(BIDC) - The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), in partnership with ASKY Airlines and Plan International Togo, successfully hosted the “Girls in Aviation Day” initiative on 7 March 2026 at the Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport in Lomé, in commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026. This landmark event offered twenty (20) girls, a meaningful and immersive learning experience aimed at increasing their exposure to professional opportunities in aviation, aerospace, and other science and technology fields.

This joint initiative reaffirmed the partners’ commitment to gender inclusion, youth empowerment, and expanding girls’ access to emerging career paths in underrepresented sectors. Through tours, interactive sessions, and hands‑on activities, the girls gained firsthand insight into airport operations, from terminal and baggage systems to cockpit procedures and air traffic control.

Speaking on behalf of EBID, Mr. Hughes Goa, Director of Private Sector Operations, highlighted the importance of investing in young women to build a more resilient and inclusive workforce in the ECOWAS region. He reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to empowering girls through education, mentorship, and career exposure as part of its people‑centered development mandate. The initiative also supports EBID’s upcoming adoption of the “Gender Equality for Public Institutions” Seal in partnership with UNDP and the ECOWAS Commission.

At the ASKY Desk, Commercial Director Mr. Daté Tévi-Bénissan stressed the need for a diverse talent pipeline in aviation and underscored the importance of greater female representation in technical and managerial roles. He reaffirmed ASKY Airlines’ commitment to promoting women’s participation across the sector.

Plan International Togo, the initiative’s technical partner, welcomed the program as a key platform for helping girls to build confidence and leadership skills. The organisation reiterated its dedication to creating safe, inclusive spaces that encourage girls from all backgrounds to broaden their ambitions and explore a wide range of career opportunities.

Through this joint initiative, EBID, ASKY, and Plan International Togo reaffirm their collective vision: to promote gender equality, foster human capital development, and empower the next generation of women leaders across West Africa.

About EBID

ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is the Development Finance Institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Based in Lomé, Togolese Republic, the Bank is committed to financing developmental projects and programmes covering diverse initiatives from infrastructure and basic amenities, rural development and environment, industry, and social services sectors, through its private and public sector windows. EBID intervenes through long, medium, and short-term loans, equity participation, lines of credit, refinancing, financial engineering operations, and related services. 

About ASKY

ASKY, The Pan-African Airline, is a carrier established by prominent regional institutions, including The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), The West African Development Bank (BOAD), the ECOBANK Group (ETI), and the Government of Togo, and Ethiopian Airlines.

Operating as a commercial entity under private law, ASKY is steered by seasoned African aviation professionals, with Ethiopian Airlines serving as its core strategic partner.

The airline currently maintains a fleet of fifteen (15) modern aircraft, comprising nine (9) Boeing 737-800s and six (06) Boeing 737 MAX 8, connecting thirty (30) cities across twenty-eight (28) African nations.

ASKY’s central mission is to cultivate a robust intra-African network that promotes regional development, boosts tourism, fuels economic growth, and advances integration as a key economic catalyst. Its long-term vision is anchored in building a sustainable and profitable global enterprise.

For further information, please contact communication@flyasky.com, visit our website at www.flyasky.com , or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @ASKY.

About Plan International Togo

Plan International has been working in Togo since 1988 to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. We work together with children, young people, communities, supporters and partners to strive for a just world, where we are all equal. To do that we tackle the root causes of the challenges and inequalities that children and young girls face.

Through our programmes and influencing work, we address the cultural and social beliefs, practices and attitudes that deny vulnerable children their rights. We also support children and their communities to be drivers of positive change.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.