The Nation Newspaper

Tag: women

  • ‘Women shouldn’t look down on themselves’

    ‘Women shouldn’t look down on themselves’

    Mercy Mbakwe, 400-Level Business Management, is the vice president of the Students’Union Government (SUG) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL). She speaks with JOY RIMAN (300-Level Linguistics and Communication Studies) on why female students must be part of the students’ union leadership.

    How did you receive your emergence as the Vice-President of the SUG in the last election?

    I thank God for my success in the election. But then, the first thing we have to know is that nobody is a failure in life. You fail when you stop trying. Each trial could make you a success. I felt happy because it was my first time of contesting for such position in the Students’ Union. Despite challenges, I still made it.

    How are you coping leading thousands of students?

    It is challenging being a lady but then, I am the vice president of all the students not just for the female students alone. There have been cases of fighting and stealing in the hostels and we tried our best to make sure that the defaulters were punished. Also, we had cases of sickness and other health challenges but we ensured that the affected students were taken to the medical centre. We are only two ladies in the union executive council and it has not been easy promoting the interest of the female students in such a place.

    What has been your relationship with the management?

    We have a cordial relationship because I have maintained constant contact with the authorities. I have intervened on behalf of students that broke the school rules. Even when the students are aggrieved or uncomfortable with any condition of the hostel, I make sure that I communicate with the management to respond to the challenge.

    How have you promoted welfare of female students?

    The essence of students’ unionism is welfare. When I assumed office, I promised the female students that I would ensure the union promotes their welfare all the time. And we have been doing this. Before the end of last semester, we brought a hair stylist company to the hostel to do free hair retouching for the female students. They came out en masse to enjoy the free service. Free gifts like hair relaxer, activator, conditioning, among others, were also given to students. We have lots more for them and they will surely come before we leave.

    Do you think your election would encourage female students to vie for office?

    The SUG is a breeding ground for future leaders. I am not surprised that we have bad people at the helm of affairs today because most of our leaders did not have background in students’ unionism. If ladies must be leaders tomorrow, they must participate in campus politics to learn the basics of leadership. We have Female Leadership Forum (FLF) in UNICAL giving platform for ladies to showcase their leadership skills. Politics is not meant for men alone. I want my success to stoke leadership passion in female students and participate in the next union election.

    What are your challenges so far?

    Challenge is part of life. Every great leader faces one challenge or the other. I have a lot of things to do for the female students but finance is the main problem. But with the little resources at my disposal, I will ensure I make life better for my colleagues.

    What is your advice for female students and leaders?

    I want ladies to understand that both men and women are created by one God. We have the same potentials, capabilities and opportunities. We should not look down on ourselves when it comes to politics or leadership. We should not be shy to take up responsibilities when the time comes neither should we be afraid to challenge the men. Also, they must dress decently so that they will be respected by men. They must show good examples wherever they find themselves.

  • Group celebrates women, confers awards on Ajimobi’s wife, others

    A group, Peace Tabernacle Ministries, has concluded a 3-day conference in Oyo town to appreciate the contributions of women in public service and governance.

    It also empowered no fewer than 35 women and conferred awards on the First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, and her personal assistant, Rev(Mrs). Adefolaju.

    While Adefolaju was conferred with the Good Women of Impact award, her principal, Ajimobi, bagged the Excellent Women of Impact award.

    The theme of the conference was women of the day.

    There was also a motivational talk by the wife of the former Police Public Relations Officer, Pastor Bimbo Longe.

    Longe advised women to embrace tolerance, submission, perseverance and love regardless of the tribulations they might be passing through.

    The graduate of Chemistry recalled how her in-laws ganged up against her for giving birth to only four daughters and no males 27 years after marriage.

    She stated that her steadfastness and humility saw her through the storms.

    According to her: “All the female children are today graduates and excelling in their various callings.

    “This is because I remained contented, endured and persevered, that moment of sadness disappeared and my joy comes back till today.’’

    The founder of the group, Pastor Bola Aderibigbe, stated that issues affecting women are fundamental and must be resolved.

    She said: “Considering their indispensable roles in the society as mothers, custodians, and shapers of the society, we are of the conviction that empowering women is empowering the nation.

    “This is why we provide micro finance scheme for the women to enhance their status in the society.”

    The president of the Youths, Mr. AkinpeluDolapo, said all those awarded will be inducted into the Ministries’ Hall of Fame.

  • Community women choose leaders

    Community women choose leaders

    A new executive committee of the women wing of Nzuko Arochukwu in Abia State has been inaugurated after a keenly contested election held at Dragon Hall of 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu.

    An Aba-based business woman, Lady Mrs. Doris Nnennaya Oji was elected as president-general of the organisation.

    Lady Oji polled 119 votes to beat her US-based rival, Mrs. Chinyere Odinakachi, who scored four votes, while Mrs. Celestine Onyebuchi won the position of secretary-general with 102 votes, while her opponent Mrs. Chikezie Nneka, garnered eight votes.

    The position of first vice president went to Mrs. Gift Kanu, who scored   107 votes, to beat her opponent Mrs. Peace Okike, who got three votes.

    Mrs. Grace Ndubisi Offor, was elected 2nd vice president with 110 votes, while her opponent Mrs. Virginia Okoroafor, scored three votes.

    Mrs. Olive Onah, was returned unopposed as the legal adviser general of the body.

    Other elected officers, were Mrs. Ngozi Oti, (provost),  Mrs. Esther Ikechukwu, (assistant provost),   Mrs. Blessing Okoronkwo,(welfare officer,) Mrs. Ngozi Kanu (social secretary), Mrs. Nnenna Amah (publicity secretary),Lady Bright Elekwa (financial secretary),  Lady Philomena Nneoma Okoro (assistant financial secretary), Mrs. Ego Oti (treasurer general), Mrs. Ifeoma P. Okoro-Orji (assistant secretary-general)

    In her acceptance speech, the newly elected president thanked the delegates and people of the entire Arochukwu kingdom for finding her worthy to pilot the affairs of the women wing of Nzuko Arochukwu, for the next three years.

    She pledged that her administration would focus on the empowerment of children, youths, women and the elderly, adding that her executive would build a civic centre in the town, as well as improve on the achievements recorded by the immediate past executive led by Mrs. Nwada Igwe.

    Earlier in her speech, the emeritus president general, Mrs. Nwada Igwe, enumerated the achievements of her executive to include the construction of a skill acquisition centre, and care for orphans, vulnerable children, and aged women.

    She said 23 orphans and vulnerable children in the town were offered scholarship at the primary and secondary school levels, adding that the organisation paid the WAEC and NECO examinations fees of the secondary school students.

    “We not only pay their fees; we provide them with school uniform, bags, sandals, exercise books, text books, and also pay developmental levies for them”,

    Mrs. Igwe also disclosed that  the skill acquisition centre trains the intakes on various skills including  hair dressing, electrical work, interior decoration, carpentry and  GSM repairs.  She thanked both the Abia and federal governments for assisting the organisation in equipping the skill acquisition centre.

    Elder Chief Mrs. Eme Nwakanma-Okoro, one of the patrons of the organisation, thanked the delegates for their peaceful conduct during the election, adding that she and other patrons would always support every good cause that would lead to the development of Arochukwu kingdom.

  • Women advocate godly character

    Women advocate godly character

    AS a four-day women’s annual convention of the Rivers District of Assemblies of God Church ended in Port-Harcourt, the participants have made a case for godly character especially among women.

    The fourth National President of Women Ministries (WM) of the church in Nigeria, Mrs. Tina David-Oparaodu made the call in a chat with reporters at the Silver Valley Parish of the church in Port the Rivers State capital, venue of the convention.

    Evangelist Oparaodu while explaining the reason for the choice of the year’s theme, “Heaven is real,” said it became imperative following recent events in the society.

    “There is need to remind Christians especially women of the fact that the end is near and therefore should remain focused and prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ”.

    She said heaven is made for only those that are prepared, and that women should not allow themselves to be distracted by the antics of false prophets and lose focus of the heavenly race they are called to run.

    The women leader urged women to be submissive and available to their husbands, saying that consciousness of heaven and the word of God should be the guiding principles of their actions and activities within and outside the homes.

    “Today false prophets are performing all sorts of miracle and dishing out falsehood to the society everywhere. Christians, especially women, should not be deceived by these; the bible has already said it that these would happen in the last days; don’t allow yourself to be deceived. Heaven is real, hell is also real, but note that it is only those that are prepared that will go into heaven.

    “This is the essence of this conference; we are here to teach our women how to live in peace in their families, and build their homes. We believe that a peaceful home leads to a peaceful church and society at large. Women should learn to be submissive to their husbands; they should be ready to be available to their husbands; this is their calling, while the husbands will in turn love them,” she said.

    In her sermon entitled “Preparing for Rapture,” the guest minister, Mrs. Grace Praise urged the church to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ, adding that excuses would not save anyone when He comes.

    Mrs. Praise said, “Jesus is coming to rapture a prepared, radiant church, void of stain. Christianity is not bread and butter; there are sacrifices you must make.”

    On the recent wave of dreams, revelations by those allegedly woken from death, she advised “Today there are lots of dreams and revelations, but the bible remains our guide. There is nothing you will look for concerning Jesus Christ, his coming and the rapture that you will not see in the bible.

    “Why many Christians are being deceived is because they don’t read their bible; they have no time to read their bible, they have no time to pray, they have no time to wait to hear what God is talking about.

    “Women should dedicate more time to the word of God and prayer so they will not continue to be deceived; there is no true miracle without a relationship with God.”

    The conference ended with a victory march.

     

  • Women threaten to protest ASUU strike

    Mothers in Nigeria, a non-government organisation (NGO), has threatened to protest on the streets of Lagos the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), if the union failed to end the strike by the middle of this month.

    The mothers said they would hold meetings with the university teachers and the Federal Government on the strike, if the union failed top end the strike within the two weeks.

    They promised to meet at the Rita Lori Hotels, Surulere, Lagos, to begin the protest, if both sides failed to reach a compromise within the period.

    The National Chairman, Mothers in Nigeria, Chief Rita-Lori Ogbebor, addressed reporters in her office in Surulere.

    She said: “We, the mothers in Nigeria, are meeting at the Rita Lori Hotels, Surulere, in two weeks to deliberate on the strike, to take the bull by the horn. We shall sit with ASUU and the Federal Government before then to find a away out.

    “Our interest is to see how we all can come together to find a practical way forward. We don’t even want to hear that the government does not have money. Before we protest, we will find out which side doesn’t want to cooperate.”

    The popular hotelier said what the mothers want is to enure that the Nigerian child gets an uninterrupted qualitative education.

    Mrs Ogbebor said Nigerian mothers do not intend to joke with the lives of their children.

    She said the mothers are not politicians, adding that the protest is a project of the nation’s mothers.

    “This is a task that has to be done because if the children are not trained, they will become touts and eventually beat us. We want to pursue everything we think is right for the children, the country and education. Enough is enough. We must now face the facts. If others don’t see the problems, mothers see them. The children are forming gangs and defrauding people through the internet to keep themselves busy.”

    Mrs Ogbebor added that the mothers wanted ASUU to go back to a better academic environment.

     

     

     

     

  • Muslim women donate to orphans

    The head of Kwali Area Council branch of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Aishatu Bukar, has distributed clothes to 100 orphans in the area.

    While distributing the clothes Bukar said that the gesture was to assist the orphans that are from Kwali Ward, Kilankwa 1, Kilankwa II, Sukuku, Piri, Rugan Galadima, Dafa, Gada-Biyu, Yangoji, Dangara and Dabi communities of the council.

    She stated that the goals of the association was to educate married women through daily lectures in Qur’anic recitation, fiqh, tauhid at the school, adding that the association also carries out weekly preaching and lectures every Saturday.

    She thanked the national body of the association under the leadership of Hajiya Maryam Uthman, for its effort in uplifting the status of Kwali Muslim women.

    Also speaking, the National Ameera of FOMWAN, Hajiya Maryam Uthman, commended the Kwali branch of the association for its efforts in propagating Islam especially among rural women, saying the national body will try to acquire a plot of land to build an orphanage home in the area.

  • Nigerian women in U.S. for exchange programme

    Two Nigerian women entrepreneurs are participating in this year’s women’s entrepreneurship exchange programme in the United States.

    The programme is sponsored by the U.S. Government to grow small and medium businesses run by women in Africa.

    This year, 30 women from 27 African countries are participating in The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP).

    “This has been uplifting,” said Ora Atuguba, CEO of Weave and Co., a Lagos-based company focusing on interior decoration and the creation of handcrafted multifunctional basket works.

    The company creates a range of products that reflect the variety and depth of African craftsmanship, style and art as well as wicker furniture.

    Atuguba added: “As a woman, this has changed my views about the support system women have, and we cannot go back.”

    Her colleague, Femi Olayebi, is the CEO of My World of Bags, an Ibadan-based company which specialises in designing and manufacturing varieties of bags. These include hand bags, conference bags, laptop bags and much more, using eye-catching colours, African beads, and swathes of animal-print fabrics.

    “The highlight for me so far has been meeting people who are giving us insight on gaining entry to U.S market and the best ways of practicing our business,” said Olayebi, whose products are already being sold in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and France.

    The programme created to promote positive cultural exchange between the U.S and African women entrepreneurs has participants visiting local businesses, business incubators, schools, and non-governmental organizations from the city of Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, to Washington DC and New York, where the dio are meeting with the UN Women, a United Nations organization that focuses on empowering women.

    “One thing we’ve been hearing over and over is – if it is not very good, it’s not good enough!” said Atuguba.

    “We have been really challenged to stop complaining and act more,” said Olayebi, “There are so many opportunities out there; we must learn to dream bigger and take charge. Most importantly, where the power is, we have to be there,” she added.

    The two women are determined to make a difference upon their return to Nigeria. “I do not see why I cannot organize some training for more women,” said Olayebi, who currently has eight women among her staff.

    For Atuguba, her zeal is to incorporate a fusion of different African cultures in her designs and promote volunteerism. “We must learn to do things without expecting anything in return,” she said, after their visit to a Girl Scout event, where the duo were challenged by teenage girls volunteering to make a difference. Atuguba currently has 13 women on her staff, working along side men.

    Both women agree that knowledge of the social media would propel the visibility and growth of many small businesses in Nigeria.

    “We need training centers on social media for women if the government can look into this, because almost everything related to business is now online. We have cyber cafes, but we need training centers just for business women; at least, you need to be able to send a simple email,” said Atuguba.

    “The first thing is to create awareness of the power of social media because information is power, and to let people know you’re never too old to learn,” said Olayebi.

    Addressing Nigerian women facing obstacles in their businesses, Atuguba said, “When there is a blockage, they can only make you better, so learn from others who have become successful out of necessity in the face of adversity.” She also urged women to focus more on the beauty that comes from being creative. “A lot of women spend hours on looking good outside, but beauty is skin-deep, it is that which comes from the inside that matters,” she said.

    “Women need to believe more in themselves; we need to have confidence in our skills, this will help to propel us and others around us,” said Olayebi.

    The programme also has participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘How women can rise to the top’

    ‘How women can rise to the top’

    Barbara Kanu is the Managing Director/CEO of Paper Style Nigeria Limited. She bagged a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin and Diploma in Events Management with Public Relations from Fitz Williams Institute, London, UK. Kanu spoke with Sunday Oguntola on her rise to the top and sundry issues. Excerpts:

     

    WHAT was growing up like for you?

    Growing up for me was a perfect blend of work (study) and play. My parents being academics were very serious about us excelling in our academics but always managed to ensure that we had a balance in life even though our study was first priority.

    My parents are from Delta State. I am the third child of four children. We grew up in Benin City and we were a very close-knit family. My dad is a goal-oriented person. He is a focused and disciplined man because he always knew how to go after what he wanted and it was almost impossible for him to be discouraged or talked out of his decisions.

    My mum, on the other hand, in addition to being very intelligent, had a photographic memory. Watching a process once is enough for her to remember it. These traits (close family, hard work, dedication and commitment, never giving up) I got from my parents and they have helped me throughout my adult life and hopefully I will pass on to my kids.

    What childhood dream did you nurse?

    As a child, I always wanted to be famous. So, I always looked up to women who were successful in life and as such had gained some form of fame or celebrity status as a result of their success.

    What outstanding experience has impacted your life positively?

    During my internship, while in my third year in school, I worked in the business development unit of a technology company. I learnt a lot and in turn gave back a lot of what I learnt.

    Being a quick learner who produces outstanding results, I was retained after my three months with them in a rare arrangement that allowed me work for the company while still at school.

    I worked with the company after lectures during school and full-time in holidays. I excelled in my job and in no time was able to run my own project, which I did a remarkable job of. The project honed my leadership skills and also my customer relationship skills.

    If I was not given this opportunity early in my university studies to prove myself and make a living for myself, I probably would have been sitting and waiting for my ideal job from a Shell or a Mobil.

    How much of leadership positions have you held?

    I would say my most outstanding achievements were my leadership role in running the Nigerian Students Online Portal. This was a project initiated by the management of the technology company where I worked. They wanted to create an online space where students could get relevant information about the different tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    Students could meet with other students in other schools within Nigeria, exchange views and become friends (kind of an electronic pal). They entrusted the project to me to give it a fresh and creative feel.

    I had software developers and researchers working with me to build this portal. I was just out of school and ran this project till completion. It was a great opportunity to showcase my leadership skills leading a team to the set objectives and deliverables.

    Due to my other work-based achievements, commitment and involvement in ensuring projects were concluded as smoothly as possible, the ICS (Institute of Customer Service, UK) recently awarded me a communications award to coach others to deliver excellent customer service.

    So, how did you navigate your way to the top after graduation?

    After my graduation, I went back to work. I had already started working from my internship days in school so I was ready to get back to my post and take up more responsibilities.

    I worked as a business analyst for one year and then as the Administration/HR officer for one year (service year) in the same company before I went to the British Council to further my career.

    I was with the council for two more years and then started itching for more experience or a path that would lead me towards my goal. I got to meet a fascinating woman, Mrs. Bukky George of Health Plus Limited, and worked with her closely for another six months. My experience with her prepared me for my entrepreneurial adventure.

    Would you say your dreams as a little girl have been fulfilled?

    My dreams were very tall, I must say. I wanted to be known and at the same time, I wanted a family. I wanted to strike the perfect work-life balance when I got really successful. Now I know this is a very tall dream as this may not be achieved in my life time (laughs).

    Tell us about your company, the name and why did you choose that name. What exactly are you into, and why you choose that area of business?

    Paper Style is Nigeria’s next generation company offering unique and unequalled, design-led stationery, cards and gift-wrap, which have been hand-picked from stationers in Europe and America.

    It is a company formed from my passion for stationery. Paper Style is the top destination for discerning individuals and organisations looking for new and unique gifts, cards and stationery. We stock a variety of pens, pencils, journals, notebooks, notepads, block pads, sticky notes, diaries, pen pots, weekly planners, address books and pads.

    You can also find a wide variety of stationery gifts (fountain pens, notebook and pen sets, desk organiser gift sets, and lots more), gifts for her (pen necklaces, bedazzled phone pouches, unboxed photo albums and shopping journals), gifts for him (leather journals, personal organisers, croc business card holders, pocket screwdriver sets, etc).

    Apart from the fact that we love unique stationery, we have another love, which is the love for quality office supplies. We sell and supply essentials for offices from high quality paper and envelopes to disposables and cleaning supplies.

    Because we love the things we sell, we want you to love what you buy. Our range of popular products includes lever arch files, document wallets, storage boxes, presentation ring binders and envelopes. We provide a simple and cost effective way to order your office supplies.

    Everyone has a style, what is yours?

    I have always worked with stationery in my work experience, plus I always had a love for unique stationery. I was the go-to person for any stationery item back in school. I always had a spare pen, pencil, etc.

    How rewarding has it been?

    There is a lot of potential for Paper Style in Nigeria and the rest of Africa as a matter of fact. We do not want to stop at just retailing unique stationery. We want to produce our own stationery and also offer custom design solutions to our customers.

    We hope to penetrate all corners of Nigeria by our 10th anniversary, thus creating jobs for hundreds of Nigerian youth, training them and possibly instilling in them the values I got from my parents.

    Do you find time to network and mentor others?

    I am usually very busy trying to juggle running the home and my business effectively. But I always have some time to coach my employees. As a rule in Paper Style, you must learn something every day. It could be related to the job, a new word, a process or some piece of history. I believe mentoring is very important, especially for the youth.

    What makes you thick and stand out?

    I am a young, determined and energetic lady. When I set my eyes on a target, I do not let go until I have reached the Promised Land. I am fun-loving, like to laugh, like to make sure people are at ease around me. I like to move with easy people, allergic to uptight, mostly unhappy people.

    What is the first Lagos gift and stationery fair all about?

    It will be a day of marketing, networking, knowledge-building, forming strategic alliances and business relationships. It holds on September 27 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.

    This event, which will be laced with business activities and ceremonial splendour, brings together under one umbrella over 40 top grossing industry businesses and more than 2000 enthusiastic business-minded men and women.

    They have a singular purpose for coming together: They are dealers, consumers and producers of exciting corporate gifts, quality stationery, unique office furniture, office equipment and print industry.

    Major highlight of the day will be the industry talk sessions (seminar), which will run concurrently with the exhibition. There promises to be interesting and engaging topics delivered by seasoned professionals within and outside the industry.

  • Why women retain maiden names

    Why women retain maiden names

    The rationale behind women retaining their maiden names after marriage has been an age-long debate.

    It has also become a trend among the women folks which cuts across every strata of the economy with each giving reason to justify their positions.

    Via our  twitter handle: @thenationnews, we asked our followers their opinion on the issue.

    As expected, there were diverse opinions – while some argued that it is against the tenets of religion, others say a lady is not an addition to the family and as such should not be denied her identity.

    It was also the opinion of others that if the lady comes from a well- known family, her maiden name will open doors while others simply posited that such ladies don’t believe in God or in His ability to make great husbands.

    However, a few others also felt there is nothing wrong in it but that it should be an agreement between the couples.

    Below are some of the views as expressed by our followers, you can also join by following @thenationnews on twitter.

    * Oseiwe Ibhagui @OIbhagui: said “To save themselves the hassle of another name change when they divorce their husbands ladies should retain their maiden names”

    * Ogba Okezie @ogba_okezie: said, “Her been married does not in any way change who she is by birth.”

    * Nansik @Mariefamwang: said, “A woman’s maiden name would open doors for her especially if her family has great societal influence.”

    * Tunde Bakare BK@Backarray: said “Islamically, it is allowed for a lady to keep her father’s name even after getting married. She may as well drop it if she so wishes.”

    * Christopher Talker @lechseed: simply said, “I don’t think ladies should retain their maiden names after marriage.”

    * The great Mrs me!@faizadanyaro: said “Women should keep their maiden names because a woman should be a separate entity not an addition to her husband’s family.”

    *For MosakuAbiodunWaheed@MosakuAW:  “There’s nothing bad in it if the lady is a celebrity and there’s an agreement between both couples. No wahala then! Nothing special.”

    * In Sebastian@corretboi’s view, “That should be an agreement between the couple.”

    * According to Ayodeji Ajao@deji_ajao: “So that when they are tied of their husbands,
    they won’t need to go through the rigor of change of name.”

    * Obi Chkwuma@marvelouschuks: said “Such women have no faith in God”

  • Women in sports

    Women in sports

    The participation of women in sports in Nigeria cannot be swept under the carpet when we consider their contribution to the sporting history of Nigeria. However, Women remain under-represented in leadership roles in Nigerian sport. Today, I want to talk about the critical nature of women participation in sport management in Nigeria and as I look into this very important aspect of our sporting life I tend to wonder why we have not witnessed great strides in this regard.

    Many can argue that we have women holding strategic offices in our various sport ministries and commissions within Nigeria, while some women have before now acted as successful secretaries of sports federations in Nigeria. I beg to differ from this line of discuss because from my experience I can see that women are seriously in the minority in the area of sport management in Nigeria

    Moreover, I have during my academic life come across very intelligent and vibrant female scholars’ in sports management and sport science but most often they have decided to go into the academic area of sport than the actual management of sport, while others have simply neglected the profession for other fields of endeavour. Could it be that Nigerian Women are not strong enough to compete with the men in sports management positions?.

    It may also interest you to know that amongst all the Sports Federations Presidents in Nigeria none is a woman. What more do we want to say? While I’m not averse to the leadership of our sport industry by men I feel strongly that the men that have been there have failed us, and as such there is the need for us to take a look at empowering women sport managers for a change.

    A critical assessment of the role of women in sport management will show that those that have been assigned to specific positions of authority have performed much better than their men folk. They are firm and more professional and followers of the rules, an attribute that we hardly find in most men that manage our sport. The responsibility given to these women, no matter how small, ensures that they take all necessary precaution in ensuring that they deliver.

    Politically speaking women in sport have been marginalised over time, but a more interesting twist that I have observed is the fact that the greatest enemies of women in sport politics are their fellow women. May be this is where we need to talk about professional ethics coming into play, but what I have seen is that the pull-her-down syndrome is more from the women than the men. Men have never seen the women as a threat to sport political power at any given time

    My sincere advice to the women in sport is for them to gradually come together to form a united front and design a platform that will attract the much needed attention which in turn will be seen as a wake up call for our men who are currently holding the machinery of sport power.

    Moreover, we should all be guided that the only women that can make a difference within the context of this discuss are those that are professionals. Some may argue that the women will come with many complications and are most times very difficult to deal with, but I say let us give the women in sports a chance for once.

    Going scientific now, I would like to say that this phenomenom of women non-participation at higher management level in sport is not only limited to Nigeria. It is a global problem like in the case of the United States of America where we have various universities encouraging the establishment of Women in Sport Management Associations.

    Also, a research in (2012) that was carried out in New Zealand titled “Preparing female sport management students for leadership roles in sport” and published by Sarah Laberman of Massey University and Sally Shaw of University of Ortago concluded that;

    “The two main applications for the tertiary sector were the usefulness of the graduates’ degrees to the workforce, and how both groups’ experiences could inform curriculum development. The findings suggested that the most important skills graduates learned during their degree were:

    • Planning and organising

    • Independent learning

    • Time-management skill

    However the most important skills for women noted by graduates are

    • Relationship building

    • Communication

    • Inter-personal skills

    This suggests a disconnect between preparation and requirement of the sport management sector. The Sport CEOs reported that relationship building, stakeholder management, self-awareness and sense of judgment were most important to being successful in the sports industry. Mentors were considered to be important by both groups. ‘Old Boys’ networks were considered by most graduate and CEO respondents to still be a problem for women. Three CEOs felt that women should be able to navigate these networks through interpersonal skill development. Overall there was less difference in generational experience than expected.

    The implication for the above is that we need to encourage the gradual assimilation of women into sport management and their general acceptance as dependable partners in progress for the overall development of our sport in Nigeria.

    Let us congratulate the various women that are holding forth in their own rights at their various posts. I encourage them to keep up the good work as well as challenge them to groom the next generation of women that will take over from them.