Nigeria, April 6 -- Nigeria's Bank of Industry (BOI) positions itself as a champion of inclusive growth-supporting women-owned businesses and gender integration.

Its thematic areas include gender inclusion, digital transformation and youth development.

"We finance and support women-owned businesses so they can grow, create jobs, and lead across sectors," BOI stated on its website and annual reports.

Yet a closer look at the institution's leadership structure suggests a paradox: while the bank promotes gender equity externally, women have been significantly underrepresented in its top decision-making positions over the last five years.

BOI is a development vehicle established to support projects aimed at boosting job creation, reducing...