The second edition of the Instinct Women Conference and Awards convened over 100 women leaders and entrepreneurs from across industries, including finance, technology, public policy, business, and corporate leadership at the Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme “Women Who Move Nations: Leadership, Legacy, and Impact.”
The one-day conference, held on February 26 and followed by an awards evening on February 27, was organised by Instinctwave and sponsored by Creditswitch and Techconnect. The annual gathering brought together visionary women leaders, changemakers, and trailblazers committed to redefining the future of leadership across Africa.
Opening the second annual conference and awards, Instinctwave CEO, Mr. Akin Naphtal, described IWCA as a platform that encourages women leaders to openly share their lived experiences from navigating boardrooms and leading through crises to building businesses and shaping policy across borders. According to him, the objective is not merely inspiration, but the creation of practical leadership blueprints for future generations.
“IWCA is designed as a space where women can share their journeys honestly and boldly. We want stories of resilience. Stories of navigating boardrooms. Stories of leading through crisis. Stories of balancing power with purpose. Stories of building businesses across borders. Stories of transforming communities and shaping policy. Because when women share their lived experiences, they do more than inspire, they create blueprints for the next generation,” he said.
The CEO further acknowledged the presence of senior government leaders and keynote speakers, noting that their participation reinforces the importance of women’s leadership in driving national and continental development.
“Your presence affirms that advancing women’s leadership is not a peripheral issue; it is central to national development and continental progress,” he added.
The event attracted prominent government officials and corporate leaders from across Africa, including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo; Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki; Executive Director of the MTN Nigeria Foundation, Odunayo Sanya; Deputy CEO of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, Dr. Sheila Addo; and President of the Law Society of Kenya, Faith Odhiambo. Other senior policymakers and private sector executives from Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana were also in attendance.