MasterCard announces Folasade Femi-Lawal as Head for West Africa in Strategic Move

MasterCard, a leading digital payments and technology company, proudly announces the appointment of Folasade Femi-Lawal as the Country Manager and Area Business Director for West Africa.

With an impressive career spanning over 25 years in the financial and digital banking sector, Femi-Lawal is entrusted with steering MasterCard’s vision, fostering innovation, and driving growth initiatives across the West African region.

In her new role, Femi-Lawal assumes a critical position in enhancing collaborations with key stakeholders, contributing to the development of a more integrated and inclusive digital economy in West Africa.

Mark Elliott, Division President for Sub-Saharan Africa at MasterCard, expresses confidence in Femi-Lawal’s leadership acumen, innovation, and commitment to positive change, emphasising the alignment of her track record with the company’s regional vision.

Femi-Lawal’s extensive experience as a senior executive includes a significant role in leading mobile financial services and digital banking strategy at First Bank, Nigeria, over the past decade.

During her tenure, she notably expanded the card subscriber base and increased market share as the Head of Cards and Messaging Business.

Before joining First Bank, Femi-Lawal served as the Head of the United Bank of Africa’s loan monitoring arm, overseeing credit risk management.

Noteworthy achievements include currently overseeing the largest card base in Nigeria and the second-largest in West Africa, with over 11 million cards and transactions valued in millions of dollars annually.

Accolades received by Femi-Lawal include the Outstanding Women in Management award from the United Nations Association of Nigeria, along with recognition as one of Africa’s Top 50 Women in Management.

Her recent roles encompass serving as the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Committee of eBusiness Industry Heads and being a member of the Forbes Business Development Council.

In response to her appointment, Folasade Femi-Lawal expresses eagerness to contribute to the Nigerian government’s agenda for developing a robust, inclusive, and secure digital economy.

She looks forward to elevating MasterCard’s presence in the region, delivering unparalleled value to clients and customers.

Femi-Lawal’s distinguished career also includes spearheading the execution of a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between First Bank, UNICEF, and the Nigerian Government.

This initiative facilitated the disbursement of payments to 20,000 rural women in Northern Nigeria, contributing to her appointment as the Pioneer Head of Digital Banking in 2015.

Beyond her professional achievements, Folasade Femi-Lawal has served on industry panels, contributed as a Board member for global FinTechs, and played a role in First Bank’s recognition as “The Best Digital Bank of Distinction” by Global Finance Awards in 2016 and 2017.

Folasade Femi-Lawal brings a distinctive blend of leadership, innovation, and a commitment to positive change, positioning her as a valuable asset to MasterCard’s strategic endeavors in West Africa.