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IWD 2024: It Will Take 50 Years to Close OECD Gender Pay Gap—PwC
By Adedapo Adesanya
A new study from top consultancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), has shown that it would take more than half a century to close the average gender pay gap across all 33 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
To mark International Women’s Day 2024, PwC has released two studies, the Women in Work Index and Inclusion Matters, finding that global progress on achieving gender parity at work continues at a sluggish rate.
Now in its 12th edition, the latest data from the 2024 Women in Work Index (WiW Index) measures progress towards gender equality at work across the OECD, taking in five indicators that frame PwC’s analysis and measure various indicators of gender equality in the workplace, one of which is the gender pay gap.
PwC said that despite some progress over the past decade, this year’s analysis shows there is still a considerable way to go to reach gender parity at work across all five indicators.
Over the last decade, the average Index score increased from 56.3 in 2011 to 68 in 2022. In the latest Index update, the average OECD score improved by approximately two points from a score of 66 in 2021 to 68 in 2022.
Between 2021 and 2022, the majority of the improvement across the OECD was driven by an increase in the female labour force participation rate from 70.8 per cent to 72.1 per cent and a fall in the female unemployment rate from 6.4 power to 5.3 per cent.
However, the average gender pay gap across the OECD widened from 13.2 per cent to 13.5 per cent over this period. This shows that despite greater participation, women remain in a considerably weaker position in terms of labour market returns as compared to men.
Since the inception of the Index in 2011, the gender pay gap has been one of the indicators with the slowest improvement, narrowing only three percentage points between 2011 and 2022 across the OECD.
In terms of country ranking, Luxembourg ranks first on the WiW Index, followed by Iceland and Slovenia. The top five countries on the Index in 2021 continue to rank in the top five in 2022, but the ordering has changed.
Luxembourg’s strong performance was driven by an improvement on all indicators and especially by the fact that the country continues to have the lowest gender pay gap across the OECD. At -0.2 per cent, Luxembourg’s gender pay gap is negative, meaning that on average, the median level of pay is higher for women than men. The Nordic countries, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, all appear in the top 11.
Mexico has scored the lowest on the Index since 2018. Its poor performance in 2022 was mainly driven by a high gender pay gap of 17 per cent along with a low female labour force participation rate of 50 per cent compared to a 14 per cent gender pay gap average across the OECD and a 72 per cent female participation rate.
Australia recorded the biggest improvement in its rank, rising seven places from 17th place in 2021 to 10th place in 2022, with a 6.6-point increase in its Index score. This was driven by an improvement across all five indicators and in particular, the gender pay gap, which fell from 14.2 per cent in 2021 to 9.9 per cent in 2022.
Conversely, the UK experienced the largest fall in the ranking, dropping four places from 13th in 2021 to 17th in 2022. This was largely a relative change despite a 1.1 point increase in the UK’s Index score, implying that the UK is being outpaced by other countries in terms of progress made towards achieving gender equality at work. The UK’s gender pay gap also increased from 14.3 per cent in 2021 to 14.5 per cent in 2022.
PwC’s Inclusion Matters research confirms that disparity in pay is a pain point for women in the workplace. It found that only 39 per cent of women feel they are being fairly rewarded financially for their work.
PwC drew insights from its Global Hopes and Fears Survey 2023, to compile the Inclusion Matters research, sharing fresh gender-focused perspectives from close to 54,000 workers globally, almost 23,000 of whom are women.
The research includes a Workplace Inclusion Indicator Index that measures three key dimensions of inclusion: belonging, fairness, and inclusive decision-making – and found that a statistically significant gender gap in favour of men.
The research found that there is a significant gap between the inclination of men and women to ask for promotions (-9 points) and pay raises (-8 points). However, women with Inclusion Index scores in the top quartile are 1.4 times more likely to ask for a raise, and 1.5 times more likely to ask for a promotion. They are also 2.2 times more likely to recommend their employer as a place to work.
Women’s turnover intentions increased (+8 points) this year with one in four women planning to change employers in the next 12 months, just slightly below the turnover intention rate for men at 27 per cent. Highlighting a further reason why inclusion matters, women with higher inclusion scores are 1.2 times less likely to change employers.
The report also finds that inclusion is positively correlated with self-driven development and women feeling higher levels of inclusion are 1.7 times more likely to be actively seeking out opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
It was also found that inclusion supports greater readiness from women to future-proof their careers which will be critical in driving gender equity gains at work. Women with high inclusion scores foresee greater benefits to their jobs from AI (+6 points), have a clear sense of how the skills their jobs require will change in the next five years (+14 points), and are more confident their employers will support with upskilling on key development skills (+21 points).
Both women and men who have hybrid work patterns – defined as having a mix of in-person and remote working – have the highest inclusion scores when it comes to work patterns. Women with higher inclusion scores are also less likely to be feeling the impact of overwork and 1.4 times less likely to say their workloads are frequently unmanageable.
It was also confirmed that job level matters as women in senior executive and management positions felt significantly higher levels of workplace inclusion than women in non-management positions (+9 points).
Millennial women feel the highest level of inclusion in the workplace, followed by Gen Z. However, Gen Z is the only generation where women feel similarly included to men.
Women working in the technology industry had the highest Inclusion Index score across all 26 industries included in the research and were one of only four industries for which women had slightly higher inclusion scores than men.
Speaking on the result, Ms Olusola Adewole, Partner and Workforce Transformation Leader, West Market Area, PwC, said “At PwC, we truly believe that inclusion matters in driving progress towards gender parity. Our research shows workplace inclusion is an important lever in propelling women’s development and advancement. A workplace where women feel that they belong, are included in decision-making, and are treated equitably is a workplace where they can thrive.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have apprehended the Director General of the phantom Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi.
His arrest happened a few hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for his arrest.
The police had announced plans to arraign Mr Adeyemi before the court on Tuesday over allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation, and related offences.
The security agency, in a fresh charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, listed Mr Adeyemi, “Femi Surname Unknown,” and “Anu Surname Unknown” as the first to third defendants, respectively, over alleged forgery and impersonation.
The prosecution has lined up several witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, police officers, civil servants, and individuals allegedly linked to the operations of the purported agency. It was reported that a hotel operator, a clergyman, and persons said to have worked with Mr Adeyemi at the alleged agency are also expected to testify.
Investigators alleged that Mr Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja before his arrest.
The police case follows a public debate over the existence of the alleged PFIPC after Mr Adeyemi challenged the Presidency’s denial that the body ever existed.
Mr Adeyemi accused Mr Gbajabiamila of making conflicting statements regarding both the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
During a recent press briefing, Mr Adeyemi called for an independent probe into the two bodies and alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila demanded financial payments linked to his purported appointment.
He claimed that N400 million was paid through intermediaries, with an additional N200 million allegedly requested—claims that have not been substantiated.
Mr Adeyemi also argued that references to both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act, questioning the government’s position that the organisations never officially existed.
The planned prosecution comes as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) continues a broader investigation ordered by President Tinubu.
The Senate had earlier declined to immediately investigate the inclusion of the alleged PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act, opting instead to await the outcome of the anti-graft agency’s probe.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed two fuel stations in Ogun State engaging in under-dispensing of petroleum products and non-compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021.
Leading the enforcement team around the Akute-Ajuwon axis of the state, the Head of Distribution Systems Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Adebowale, said the move became imperative in view of repeated breaches of regulatory requirements by the affected stations and the need to protect the rights of consumers from sharp practices.
According to him, the development is part of its ongoing efforts to enforce compliance with industry regulations, protect consumers from sharp practices, and ensure that petroleum marketers dispense the correct quantity of products across the state.
He explained that records available to the authority showed that the fuel stations have consistently violated regulatory compliance by under-dispensing petroleum products, illegally breaking official seals placed on the facility, and resuming operations without authorisation.
According to him, such actions amount to a violation of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023 and undermine efforts to protect consumers from exploitation.
“The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is carrying out a lawful enforcement on this facility. Our records have consistently shown that this company has been violating regulatory compliance.”
“It is high time we made it clear that they cannot continue to under-dispense products, deliberately remove our seals, and believe that nothing will happen; that is why we are here to enforce the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023 he said.
“When it comes to under-dispensing, they are cheating members of the public by not selling the correct quantity of fuel. Also, once a station is sealed, it has no authorisation to operate. But this station deliberately removed our seal and continued operations, which is against the law.”
Mr Adebowale disclosed that the authority has been monitoring the station’s activities since 2025, describing the violations as persistent despite several enforcement actions.
He revealed that the affected station had been sealed no fewer than six times within the period, but continued to remove the authority’s seals and ignore invitations extended by the regulator.
“From our records, this has been happening since last year. The station has also refused to honour our invitations. It has been sealed not less than six times, yet it keeps removing our seals and resuming operations.”
On the sanctions awaiting the operators, Adebowale said the authority had served the stations with enforcement notices, while the facilities would remain shut until all stipulated conditions are met.
He added that the NMDPRA management would also consider suspending the operating licence of the affected stations, while also sending a strong warning to any fuel station intending to go against the rules of PIA.
“That is against the rules. They do not have any right to operate until we authorise them to do so. This is a clear deviation from regulatory compliance. According to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), when this happens, we must carry out enforcement, and that is why we are here today.
Beyond conducting this exercise, we are also using this opportunity to address the public through the media. As long as operators are doing the right thing, they have nothing to fear. However, for those going against compliance levels—whether through under-dispensing or direct violation of our seal—all necessary enforcement, penalties, and sanctions will be strictly applied against such offenders.”
“A letter has been served, the station has been completely shut down, and they must meet all the conditions, including payment of the applicable penalties. We are also looking at suspending the operating licence, subject to management’s approval,” he said, warning that any further attempt to tamper with the seals or resume operations illegally would attract criminal prosecution.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it has moved to reduce port gridlock by releasing trucks into Apapa and Tin Can ports in scheduled batches based on terminal demand, while enforcing strict rules against indiscriminate parking on port access roads.
The General Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Mr Debo Lawal, said the NPA management, led by Managing Director, Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, was committed to ending indiscriminate truck parking around the ports and aligning operations with global best practices.
He said the authority was working with Truck Transit Parks Limited (TTP) to regulate truck movement into terminals through a phased release system.
According to him, trucks will now be released in scheduled batches based on terminal demand, instead of allowing all approved trucks to enter the port corridor simultaneously.
“If a terminal requires 100 trucks, they will not all be released at once. They will come in batches to reduce pressure on the port access roads,” he said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Mr Lawal said a joint task force had been clearing Apapa and Tin Can port access roads since June 26, 2026, operating until about 8 pm daily to prevent indiscriminate parking.
He added that another clearance exercise would soon be conducted to sustain the gains and prevent a return to the persistent gridlock that previously characterised the port corridors.
The port manager, however, urged truck operators to support the initiative by exiting the port environment immediately after loading or offloading cargo.
He noted that some truck drivers still parked along access roads after completing port operations, despite repeated engagements by the authority.
“We engage truckers and their leadership every day, but enforcement will continue alongside sensitisation to ensure compliance,” he said.
On infrastructure, Mr Lawal said the federal government, through the NPA, had begun payment of the five per cent counterpart funding required for the 726 million dollar port rehabilitation project.
He disclosed that preliminary activities, including borehole drilling and site investigations, had been completed, while contractors were expected to mobilise to the site before the end of July.
According to him, a technical stakeholders’ meeting was held on July 7, while a broader stakeholders’ review was scheduled for July 13 to assess progress and address implementation gaps.
Mr Lawal said the rehabilitation project, alongside ongoing reforms, was aimed at reducing cargo clearance time, eliminating documentation bottlenecks and improving operational efficiency at the nation’s seaports.
He added that the National Single Window project was about 80 per cent completed, with a dedicated office already established near the port to improve inter-agency coordination.
According to him, the digital platform will integrate banks, the Nigeria Customs Service, shipping companies and other government agencies to improve efficiency, plug revenue leakages and enhance revenue collection.
Mr Lawal expressed confidence that improved digitisation, reduced human interference and more efficient truck management would strengthen Nigeria’s trade competitiveness and enhance operations at the Apapa and Tin Can ports.
