By Ebunoluwa Sessou

Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering professional women, have urged women to leverage on mentorship, resilience for effective leadership.

This was disclosed at the 2024 WISCAR annual leadership and mentoring conference. The event marked the culmination of the activities and it was intended to showcase the achievements of the mentorship, leadership training, and advocacy initiatives and the impact.

Hosting its 16th conference at the MUSON centre in Lagos, with the theme “Fuelling Resilience: Empowering Diversity for Economic Success,” the event showcased the transformative power of mentorship in driving personal and economic progress.

Speaking at the conference, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Cecilia Dada, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment.

“We remain steadfast in championing initiatives that empower women and promote gender equity. Together, we can build a more inclusive and prosperous future for Lagos and Nigeria,” she stated.

In her goodwill message, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, encouraged every woman to engage in mentorship and actively promote gender equality saying such gesture would inspire actionable outcomes and strengthen the resolve to achieve a Nigeria where every woman and girl can thrive and contribute to the nation’s development.

“UN Women remains committed to advancing women’s economic empowerment and building resilience against economic and social shocks. We are committed to partnering with the Private sector, the Government, and strategic partners like WISCAR, with a shared vision and goal of developing women to contribute to the Nigerian economy.

“UN women’s mandate as the Global champion of gender equality positions us as critical stakeholders, contributing to delivering programmes, policies, and standards that uphold women’s human rights and ensure that every woman and girl lives up to her full potential.

“Women have consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience, excelling as caregivers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Despite facing unique challenges, they possess an innate ability to innovate and adapt. Women-led businesses often stand out in economic hardship for their resourcefulness, creativity, and effective risk management.

However, the structural barriers that hinder women’s full participation in the economy must be addressed to unlock their potential fully“Recognizing this need, the National Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy and Action Plan 2023 was developed. This policy aims to create an enabling environment to mitigate these challenges and advance women’s economic inclusion. Its key targets include increasing women’s labour force participation to 65%, expanding their role in agriculture to 30%, and ensuring women occupy 25% of board seats and 30% of senior management positions in companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

“Additionally, the policy seeks to enhance Nigeria’s ranking on the Global Gender Gap Index, boost women’s financial inclusion to 75%, and achieve a 75% enrollment rate for girls in secondary education.

“Implementing this policy requires a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders. Achieving the policy’s targets demands active participation from the private sector, which must prioritize women’s inclusion in the workforce and promote an enabling environment for their growth?

“Equally vital is the government’s role in advocating for laws and policies that promote diversity and equity and the role of families and informal institutions in dismantling traditional barriers that hinder women’s economic progress”, she said.

In her contribution, Founder of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola, articulated the organization’s enduring impact.

“For 16 years, WISCAR has tirelessly elevated women into leadership roles through mentorship, career development, and advocacy. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, it’s vital to intensify efforts to close the gender equality gap,” she said, emphasizing that WISCAR has mentored over 500 women across diverse sectors.

The conference celebrated several milestones, including the unveiling of The WISCAR Mentoring Book and the presentation of the Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award to Dolapo Agbede, a renowned diversity and inclusion expert. Agbede was lauded for her resilience and pioneering contributions to advancing inclusion in Africa.

“The WISCAR mentoring book, which chronicles the evolution of the WIN-with-WISCAR Model and our mentorship experiences and journey over the last 16 years.

“This book is a call to action for schools, universities, workplaces, families and communities to embrace mentorship as a tool for leadership development, talent management and gender equality.

“As we strive toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, let us normalise women’s leadership and remember that progress requires collective action. Nigeria’s strides in board diversity at 29.7% female representation among top companies demonstrate the impact of our collective efforts.

”With intentionality, we can replicate this across sectors and across all levels. Let us continue to champion gender equality and women’s empowerment for national and global prosperity”, she said.

Keynote speaker and 2024 Distinguished WISCAR Awardee and Founder of MainOne, Funke Opeke shared her journey of resilience in revolutionizing Nigeria’s tech infrastructure.

“The improbable is not always impossible,” she remarked, quoting Nelson Mandela. “With determination, we can overcome barriers and achieve remarkable feats.”

Notable guests included the First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, who unveiled The WISCAR Mentoring Book, alongside industry leaders such as Olumide Adeosun, Group Executive Director at Rainoil Limited; and Odunayo (Moritiwon) Sanya, Executive Director at MTN Foundation.