Nigerian women have demanded a seat at the table in the boardrooms at the Diary of the Nigerian Girl Festival, Lekki, Lagos on last week.
The strictly women’s event was in commemoration of International Women’s Day. It was also the first offline gathering of the Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) Women since its digital launch in 2015. With the theme, ‘Inspiring inclusion and breaking the norms,’ the event brought about 600 women from all walks of life and ages to share ideas and celebrate their resilience, and individual and collective achievements.
The event engaged women through panel discussions and an interactive break-out session with high-flying professional women in all sectors of the economy, while also serenading them with music with top-notch female music celebrities.
Speaking at the event, the inaugural Keynote speaker, the Vice Chairman and General Counsel at Mobil Producing Nigeria, Mrs Adesua Dozie congratulated the founder of the DANG community and CEO of DANG Lifestyle, Ifedayo Agoro, for choosing the theme. Dozie stated that it “reflects not only the collective journey of women but also the quest for inclusion.” She also praised her for having the courage to create a “vibrant online community of women’ who have become part of a robust support system for one another.”
She stressed that women must make themselves ‘includable’ by striving towards excellence and “merit, competence and strength of character.” She also enjoined members of the community and leading women to use their platforms to advocate for themselves and to fight for other women’s rights. She urged them to ‘politely demand a seat at the table’ and lamented that ‘globally, women hold less than five per cent of senior roles’ in organisations and institutions.
Dozie also urged men to fight for gender balance in organisations. ‘Men also have to join us to include policies that will promote equity. If they don’t join us, we will drag men. We also need to call out organisations who do not include women.’ While stressing that Mobil Nigeria had a robust and active gender inclusion policy, she said ‘ Inclusion is a moral imperative, it is also strategic and has shown to have socioeconomic values. Diversity drives profitability. We enrich our understanding and vibrant capacities through collaboration.’
In response to her speech, Agoro said that Diary of a Naija Girl is a safe space for women to express themselves, learn and share experiences. She urged the panellists to ‘come as they are, be honest, be truthful and empathetic’
The Panel Discussion on Mental Health, Wellness and Motherhood, involved Stephenie Busari, Senior Editor, CNN, Anita Asuoha (Real Warri Pikin), and Chinyelu Onuotu, a negotiator at Total Energies, Omotolani Olowojoba, chef at Diary of a Kitchen Lover. They discussed motherhood, coping strategies such as humour, rest, self-care, having a thick skin for personal choice, and finding a safe community to share personal challenges.
On the Panel Discussion on Community Building and Maximizing its Potential, which focuses on business and career, Folake Soetan, the CEO of Ikeja Distribution Company, Biodun Stephen, a leading film director, writer and producer, and Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani,
the GM and Group Head, Corporate Development and Investor Relations, Zenith Bank. They engaged gender imbalances in their respective industries and how they were able to break the glass ceilings in the Energy, Nollywood and banking sectors.
The panel on wealth creation had Tosin Olaseinde, Founder of Money Africa, Ife Durosinmi-Etti, Founder of Herconomy, and Tomilola Majekodunmi, Founder and Chief Executive at Bankly. They discussed budgeting, saving, investing and setting up a buffer for uncertain financial times.
The event closed with a break-out session and an after-party with Niniola and DJ DSF (Dorcas Shola Fapson).
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