By Ahmed Rahma
Foremost Nigerian writer, Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has been described as an inspiration to many Nigerians, especially the womenfolk, that nothing can be difficult to achieve if they desire it.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema, while welcoming Ms Adichie to a digital closing gong ceremony held in her honour recently, noted that the writer was a testament that Nigeria is blessed with talent.
He said it was in recognition of her literary exploits and successes that the exchange felt it necessary to honour her with the closing gong ceremony to inspire others to want to be like her.
“It is my pleasure to welcome one of Nigerian’s leading literary exports to the Nigerian Stock Exchange for our digital closing gong ceremony.
“Ms Adichie is a testament that Nigeria is a reservoir of talent. She is a mentor who consistently promotes equal opportunity and inspires women to believe in their ability to achieve set goals.
“As an exchange, our values align with the aspiration to create a world where gender is not a criterion for success, rather, the strength of a person’s character and their capacity to deliver in their engagements.
“We are, therefore, glad that our platforms offer opportunities to tell the Nigerian story of strength and brilliance as well as inspire the greatness in our unity and diversity,” Mr Onyema said.
In her remarks, the award-winning Ms Adichie said, “I am very delighted to be here today and it is my hope that my story inspires someone to know that you can keep trying and keep doing.
“I often speak about how important it is for women to be included not because we are doing women a favour, but because it makes economic sense to tap into the wealth and knowledge that is often underutilized, under-recognised and under-celebrated.
“I must, therefore, commend the policies of The Exchange in this regard. Ultimately, 2020 has been a strange year and it is my hope that next year will bring more clarity and I will be able to participate in this Closing Gong ceremony again, this time physically.”
Ms Adichie is a Nigeria writer whose works range from novels to short stories to nonfiction. She was described in The Times Literary Supplement as “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors [which] is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature”, particularly in her second home, the United States.
The exchange, which has continued to demonstrate that gender equality is at the heart of its Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) strategy, has contributed to strengthening diversity within the market.
It has also collaborated with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the Nigeria2Equal programme to help its listed companies close gender gaps within their businesses and ensure women are more represented on the board of these companies.
