Introduction and Overview
The WISCAR 10th Anniversary Leadership and Mentoring Conference was successfully held on Saturday 9th December 2017 at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos from 9:30am to 4pm. The theme of the Annual Conference was “Developing Women to Build a Better Nation’’. The 1-day conference witnessed over 350 participants drawn from the Corporate, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Governance sectors in attendance.
The Conference highlighted the achievements of WISCAR and the strides the organisation has made over the years in developing and empowering over 5000 professional women and men in contributing to economic development and nation building in Nigeria and Africa through mentoring and advocacy for equal opportunities for women in the workplace.
Welcome, Goodwill Message and Keynote Address
The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, gave the welcome address where she thanked all the attendees for gracing the occasion and stated that the 10th anniversary celebration theme, “Developing Women to Build a Better Nation” highlighted the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for women to contribute to the growth and development of the nation by excelling in their chosen careers. This was immediately followed by the Goodwill Message by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule who commended WISCAR for championing the cause of career women all over the country. She stated that the role of women in nation-building cannot be over-emphasized and that the Lagos State Government commended the role that organisations like WISCAR continued to play in nation-building. She stated that the Lagos State Government was committed to fostering policies that would ensure that gender-based abuse in and out of the work-place is eradicated.
The Keynote speech was delivered by Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson, Chairperson, Global Alliance for Affordable Internet (AAI) & former Minister of Communication and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Speaking on the conference theme, Dr. Johnson highlighted the need for men and women to come together to challenge the marginalization of women in the various spheres of the society, as this was not a cause that women alone could bring about. She encouraged women to be their sisters’ keepers reminding them of the popular adage “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together’, suggesting that more strides can be achieved where women support and collaborate with each other.
More light was shed on the theme and keynote address by the keynote panellists; Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Co-founder African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF); Mrs. Udo Okonjo, CEO Fine & Country; Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, Deputy Governor of Lagos State and chaired by Mrs. Amina Oyagbola. Contributing to the discussions Mrs. Udo Okonjo commented that women amongst other leadership skills including the natural ability to multitask, also have highly developed emotional intelligence, an essential skill for a productive work environment.
Her Excellency, Dr. Adebule emphasised that women should own the required change process by commencing with eradicating gender bias in the home thus ensuring that regardless of gender girls and boys are brought up to share equal responsibilities in the home. Erelu Bisi Fayemi stated that one of the most important things for women to do is to teach the girl child to the extent that she becomes confident in herself and her gender without feeling inferior to her male counterpart. She further stated that the girl child should be taught to aspire and dream big and not to limit herself by what society throws at her. Dr. Johnson supported the discussions stating that CEOs in the workplace should actively encourage and mentor women to maximise their full potential, while guarding against unfair practice and discrimination on the basis of gender that may serve to limit that growth.
Plenary Sessions/ Outcomes/ Recommendations
The event also had two plenary sessions discussing “Breaking The Barriers To Getting Top Jobs and Staying There” and “Does Equal Opportunity Drive Economic Success and Profitability?” with the following panellists; Mrs. Peju Adebanjo (Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture, Ogun State), Ms. Kemi Onabanjo (Engagement Manager, SSA Mckinsey & Company), Mrs. Adesua Dozie (General Counsel, General Electric), Mr. Oluseun Abimbola (Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Oyo State) Mr. Osagie Okunbor (Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company) Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola (Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group), Mrs. Clare Omatsaye (Chief Executive Officer, JNCI Limited), Mrs. Nglan Niat (Human Resources Director, Schlumberger) Dr. Doyin Salami (Member, CBN’s monetary Policy Committee) and Mrs. Habiba Balogun (Principal Consultant, Habiba Balogun Consulting).
Key Points from the plenary sessions
– Mentors are essential in getting to the top of one’s career, and mentors are those people who would give candid sound advice as well as the necessary support for one to make an advancement in their career.
– A strong family support system is also key to career advancement.
– Women must support each other in the workplace and beyond.
– It is possible to have it all but certainly not at the same time. The various stages of life come with their various challenges and successes, and the most successful career professionals both men and women view work and life along the same continuum.
– Equal opportunities within the workplace would definitely support the acceleration of women’s careers.
– Every organisation should implement gender-friendly policies in the workplace so a woman is not forced to choose between her family and her career at any transition stage of her life.
– Not every woman wants to be a CEO, however it is best for a woman to be allowed to make that choice by herself and this should not be imposed on her because of lack of equal opportunity
– Whether a woman or a man, ensure that the voices you listen to are the ones that encourage you to aspire to be a better you.
Recommendations
– More men should be invited to fora that discuss issues on gender equality to have a balanced perspective and also get more men to join the cause. – Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company
– Nigerian Economic Summit Group to collaborate with WISCAR at the NESG roundtable on gender issues to advocate for gender parity and equal opportunity for men and women. – Mr Jaiyeola Laoye, Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award
One of the highlights of the event following the reading of a remarkable career citation was the presentation of the 2017 Distinguished WISCAR Award, to Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson for upholding the good face of womanhood and being a role model for others to follow. Dr. Johnson expressed her delight at the award and thanked the Advisory Board of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment.
Conclusion and Appreciation
The WISCAR 10th Anniversary Leadership Conference concluded with the graduation of the 2017 Stream 8 of the WIN-with-WISCAR. The WISCAR Alumni Network also launched the WISCAR Grow and Learn Initiative (WISCAR GLIN), an initiative borne out of a deep commitment to create more opportunities to progress WISCAR’s ideals and add value to the younger generation of women who are currently in school and are looking forward to becoming successful in their current and future endeavors.
Mrs. Tope Jemerigbe, Managing Director of DKK Nigeria, congratulated WISCAR for the all the achievements and successes recorded over the years and thanked all the sponsors and participants for making the 10th Anniversary event a huge success.
Mrs. Amina Oyagbola
Chairperson/Founder WISCAR
