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AT COWLSO CONFERENCE, SANWO-OLU’S WIFE CHARGES WOMEN TO EMBRACE GROWTH MINDSET

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Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu
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….As Lucky Participants Win 3-Bedroom Apartment, Car, Return Ticket To London, Others

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday called on women across the country to embrace a growth mindset and inspire other women to emerge as policy-makers.

She also advocated the adoption of a special system whereby more women are empowered to assume leadership positions in the judiciary, legislative, and executive arms of government.

Sanwo-Olu spoke at the Gala Night of the ongoing 21st annual National Women’s Conference of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), held at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“As women, we must have a growth mindset to ensure that women are properly positioned to inspire other women and ensure that women are in places of policy-making and decision making. We need to have more women in the legislative, judiciary, and executive arms of government,” she said.

Describing women as bankable, dependable, and formidable, the First Lady urged participants to develop their potentials and see how to support other women and girls with the knowledge gained, so far at the conference.

“From our sessions at this conference, some of the words that kept on ringing in my head include the fact that as women, we are bankable, we are dependable, we are available, we are sustainable, we can network, we are mothers that give birth to nations, we are mothers that influence our children, we are mothers that influence fathers at home and so, there are so many potentials inside of us. We have to wake up to our innate abilities as women.

“We have realized that the sky is no longer the limit; every woman here is an ambassador in her home, in her community and so from everything that we have learned, we will not only learn and keep but we have to use it to positively influence the society,” she said.

Sanwo-Olu, who is also the Chairman of COWLSO, said the theme of the conference was specially chosen to ensure that women are awake and alive to their responsibilities.
“As you know, our theme this year is awake. In every aspect of life where women are, it is about time that you wake up whether you are a grandma, whether you are a farmer, whether you are a student, whether you are a professional, where ever you find yourself, it is important that we wake up and stop crying over spilled milk and stop believing that we can’t do it,” she said.

She added that as women, conscious efforts must be made to mentor the younger generation and go further to support and sponsor their ideas.

Besides, she commended the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his numerous support for the female gender in the state, just as she called on all men and boys to equally embrace the ideals of women.

At the event, several thrilling prizes were won by both physical and virtual lucky participants, including a N25million worth 3-bedroom apartment at Sangotedo, Lekki won by a civil servant attached to the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mrs. Olasunbo Bankole; brand new GAC GS3 SUV won by a shop owner in Surulere, Mrs. Adetoro Ojora-Akintola; and a return ticket to London won by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, Mrs. Amodu Mary-Ann Adetoro.

The return ticket was won by Adetoro on her wedding anniversary, a development that made Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was in attendance at the event, announce another return ticket to London for Adetoro’s husband, to pave the way for the couple to travel together to celebrate their anniversary.

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Gender

INEC, NGO seek increased women’s participation in electoral process

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African women
African women
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The SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria has called for increased women’s participation in electoral process.

The call was made at the training for women and other marginalised groups on peace building, mitigation, human rights, gender and participation, on Monday, in Ibadan.

The guest speaker, Dr Esther Sanya, the representative of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Oyo State chapter, said that there had been growing recognition of untapped capacity and talents of women in political leadership.

Sanya noted that women’s engagement in politics would help to advance gender equality.

“Research indicates that whether a legislator is a male or female has a distinct impact on his or her policy priorities.

“There is also strong evidence that as more women are elected to office, there is a corollary increase in policy making that emphasises quality of life and reflects the priorities of families, women, ethic and racial minorities,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Lateef Ariori, the Director, Child Welfare Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social inclusion, said that women should be given substantial consideration in the design and execution of political participation process.

Ariori charged women organisations in the state to work toward promoting gender equality among candidates, election officials, observers and other electoral participants.

“Women have a responsibility to oversee the electoral process because gender equality and true democracy fundamentally depend on women’s political engagement,” Ariori said.

Earlier, Mrs Catherine Ogwu, the Gender Desk Officer, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oyo state, urged the women not to sell their votes or be intimidated during the forthcoming general elections.

She noted that the current Electoral Act and new technology from INEC would make 2023 general elections the most free and inclusive elections in the history of Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training featured lectures and presentations from different women groups in the state.

 

(NAN)

 

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Business & Economy

Afreximbank’s Kanayo Awani makes Nigeria Women Annual’s “100 Leading Women” list

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Mrs. Kanayo Awani - Managing Director of Afreximbank’s Intra-African Trade Initiative Division
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The Managing Director of Afreximbank’s Intra-African Trade Initiative Division, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, has been named among the 100 outstanding women leaders in Nigeria, according to the list published in the 2022 edition of Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women.

Mrs. Awani’s listing acknowledges her distinguished career and contributions to the development of society.

As Managing Director, Mrs. Awani currently leads the Bank’s efforts in implementing its intra-African trade and industrialisation strategies.

A statement by the bank said she successfully led Afreximbank’s engagement in support of the establishment and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and was the arrowhead for the introduction and organization of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), which has delivered trade and investment deals valued at over US$70 billion.

She previously led Afreximbank’s Trade Finance and Branches Department from 2009 to 2016, growing it into the Bank’s most profitable department which accounted for over 80 percent of its loan book.

Mrs. Awani is also the Chairperson of the Africa Chapter of Factors Chain International (FCI), a global factoring association.

“The Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women” is the premier qualitative profiling of phenomenal women who have contributed to the development of Nigeria and the world.

A gender-specific biographical compendium, it responds to existing gender gaps in Nigeria’s biographical documentation and leadership and, in 2022, focused on the most inspirational and influential women whose work contributed to shaping Nigeria’s collective history during the year.

This year’s list includes technology experts, politicians, teachers, activists, development practitioners, C-Suite corporate leaders, and other notable women.

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Gender

Gender Bills: Women should not lose hope on their demands – Senate President

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan
Senate President Ahmad Lawan
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The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has advised women not to lose hope on their demands for legislations on gender related matters.

Lawan spoke in Agasa in Kogi State on Thursday against the backdrop of some gender related bills that recently failed to scale through at the National Assembly in the ongoing review being carried out on the 1999 Constitution.

Senate President  made a strong case for education of the girl child shortly before he commissioned a 600 capacity JAMB CBT Centre which was facilitated by Senator Yakubu Oseni who is representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

“I know somebody will say gender bills have failed in the National Assembly. That is democracy. Let’s continue to lobby.

“We should continue to lobby because nobody will like to undermine anybody. Let’s not lose hope.

“Every male member in the National Assembly is a “He for She” because I don’t think there is anybody who is not married in the National Assembly.

“We will continue to work together with gender based organisations especially those that genuinely want to engage with members of the National Assembly because if you are not able to get something, if there is a failure, we should make it a political capital that tomorrow, we say, you were not able to do it yesterday, can you do it today. That will help us in ensuring that we get some of these hurdles out of the way.

“Most of us have our daughters as well. So we know that everybody is one way or the other connected to this struggle but we should not lose hope,” Lawan said.

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