “African Excellence, Global Relevance,” with purpose. The hybrid event brought together women entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, innovators and thought leaders from 39 African countries for a day of dialogue, networking, and recognition.
The Awards Gala, held at The Zone, Gbagada, Lagos and streamed live globally, featured inspiring stories, cultural performances, high-profile presenters and networking opportunities. The dress code for the evening was African Glam.
At the event, PAWEN founder, Oluwaseyi Kehinde-Peters, in her opening speech, welcomed attendees to the 2nd Edition of the PAWENpreneur Summit & Awards. She emphasised that African women are not waiting to be included but are building, leading, innovating and exporting solutions to the world. She added that the event celebrates resilience, courage and the audacity to dream in environments that demand twice the effort for half the recognition.
“Every woman here represents possibility. As we experience this Summit and Gala, may we each leave with renewed energy to build boldly, collaborate widely, and proudly amplify African excellence on the global stage.”
She also acknowledged the support of partners and headline sponsors, including Nugi Technologies. She noted that the summit and awards were designed to empower women with knowledge and networks, showcase African innovation globally, and honour leaders in business, technology, finance, culture, policy, sustainability and social impact.
Outstanding finalists nominated in the award categories were celebrated during the event. The PAWENpreneur Awards expanded this year to Entrepreneurship and Business Excellence, Intrapreneurship and Innovation, Impact and Inclusion and Ecosystem Builders. Each category featured multiple honours, celebrating women making contributions across sectors.
Pauline Achieng Otila from Kenya received the African Business Excellence Award for her work at Apiculture Venture Limited. At the same time, Uganda’s Zaitun Namuwonge was honoured as a Sustainable Business Leader for Afro Lube Limited. In Nigeria, Omoyemi Akerele earned the Cultural Enterprise Award for Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week, and Opeyemi Aminat Adebisi was recognised as an Emerging Founder for Pemnia Wellness. Esther Chinenye Eruchie also stood out in Nigeria, winning the Tech-for-Good Entrepreneur Award for FriendnPal.
From Nigeria, Dr Deborah David received the Boardroom Leadership Award for her role at Powergas Ebedei Limited. Uganda’s Fiona Nuwamanya was named Finance Leader of the Year for Rocket Health Africa, and Kenya’s Jean Mutabazi received the HR Leader of the Year Award for ZEP-RE. Nigeria’s Oluwatobi Q. Shofowora won Sustainability Leader of the Year for Tetracore Energy Group, while Ghana’s Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh was honoured as Technology Leader of the Year for BrainWave AfricaTech.
In the impact and inclusion category, Nigeria’s Jennifer Awirigwe received the Financial Inclusion Leader Award for FinTribe, and Dr Cassandra Akinde was recognised as Women’s Health Impact Leader for Obrin Health. Representing both Nigeria and the UK, Oritseweyinmi Erikowa-Orighoye was honoured as a Diaspora Changemaker for her work with CMADI and Ulisanara. Zimbabwe’s Samantha Sibanda received the Policy and Advocacy Award for Signs of Hope Trust.
Uganda’s Micheline Ntiru was named Mentorship Champion for her work with EHA Impact Ventures, while Nigeria’s Debola Deji-Kurunmi was recognised as a Catalyst for IMMERSE Coaching Company. Finally, Nigeria’s Nike Akerele-De Souza earned the Platform Builder Award for her contributions at Teach for Nigeria. In recognition of her exemplary leadership in advocating for, and supporting African Women globally, Sola Adesakin was presented with the Exemplary Leadership Award
Each award celebrated not only achievement but also resilience, vision, and the ability to drive transformative change. The evening served as a platform to amplify African women’s achievements while inspiring others to pursue leadership and innovation with bold confidence.
The PAWENpreneur Digital Summit 2025 ran online from 9:00 AM WAT and featured panel discussions, and fireside chats on innovation, inclusion, and leadership. The summit featured a powerful panel on gender inclusion in innovation titled “Innovation Without Inclusion: What’s Missing When Women Aren’t in the Room?” as well as a forward-looking discussion on women’s leadership in technology and AI, “Future-Ready: African Women Leading in the Age of AI.”
It also included a session on women’s health, titled “Rewriting the Hormone Story: Navigating Perimenopause and Beyond,” which addressed hormonal health and celebrated all stages of a woman’s life.
There was also a networking session and an intimate fireside chat with Bofta Yimam, an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award–winning journalist, speaker, and executive coach, who shared her career journey and encouraged women to excel in their fields.
The 2025 edition of the PAWENpreneur Summit & Awards positioned itself as Africa’s largest digital exhibition and awards celebration for women, highlighting trailblazers shaping the continent’s present and future.
