By Godwin Akomah, Lagos
LAGOS: Women are potential leaders that must be factored in the day to day socio – economic planning as their creative initiatives should be encouraged to further induce industrial development in the country.
The Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Salako-Oyedele, made this known while delivering her keynote address at a programme in Lagos with the theme: ‘Accelerating Action for Sustainability during the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Women in Business Luncheon.’
The Deputy Governor said that Women’s economic contributions were often undervalued, despite playing a central role in shaping industries, policies and communities.
Citing the United Nations, she said that women globally perform three times more on paid care work than men.
While identifying wage gap and pay inequality, as one of the most persistent barriers to true economic empowerment for women, particularly in the private sector, noted that to close the gap, there was a need to advocate for salary transparency in organisations, alongside strong legal frameworks that would mandate equal pay for equal work across all sectors.
“Ensuring equal pay is not just about compliance, it is about creating an economy where talent, hard work and competence are rewarded fairly, regardless of gender. When we close the pay gap, we unlock economic potential, strengthen households and build a more just and prosperous society,” she said.
The Deputy Governor added that fear of harassment, assault and discrimination forces were some of the reasons many women limit their career choices, stating that to address this, stricter workplace protections must be enforced to prevent harassment and discrimination.
She appreciated President Bola Tinubu’s administration for consistently emphasising the need for economic diversification and inclusive growth, noting that there had been renewed efforts to support entrepreneurship, increase access to finance and create an enabling business environment.
She charged business leaders to champion policies that would support and promote women in leadership, admonishing those present to mentor, invest in and uplift the next generation for women leaders, to make the path forward clearer and stronger than the one they were presently working with.
Also speaking, the representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and Mrs. Hawau Usman, revealed that, government plays a crucial role in propagating gender responsive policies, there was a need to work together to strengthen mentorship for emerging women leaders.
In her remarks, the representative of the First lady of Lagos, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-olu and wife of the Commissioner for Transportation Mrs. Oyinkan Osiyemi said, the programme which was in consonance with the theme for this year’s International Women’s day, was a powerful call to move beyond discussions and take concrete steps towards the gender equality, economic empowerment and Social inclusion for women, as women leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals.
She added that accelerating actions means strengthening policies that promote equal opportunities for women in leadership, business and governance, expressing that there was a need to expand access to education, healthcare and financial inclusion to ensure that no woman was left behind.
Earlier, the Consul General of France, Mr. Laurent Favier said, the Luncheon highlights the key roles women play in leadership, revealing that the French Government was involved in promoting and fostering women empowerment in Nigeria, hence the collaboration that birthed the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking, the GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, represented by its Executive Director, Mrs. Adaobi Nwankpa opined that sustainability cuts across several sectors of development, calling on stakeholders to invest in policies that would accelerate actions, while setting attainable target to address deficit issues that had constantly plagued women in leadership positions.
