Women are more intelligent , brilliant-Minister

The Minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has said that women are by far more intelligent and should express their brilliance in their jobs.

Amaechi stated this on Thursday, March 25, at a Women National Business Agenda Policy Dialogue organized by the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN) in Abuja.

Solacebase reports that the theme of the event was “Women Leadership and Economic Equality.

He urged women to collaborate and support women in rural areas to grow.

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He said, “Please don’t ask that something should be set aside for you, ask for your right. Ask yourselves basic questions on what to do to alleviate poverty”.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, noted that as the world, including Nigeria, continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, gender inequalities, conflicts and other vices, it is clearer that women’s leadership is key to address these challenges

She noted that despite past efforts of the government at integrating the women’s question into the national development agenda, gender inequalities remain pervasive within most Nigerian spaces, hence, the current push for all hands to be on deck to ensure women’s empowerment and sustainable development of the country

“In Nigeria, we have experienced an apparent deficit of women in the formal sector of the economy. Women are estimated to own only 20 percent of enterprises in the formal sector and hold only 11.7 percent as Board of Directors in the country. The situation is partly explained by women’s limited access to finance, which is worsened by their lack of access to acceptable collateral.

“As more women ascend to the corporate ladder, more women entrepreneur associations have emerged in the country to challenge and address some of the barriers they encounter in financing their businesses. The existence of these groups have helped to shape advocacy and sensitization for supporting women entrepreneurship as important to women’s success.

“There is a need to understand that identifying women’s empowerment and their engagement in entrepreneurship activities is key to attaining economic prosperity”, she expressed.

She also stated that the continuous delays in closing the gender gaps make achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063 to remain elusive and perhaps a mere illusion and that investing in women and girls and ending gender inequality would not only set Nigeria on a double-digit economic growth track but would also significantly contribute to meeting our development goals.

“There is a growing consensus that women empowerment, if well promoted responds to women’s engagement in productive activities that engenders development and poverty reduction. In all of these, collaboration is key. Let us change our strategy by loving and supporting each other”, she stressed

A Trustee Member of ANWBN, Iyalode Alaba Lawson advised women to join hands to make Africa and Nigeria great, adding that in unity is a strength

“If we can unite, we can get ourselves together, if we can work together, we can work far and make a good impact in this great country”, she said.

Earlier, the National Coordinator, ANWBN, Mrs Modupe Oyekunle, stated that the coalition which was put together seven years ago with 52 Associations has five key priority areas which are: Insecurity; Poor road network; Lack of power; Gender inequality; and Access to finance.

She commended the Government’s effort, adding that ANWBN will first commend what has been done before making a recommendation, as only focusing on recommendation might erode what has been done.

Women were also urged to foster greater collaboration amongst themselves and to continue to innovate in the face of the growing negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that no one is left behind.