Dr. Folasade Femi-Lawal

Folasade Femi-Lawal is the Country Manager, West Africa at Mastercard. Based in Nigeria, Folasade is responsible for advancing the Mastercard brand presence in West Africa, overseeing performance and strategic direction, deploying innovative payment solutions, and partnering with local governments and market regulators to build a World Beyond Cash.

Before joining Mastercard, Folasade held multiple roles in the finance and banking industry. Her career began in 1995 as a Senior Associate, Audit & Business Advisory Services in PricewaterhouseCoopers, before she transitioned into the finance and banking industry. Her first role in banking dates back to 1998, when she joined United Bank of Africa (UBA) as the Head of Loan Monitoring Unit — overseeing the bank’s loan portfolio and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

This position was then followed by her role as Head of Card & Messaging Business at FirstBank, where she managed eleven million cards and coordinated the Card Products Strategy in the Bank and its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

Folasade also served as the Vice President of the Committee of E-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH), where she contributed to driving innovation and collaboration across Nigeria’s financial ecosystem.

She is a seasoned Digital Transformation Senior Executive with 25 years of experience across diverse industries such as Financial Services, Management Consulting, Telecommunications, and Business Advisory Services. Alongside her varied experience, she is passionate about women empowerment and financial inclusion, with affiliations to key organisations such as the Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) and the Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) initiative, launched by the U.S. Consulate General.

Folasade has been recognised for her leadership and achievements, receiving the Visionary Leader in Technology and Business Award in 2024, presented by The CIO and C-Suite Awards Africa, and being named among the Forty-Five Most Influential Women in Digital Transformation in 2024, awarded by CIO Africa Magazine.

She holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA in Information Management System from Texila American University, Guyana. She has also received an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Veridian Christian University, awarded in recognition of her impact in Business and Christian Leadership. In addition, she has received professional and executive education from Pan-African  University, Harvard Business School, London Business School, and Gershom Lehman Consulting (USA).

Folasade is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and the Association of Enterprise Risk Managers. She is also a member of the Forbes Business Development Council and the Committee for Open Banking API Standard.