Mrs. Cynthia Iranmwinran Ikponmwosa is a first-rate microfinance banker. Having spent over 23 years in microfinance banking,, she  is one of the most exxperinced Nigerians in that area of financial services delivery.

Indeed she is witness to history as she was on ground when an NGO namely Lift Above Poverty Organisation, LAPO  metamorphosed into LAPO Microfinance Bank. She has been there all along playing crucial roles as LAPO Microfinance Bank moved steadily over the years to emerge as the largest microfinance bank in Nigeria.

 As Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAPO since the year 2020, she continues to drive sustainable wealth creation, gender equality and economic resilience across underserved communities.

A distinguished scholar, Mrs. Ikponmwosa holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (1996) and a Master of Law in Corporate Governance and Law from the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom (2014). She is Blueprint Certified (ICSA) and has completed elite national and international trainings in governance, risk management, and financial leadership.

Her  rise in LAPO began in September 2001  when she climbed from foundational roles to Executive Director, Corporate Services and then the ultimate as MD/CEO. A proud member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), London and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) she exemplifies ethical leadership, regulatory excellence and stakeholder trust.

Under her visionary stewardship, LAPO MfB continues to expand access to credit, digital finance and financial literacy for women, youth and rural entrepreneurs. Her leadership has fuelled enterprise growth, reduced poverty and strengthened generational wealth creation across Nigeria. Today, her governance model stands as a benchmark for microfinance institutions across Africa.

Mrs. Cynthia Ikponmwosa does not merely lead a bank—she leads a movement. With every loan granted, every woman empowered, and every community uplifted, she is reshaping Nigeria’s economic future, one life at a time.

It was in recognition of her accomplishments and contribution to national development in the sphere of Microfinance Banking and Economic Development  that Mrs. Cynthia Iranmwinran Ikponmwosa was deemed worthy to be conferred with the Woman of Merit Gold Award.