Experts across various fields have tasked Nigerian women to be daring in the pursuit of economic empowerment, leadership roles and chart a new path for national development.
The remarks were made by panelists at an event to commemorate the Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) 21st annual conference tagged: Firing Forward held at Eko Hotel, Lagos.
The experts including diplomats stated that the empowerment and gender equity will stem the low representation and participation in governance and leadership roles with calls for swift change to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The managing director/ CEO Ashgrove Group CEO, Mahmud Tukur who spoke on the role of the women folk in national development, described the role of women in nation-building as pivotal for progress, unity, and peaceful coexistence as they are intelligent and captains in their various fields.
He said for national development to take place, the women folk should be encouraged and allowed equal participation and as well empowered to be part of the nation-building process. They are unique beings as they are a unifying force with a drive to build the home and nation as a whole.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie applauded the resilience of the African women with advice to carry on taking a risk and working towards actualizing their vision to break bias to propel a positive impact in society.
She said, “A lot of African women are very strong and so many inspire me. We should try more and try harder at some point we might not succeed but the most important thing is, we should try.” The author urged parents to allow their wards to choose their chosen path in life as she herself started as a medical student before becoming a writer.
To tackle the power crisis in Nigeria, alternative power company, All On Mobile Power CEO/MD, Caroline Eboumbou in her speech explained that 90 million Nigerians have no access to power which has been the reason the company has been working to help achieve a sustainable power supply in Nigeria.
She also said the company is investing in the rural areas and also empowering startups in the renewable energy sector to tackle the deficit been experienced in this power sector. Three start-up companies were awarded for innovative ideas, and also implored them not to relent in helping create an alternative power community to alleviate the energy crisis in the country.
Furthermore, the US consular-general in Lagos, Mr. William Stevens pledged continuous support on the issue of climate change, with the US ready to help with the transition to clean energy while taking steps at the international level to achieve this goal.
Addressing domestic and violent abuse-related cases. The Lagos state commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Bolaji Dada explained that the ministry in partnership with the Domestic And Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has done a lot of advocacy and sensitisation programs to empower survivors of domestic abuse and also, provides shelters for these survivors with the ministry working on unveiling the domestic abuse shelter home in Lagos.
