The roles of Nigerian women in leadership

THE value placed on professional and personal life is crucial to effective leadership skills. Women lack the opportunity and support they need to compete with men in areas like politics. Voters also fail to understand the importance of having both men and women in government. This is evident in the 2015 Taraba State gubernatorial election where Aisha Alhassan also known as  ‘Mama Taraba’ the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate was elected as the first female governor of the state. The Appeal Court later declared her election into the office as invalid, stating that the APC did not have jurisdiction over the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Federal Government adopted a policy in 2000  known as ‘Nigeria Policy of Women’ to help ensure that women had equal opportunities as men to participate in government, yet women are not given the opportunity to hold meaningful positions in government.

Every organisation needs a leader irrespective of the gender or age.  In working towards growth and development for a better Nigeria, women should be involved in leadership roles.  It is pertinent to note that leadership is not gender-specific; it is a set of qualities inherent or cultivated in people who develop themselves into great leaders and the ability to influence and persuade people to follow a particular course of action towards the realization of a goal. Over the years, women have not been encouraged to take leadership roles as often as their male counterparts. However, they are gradually making their presence felt in health, education, administration, communication, engineering and entrepreneurship, to mention only a few. The levels range from regional and national to global. Women are constantly evolving and reaching new millstones across a wide spectrum of human activities.  Olajumoke Adenowo , Folake Solanke, Ire Aderinokun, Sarah Nnadzwa Jubril, Grace Alele Williama, Tara Fela Durotoye, Folorunsho Alakija, Folake Coker, Uche Eze Pedro, Kehinde Kamson,Chimamanda Adiche,  Ndidi Okonkwo , and many others are examples of women who are making headway in leadership positions.

It is no news that all qualities required for leadership in building a more sustainable future are feminine in nature. Women are  flexible and empathetic. They are also good builders, good listeners, good communicators and  emotionally intelligent. They encourage teamwork, lead by example and produce to reproduce the qualities for growth and development in any organisation. In all, women are all encompassing.  An organisation or society cannot function effectively and efficiently without women’s participation.  Women are weighty towards a better Nigeria. Their importance to the growth of any institution either society or organization can not be over emphasized. Many statistics show that organization led by women have better financial results.  Research shows that 65 per cent of women in leadership positions are people who share their knowledge and connect with their colleagues to help the team and the business. Women may not always realize how poised for success they are in leadership roles but their potential and abilities are undeniable towards a better Nigeria.

In today’s world, women are not so involved in leadership roles and their impacts to some extent are trivial.  The role of Nigerian women is all-encompassing. Therefore, they should be encouraged to take up leadership roles  to increase the pace of societal transformation at home and the workplace, thereby providing an integrated view of work and family. This will result  in an engaging and promising personal and professional future for a better Nigeria.

• Okorie writes in via joyfuljoy244@gmail.com