ExxonMobil, WEConnect Task Nigerian Women

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Women in Nigeria have been urged to see themselves as positive agents of change in the country and not push overs.

This charge was given at an empowerment programme organised in Lagos recently by ExxonMobil in partnership with WEConnect International in commemoration of the International Women’s Day (IWD) held on March 8, 2017.

At the event themed ‘Bold Steps for Big Change,’ women were advised to be more involved in the growth of the economy because they have the huge potential to achieve this.

Keynote speaker of the seminar, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, a business mogul, lamented that women have been made to see themselves as a lesser being.

According to her, half of the world’s greatest resources are being blocked from reaching their potential due to the fact that they belong to the female gender.

She said women have to get away from their loss esteem shell and take up the challenge to become great in the society.

In achieving this, Mrs Alakija charged women to step up and take bold, ground-breaking actions towards improving the success rate and persevere till they succeed in business.

On her part, the Country Director of WEConnect International in Nigeria, Mrs Shade Ladipo, women must see themselves as vital to the success of any organisation.

She noted that her organisation partnered with ExxonMobil to train women on the workings of multi-nationals and large organizations, on such areas as their bidding and procurement processes as well as how to compete more effectively with their male counterparts in winning business from such organizations.

Also during the programme, ExxonMobil Nigeria’s Operations Procurement Manager, Mrs Judith Mbonu, ExxonMobil’s support for Women Economic Empowerment stems from their strong belief that “when women move forward, the world moves with them”.

She said, “We also know that when women control their income, they usually invest in the health, education and well-being of their families and communities, thereby benefitting the entire society.”

According to her, in 2016, her company did business with women-owned firms in Nigeria to the tune of over $24 million in furtherance of this economic empowerment objective.