ND Western Advocates Women Empowerment In Oil And Gas

The ND Western Limited (NDW), through its Women Network, is leveraging its human assets to drive narratives around equity for the female gender, joining several non-governmental organizations that are championing the cause for women’s empowerment.

The United Nations Sustainability Development Goal #5 is targeted at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girl-child across the world.

They maintained that denying women equal rights deprives half of the population of the opportunity to live life to the fullest arguing that political economic, and social equality for women will benefit every citizen of the world.

The ND Western Women Network was established in 2020 to be a “think pad” for NDW’s management and to further drive inclusion and diversity within the workforce.

In 2022, the ND Western Women Network and three of its sister companies, Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited (NDPR), FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Limited, and Walter-Smith Exploration and Production Limited, came together to form the Fierce Four in celebration of the International Women’s Day, #BreakTheBias. with the aim to build and foster more collaboration and impactful networking across all four companies.

Recently, the NDW Women Network hosted a full day of activity in Lagos where women of Fierce Four gathered to learn, network, and have honest conversations about women’s experiences within the industry while playing games amid pomp.

Speaking during the semi-formal gathering, Sumbo Fagbemi, Senior HR Executive at ND Western Limited affirmed that the first step in being an empowered woman is having the personal conviction to go beyond the norm.

She said: “there is no limit to what you may achieve or become, and over-analyzing events will prevent you from reaching your objectives. So, you must break free from the mold that society has imposed on women and seize the possibilities and opportunities that are available to further your development.”

Also speaking at the event was ND Western’s IT manager, Temitope Onibudo said: “ND Western Limited makes a concerted effort to empower women and create a safe atmosphere for women. We ensure that women are given the support they need to upskill, grow, and attain their full potential, from executive positions down to the various levels of our organization.

It is critical that we create a safe atmosphere in which women have equal possibilities to develop and that is adaptable enough to meet their specific requirements.”

The women spent the day conversing on topics ranging from work to personal life, networking, and engaging in fun games.

Collaborations like this should be encouraged in the private sector because combining the effort and expertise of different organizations propels innovations, growth, and empowerment.