The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Women on Tuesday, moved against the stereotype against them in the industry.
In her keynote address at the PENGASSAN Women Annual Convention (PWAC) 2025 in Abuja: the Business Services Executive Vice President of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Sophia Mbakwe, inspired women not to view themselves as second-class citizens.
She urged them to be confident in tackling the stereotypes.
She urged the women to be bold to take advantage of opportunities whenever they beckon.
She, however, cautioned them to drop the bad attitudes that might hinder their progress.
Mbakwe said, “You can have all the money, you can have a PhD, you can have the Master’s, but if you have a bad attitude, it will not take you to the board room.
“You will keep going round the circles and wondering what has happened. So from the pipeline, they can take you far and wide.
“They can take you to the refinery, they can take you to the floor of the board room. And when you get to the floor of the board room, men and women are there, and these are people who have also gone through that journey.
“They are not different from you, so never feel second class, always hold your head up and have that confidence. Be serious and be able to tackle that stereotype.
“Be adventurous to take the bold step when doors open and opportunity knocks, even if it was not something you thought about, dare to take it and dare to embrace it.”
She urged the women to desist from restricting themselves from doing what their job roles entail.
She recalled how she worked in Frontier Exploration with her team, driving to Nassarawa and Maiduguri, sleeping inside the forest alongside the troops.
She added, “So if I need to be in the field, I will be in the office, I will be in the field, I don’t restrict myself. If that is what the job role entails, I will do the job role, and that is why I said, refuse stereotypes for breakfast and be a great woman.”
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She advised them to be their authentic selves to advance instead of relying on the feminist agenda.
She asked them to build themselves by reading motivational books that help them to grow from the pipeline to the boardroom.
She said at the NNPC, the culture and structure have been reshaped to engender gender balance across units, businesses and departments.
According to her, the restructuring has resulted in a woman heading the NNPCL Academy and other powerful women doing their things and standing tall in their areas.
In her welcome remarks, the PENGASSAN Women Commission, National Chairperson Comrade Maryann Mbanaso said the theme, ” She Power the Future: Driving Industry Transformation, Innovation, and Leadership,” is more than a theme.
She stated that currently women are not just leading change, noting that, “We are preparing the next generation to surpass us. We are building platforms for the girl-child in Science and Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), equipping her with tools, mentorship, access, and confidence to rise beyond barriers.”