NBCC calls for women’s empowerment to drive growth

The Nigerian-British Chamber Of Commerce (NBCC) is advocating for increased women empowerment across various economic sectors to combat gender inequality and drive economic development. Rally Atelly, NBCC’s president, stressed the importance of women assuming leadership roles and called for mentorship and investment in their businesses during the chamber’s International Women’s Day event.

Adeniyi Adekoya, deputy MD at Synerpet & Weston Limited, highlighted the need for corporate discussions on gender equality integration into company values. He noted a gap in corporate missions and vision boards regarding gender equality, emphasizing the necessity for change from a corporate standpoint.

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Citing a United Nations report, it was revealed that an additional $360 billion annually is required to achieve gender parity, with millions of women at risk of extreme poverty by 2030. Adesuwa Okunbo-Rhodes, founder of Aruwa Capital Management, emphasized the need to address unconscious biases hindering women’s access to capital and advocated for investments in women-led businesses to foster their growth.

Tinuade Awe, former CEO of NGX Regulation Limited, emphasized that investing in women is a societal imperative, extending beyond financial support to include time, effort, and social capital. Awe framed the lack of investment in women as a societal issue with far-reaching implications for national progress.

The UN report underscored that closing gender gaps in employment could significantly boost GDP per capita, with the potential to generate nearly 300 million jobs by 2035. It urged governments to prioritize gender-responsive financing and increase public spending on essential services and social protection, ensuring women’s needs and priorities are considered in policy-making and resource allocation.