Uzoka-Anite canvasses for more women participation in capital market

As the world marks International Women’s Day, Nigerian women have been encouraged to explore investment opportunities in the capital market as a pathway to wealth creation.

The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, made this call during the official launch of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Podcast in Abuja on Monday.

She emphasised that podcasts serve as a valuable tool for educating the public and inspiring more women to engage in the financial sector.

Uzoka-Anite highlighted the unique challenges women face compared to men, noting that, in addition to their professional responsibilities, they also juggle family and societal obligations.

She said the government needs to come up with more policies, reforms, or frameworks that encourage more women to participate in the financial sector, stressing that there are some areas where policies against the girl child still exist.

“Women are actually very good with investing; we know what to do with money. We know how to manage money in the house, and it will go round the whole family. If a woman learns how to make that money multiply and how to save it in a way that it will continue to add value and meet her needs and her family’s needs, I think she will love that. They just need that added knowledge to be able to make the right choices at any given time.

“Seek information and find out how you can invest in the capital market. The capital market is open for business, and it is time for women to become active participants. Assisting women in the capital market is a multi-pronged approach; the individuals need to do more to be heard. The institutional approach where we encourage the institutions to give women a chance, to treat women based on their competencies, capacities, and encourage them.

“It’s a multi-pronged approach, getting all involved to be more conscious of supporting women to attain their fullest capacity and achieve their full potential. Women are also known to be very trustworthy and dependable, and that is why you are seeing more women in positions hitherto held by men. We are calling everyone involved to be more conscious of supporting women to attain their fullest capacity and fullest potential.”

She commended the SEC on the launch of the podcast, describing it as very innovative and highly needed at this time, and expressed hope that the objectives for which it is set up will be achieved.

The Minister said that the capital market is very critical as it is needed to set the economy free, to help the country achieve the $1 trillion economy, to boost industries, to create jobs, to unlock the potentials of the Nigerian economy, diversify the economy, create capital for individuals and companies to access, and by so doing, liberate the economy and inject the much-needed prosperity we need in Nigeria.

She said financial literacy is one of the first fundamental steps to take to build investor confidence, adding, “In any market, you must have a lot of participants for the market to be active. We have the population and we have the potential, a lot of businesses trying to come to the market. We have all it takes to be Africa’s biggest market, and it starts with things like this. It starts by people knowing that this is available and what they can do with the market. The present administration is implementing reforms that will transform the capital market, make it more robust, more transparent, more efficient, and trustworthy. So that people can put their money and know it is safe.

“This Podcast is a right step in that direction, and I am sure we will get there. I congratulate the DG for this idea and assure the Commission that we are fully behind him. We need the capital market to be vibrant, and that will only be dependent on the number of players. If we are having a podcast, we will be able to reach a wider population of Nigerians, and our market will have that vibrancy that we desire. I congratulate the Management of the SEC for this innovative idea, and I am available to support the Commission in any way possible,” she added.

Speaking earlier, the Director General of the SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama, said the Commission is starting the podcast to disseminate information to every nook and cranny of Nigeria and get people to understand the capital market and the opportunities that abound therein.

“We want people in the most remote parts of this country to be aware of the capital market and how they can participate to create wealth. We are particularly interested in having more women participate in this market, and we hope this podcast will assist us in reaching out to them,” he added.