Ezekwesili At 60, Tasks Women On Leadership, Career Development

A former vice president of the World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, has tasked girls and young women to aspire for leadership positions from early stages of their lives, stressing that doing so would enable them to build capacity and help them succeed the older generation of leaders.

Ezekwesili who is the convener/chair of FixPolitics and founder School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) stated this in Abuja yesterday during a symposium to celebrate her 60th birthday.

She stressed that she includes women in everything she does, saying God gives everyone the same brain.

Ezekwesili said leveraging on the productivity and capabilities of women will increase Africa’s GDP by 30 to 40 per cent.

She said with the right policies, institutional and regulatory systems with the appropriate investments in the things that might affect productivity and competitiveness such as technology women will achieve more.

“If a woman is economically empowered she can make decisions for herself,” she said.

Ezekwesili said the biggest legacy she got from her parents was the need to always uphold the right values and morals.

Speaking further, she said the greatest asset to the poor in Africa is mobile phones, internet, web services, and data.

She stressed that with technology, Africa will attain economic growth and freedom through telecom and ICT.

On factors that aid her career achievements, she said, “My father always tells us not to swallow our voice. Our home was a mini-debate theatre. If you win the debate, you get extra meat.”

She further said she has mentors and keeps an eye on her mentors.

She added that as minister of education, she ensured quality assurance in the education sector to ensure people learn.

Also, the executive director and co-founder of Not Forgotten Initiative School, Asokoro district, Mrs. Oluwatosin Adeniyi, while speaking with journalists called on the government to make education accessible to every child, and not leave any child behind.

“Do not leave any child behind, make education accessible and provide the supervision that it requires. So, it is not just setting up a school, but ensuring that the right thing is being taught and the curriculum is correct, and the personnel are also motivated to do the right thing,” she said.