Headlines

Women who have excelled in male-dominated sectors

Published

2 weeks ago

24 April 2024

Women who have excelled in male-dominated sectors

Over the years, certain professions were regarded as being the exclusive preserve of men. But, not anymore. FAITH AJAYI takes a look at intelligent and hard-working women who rose to the pinnacle in male-dominated fields

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian-American economist, who became the first woman and first African to serve as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. She was appointed the seventh Director-General of the WTO in March 2021, and will stay in the office until the expiration of her tenure on August 31, 2025.

Prior to that, she served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister twice from 2003-2006, and 2011-2015. Shortly after, she was appointed as the Foreign Minister in 2006, making her the first woman to hold both positions.

In 2012, Okonjo-Iweala contested the presidency of the World Bank Group, making her the first woman and African to do so.

In the course of her illustrious career, Okonjo-Iweala has served as a development economist, and Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group for two tenures; and later as Managing Director of Operations between 2007 and 2011. In that position, she was responsible for managing a $81bn operational portfolio spread across Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia.

The highly committed and dedicated woman has also held leadership and advisory offices, and has seats on several boards, including being the Chair of the Board of Gavi.

She also served as Senior Advisor at Lazard, and sat on the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc.

She has received several national and international awards and honourary degrees from over 20 institutions

Among her numerous achievements, she has featured on several prestigious lists, including the People’s Choice Award by ThisDay Newspaper (2020), Transparency International’s Eight Female Anti-Corruption Fighters Who Inspire (2019), 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015), Top Three Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012), Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011), Top 100 Women in the World (The UK Guardian, 2011,among others.

She has also been listed among 73 ‘brilliant’ business influencers in the world by Condé Nast International.

Okonjo-Iweala is an author with several publications to her name. She is married to a neurosurgeon, Ikemba Iweala, and their marriage is blessed with four children, and many grandchildren.

Mayen Adetiba

Mayen Adetiba is Nigeria’s first female civil engineer, and also the first female to be elected to the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. She was elected President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria, and was Vice-President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers on different occasions.

Unlike most women of her time who did not consider engineering to be a career that females could pursue, Adetiba went on to study Civil Engineering at the Colombia School of Engineering in New York, USA, after which, she went further to obtain a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, specialising in Structural Engineering, from Cornell University, New York, in 1976.

Upon returning to Nigeria after her studies, she worked with various firms and assisted in executing several notable projects within the country. Some of those projects include Ibadan Brewery which was at that time, the second largest in Africa; Akwa-Ibom State Governors Lodge, Akwa Ibom State E-Library, the Ibeno Shore Protection, the IDSL (NNPC) Computer Centre/Offices, Benin; and Akwa-Ibom State Liaison Office in Abuja.

Aside from being a skilled engineer, she also has vast knowledge when it comes to design. Adetiba designed the Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos. The structural masterpiece only has two columns supporting the steel roof structures, and a capacity for 5,000 worshippers.

Adetiba is the Chartered Secretary-General of the Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria, and has held different offices ranging from Social Secretary of the Nigerian Student Union of New York State; Member, Board of Directors, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited; President of the Ibeno Women’s Forum, a forum that seeks to empower women in the 27 coastal Ibeno villages that stretch from Cross River to Rivers states, among others.

In November 1999, at the fifth convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, she was conferred the Fellowship of the institution for her ‘immeasurable contributions to the establishment, growth, and development of academic excellence in Nigeria’.

Adetiba is not only an engineer, but also had stints in other professions, such as journalism and acting. She was a part of the original cast of The Village Headmaster. This was even as she modelled products for some of the topmost advertising agencies in Nigeria at the time, and acted in Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest in 1969.

After many years of an illustrious career, Adetiba continues to inspire generations of young women, through the Mayen Adetiba Foundation for Girls in STEM. She is married to Dele Adetiba, and they have three children, including the popular filmmaker, Kemi Adetiba.

Owowoh Oluchukwu

Owowoh Oluchukwu is the first Nigerian female officer to graduate from the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, United Kingdom, on April 12, 2024, at the age of 24.

Owowoh began at career at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna State in 2018. While there, she distinguished herself right from the second year when she was appointed a Cadet Lance Corporal. In her fourth year, she was made a Cadet Sergeant, and in her fifth year, she assumed the role of Company Senior Under Officer Charlie.

She went on to finish the academics wing of the commissioning course with first-class Honours in Biological Sciences.

She made history as the first female to assume the position of CSUO in the academy.

Speaking on her achievement, Owowoh said, “It is a profound honour to be the first Nigerian female officer to be commissioned from the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This achievement is not mine alone, but a testament to the unwavering support of my family, mentors, instructors, and countless individuals who believed in me every step of the way. As I look ahead to the future, I am committed to representing Nigeria with pride, and to making a positive difference in the world.”

Kafayat Sanni

Sanni was the first female fighter pilot in the 55-year-old history of the Nigerian Air Force; a feat she achieved in October 2019.

Upon enlisting in the Nigerian Air Force, she started her training at 401 Aviation School, Nigerian Airforce Base, Kaduna. It was noted that because of her excellent performance, she was selected to further her training at the Aviation Leadership Programme in the United States of America for 18 months. Upon completion of the programme, she received extra training in English in Texas; and advanced vocational training in Colombia; all in the US.

During her course, she was trained in operating a combat helicopter for 14 months. Upon her return from her training, she became the first Nigerian female fighter jet pilot on October 15, 2019, and was given the ‘Wings’ Award by the Nigerian Air Force at a ceremony held at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja.

In an interview on October 19, 2019, she noted that she was able to achieve this because she believed she could. She said, “I did not think there was any reason for me not to be able to fly a jet. I believed I could achieve it, and I did.”

Aloma Mukhtar

Aloma Mukhtar broke a jinx by becoming the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, after her appointment by former President Goodluck Jonathan on July 16, 2012. She was appointed the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2009, making her the first female in that position.

The then President also conferred on her the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger.

Mukhtar was born on November 20, 1944, in Lagos. For her basic education, she attended Saint George’s Primary School in Zaria, Kaduna; and St. Bartholomew School.

She later relocated to Somerset, England, and in 1962, and went on to study Law at the Reading Technical College in Berkshire, England; and Gibson and Weldon College of Law, also in England.

In 1966, Mukhtar was later called to the English Bar in absentia, and the Nigerian Bar in 1967.

Upon her return to Nigeria, she worked as Pupil State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice in northern Nigeria, making her the first female attorney to serve across the 19 states of northern Nigeria.

She later worked as a legal counsel at the Ministry of Justice. During her time there, she was tapped by the late Justice Buba Ardo to serve as an interim magistrate in Maiduguri. This also made Makhtar the first woman to be appointed as a magistrate in the north. She occupied that office till 1973, when she served as a Chief Registrar at the Kano State Government judiciary.

Over the years, Mukhtar has occupied different offices around the country. These include her appointment as a judge of the Kano State High Court, which made her the third woman to serve as a judge in the history of Nigeria, the first woman to serve as a judge in the northern part of Nigeria, and the youngest judge in the country at the time, at the age of 32.

She was also the first female Justice of the Court of Appeal, first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. During her time in the Supreme Court, Mukhtar served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of The Gambia.

She has served as the Vice president of the National Association of Female Judges in Nigeria, and has been honoured for her contributions to gender parity and justice. In 2005, Mukhtar was inducted into the Nigerian Hall of Fame, before receiving the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger in 2012, as well as the Gold Merit Award for her contributions to the development of law in Kano State in 2016.

Virginia Etiaba

Although she only stayed in office as the Governor of Anambra State for three months, she remains the first female governor in Nigeria; and her admirers have said that her impact was widely felt in the short period she spent in office.

While in office as the governor, she flagged off several road projects, and signed the Anambra State Child Rights Bill into law. She also pushed for the propagation of Igbo language and culture, which earned her an alias— Mama Anambra.

Before her venture into politics, Etiaba was a school proprietress in Anambra but resigned to take up the office of the Deputy Governor of Anambra state in 2006.

In an interview she noted that her training as a teacher helped her in dispensing her duties in public service. She said, “I will want to be remembered as a public officer who served responsibly, compassionately and competently. My training and background as a teacher mandates me to show good examples at all times. So, I would want to pass on, directly or indirectly, a legacy of principled leadership, hard work, commitment to the needs of the people, respect for the feelings of the people, as well as the fear of God.”

Among her many challenges, overcoming cancer was one that she is forever grateful to God for. She was first diagnosed with colon cancer in Nigeria, and it was later confirmed at King’s College London Hospital, Denmark Hill, South East London.

While recounting the experience, she said, “It was cancer of the colon. The ailment had got to a serious stage that only immediate surgery was the answer. I was admitted into the private wing of King’s College Hospital, London, the next day where, after several months of chemotherapy sessions, I made it. Thanks to Almighty God”

Etiba was raised by her uncle— Chief Pius Ejimbe— in Kano State, where she completed her basic education before proceeding to partake in the teacher’s training programme in Gombe State. She holds a National Certificate of Education, Bachelor of Education, and a certificate in Information Technology.

After her education, she worked as a teacher and headmistress for 35 years in several parts of Anambra State, and eventually retired in 1991 to start the Bennet Etiaba Memorial Schools in the Nnewi area of the state. She is also a member of various organisations and associations.

She got married to the late Bennet Etiaba of Umudim Nnewi in 1998, and they lived happily together for 24 years, until Bennet passed away. She is blessed with six children.

Chinyere Kalu

Another trailblazer whose resilience and passion broke the stereotypes in Nigeria’s aviation industry is Chinyere Kalu, the country’s first commercial pilot. On December 28, 2011, she flew the plane that made her the first female pilot in Nigeria.

Kalu grew up with her mother after her parent’s separation but with the support of her extended family, she was able to achieve her dream of becoming a pilot.

Having a strong interest in the aviation industry, she initially wanted to become an air hostess, but later went for the ‘bigger fish’ of being a pilo. She attended the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Kaduna, and was trained as a private and commercial pilot.

She also took other aviation and transport courses in the United Kingdom and the United States, and received her commercial aviation license from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.

After getting her license, as a woman in a male-dominated industry, she faced her share of challenges and overcame them as the years went by.

In October 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed her the rector and chief instructor of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology; a position she held until February 2014.

Though there were challenges along the way, she did not allow them to affect her zeal to achieve greatness, as she went further to attend many training courses all over the world.

In an interview, she noted that she faced lots of discrimination and prejudice, saying that many men in the industry felt threatened by her success, and despite her qualifications, she had to stay for months without any work or salary at several times during her career.

In the course of her career, Kalu has won many awards, such as the African International Achievers’ Merit Award, and the Rare Gems Professional Achievements Award. She is also a member of many prestigious organisations, including the Nigerian Women Achievers Hall of Fame.

Headlines

NNPC, marketers in war of words over fuel scarcity

Published

4 days ago

4 May 2024

Agency News

NNPC, marketers in war of words over fuel scarcity

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation has blamed the lingering fuel scarcity in the country on panic buying and sharp practices by some petroleum marketers who are exploiting the present situation to make more money.

The company also vowed that the fuel queues across the country would end next week, noting that it had enough litres of fuel to end the scarcity.

Petroleum marketers, however, disagreed with the position of the NNPC, insisting that inadequate supply was a major reason for the persisting fuel scarcity.

Recall that on Tuesday, the NNPC spokesperson, Femi Soneye, assured that the ongoing shortage in supply of petroleum products and queues for the products would be cleared by May 1.

According to him, the company had more than 1.5 billion litres of petroleum products available, enough to last for at least 30 days. He added that some individuals might be exploiting the situation to maximise profit.

The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria had in a statement said its members in Apapa and other locations in Lagos had received 300 million litres of fuel from eight vessels this week.

This was after the South-West Regional Coordinator of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Ayo Cardoso, also confirmed to The PUNCH that aside from the 240 million litres offloaded at various depots on Monday, close to 85 million litres of petrol was offloaded as of Tuesday evening.

Cardoso stated that the government was doing its best to ensure massive distribution of PMS, adding that the product would soon be available across the country.

According to him, each state of the federation had its allocations, saying the same will be delivered to reduce the queues at filling stations.

“As I said earlier, there will be enough fuel across Nigeria soon. We have received over 300 million litres as of Tuesday. More have arrived as we speak, but I can’t give you the figure. Vessels will keep arriving in Nigeria for 15 days, which started counting on Monday, and we will keep distributing the product across the nation.

“The masses should not panic; all these will soon vanish. We are not prioritising anywhere, each state has its allocation to be delivered accordingly,” Cardoso stated.

In the last few days, the queues and shortage of petroleum products worsened the living conditions of most Nigerians as they struggled to get the product.

Roads were deserted while some individuals parked their vehicles at various filling stations pending the availability of petrol.

Hoarding of the product had also been on the increase, as some took advantage of the situation.

Concerned, the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) called on security agencies to pick up hoarders of PMS.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the spokesperson of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, explained that the oil firm currently had about three billion litres of petrol, as he blamed oil marketers and panic buying for the lingering queues.

“The queues are clearing. They won’t just clear like that, because people are trying to hoard, while others are buying what they don’t need. That is why we keep saying there is enough product; there is no need to buy what you don’t need.

“Also, you can’t exclude the marketers in this, as they want to use this opportunity to make more money. These are the issues, which is why we have involved the NMDPRA, because it is their duty to ensure that the right thing is done by these filling stations.

“Our job is to provide the product and we’ve told you that we have over 1.5 billion litres available. So, the NMDPRA should please do something about the distribution. It is not our job. We are not the regulator, and we don’t have power to sanction the filling stations that are not doing what they are supposed to do.”

Soneye said the NNPC had increased the volume of petrol in Nigeria and insisted that distribution by marketers was now the concern.

Stop blaming us for scarcity – Marketers to NNPC

Marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria have, however, told the NNPC not to blame them for the queues in filling stations, saying they were not involved in sharp practices.

The National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, wondered how the NNPC could shift the blame to marketers, who were not the importers of petrol.

Fashola said marketers could only hoard an available product, recalling how IPMAN had assisted in clearing off the queues in filling stations.

“That is far from the truth. You can only divert the product that you have. You don’t divert what you don’t have.

“On the issue of pricing, we are in a regime of partial deregulation. If you noticed, even before this crisis, we had different prices everywhere. That is another issue that cannot stand.

“On the issue of hoarding, you cannot hoard what you don’t have. It is not even making sense when you have fuel at this critical period, then you say you want to hoard it. So, that is not true too,” he said.

Asked if the marketers were now getting the product from the NNPC, the IPMAN leader said, “Let me use this opportunity to commend the NNPC, despite the fact that they want to put the blame on us. I think they’re trying their best to put the situation under control”.

Fashola added that independent marketers did not engage in sharp practices.

“We have already set up a task force within the IPMAN to make sure our people play according to the rules and regulations. We are a very disciplined organisation. We don’t do any sharp practices; we don’t condone that.

“If you remember, last week they told us it was a logistic problem, and we know what that means. So, why are they blaming marketers for the scarcity? We are not the importer, we are not in charge of shipment; we are not their clearing agent. We don’t even own our own depot. So, how can they blame us for that?” he asked.

Also responding to the NNPC’s allegations, the National Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, debunked claims that the oil marketers were responsible for the persistent fuel scarcity.

Ukadike, speaking in a telephone interview on Friday night, stated that marketers established their businesses solely for profit and returns on investment, and would not create artificial scarcity, adding that the heavy capital and incurred bank charges did not allow for hoarding of the petroleum product.

He said, “We are the last in the distribution chain of supply. We break the box of NNPC, and as I am talking to you, IPMAN has over 20,000 filling stations scattered in the nooks and crannies of this country. We established our businesses to be able to maximise profit and have a return on investment.

“There is no sharp practice at all. Anytime there is inadequate supply of petroleum products, you would find out that independent marketers advertise and even go as far as washing vehicles’ tyres and windscreens and instructing our pump attendants to sell petroleum products, because we believe in turnover. The kind of money we are using to buy products, around N40m, is too huge for someone to hoard. We even incur bank charges.

“There is no way we can hoard products. Once they are given to us, we sell them as quickly as possible.

He added, “We are ready to sell for 24 hours if security is provided for us and financial support is also given to us. As an official, I can tell you that we are not involved in any sharp practice. Once petroleum gets to us, we will sell to consumers, because we interface with them and we know how it feels when product is scarce.”

The official further called on security agencies to wade off street urchins profiteering from the scarcity.

“I won’t also say that there are no people, such as street urchins, who take advantage of the situation to engage in sharp practices, using their vehicles to buy petroleum product and then distribute to jerry cans for profiteering. We are aware of those issues, and the national president of IPMAN has advised that marketers should involve security agencies to wade off all those persons standing in front of their filling stations.”

Also speaking to Saturday PUNCH, the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, said even though sharp practices existed within the oil sector, it should not be blamed majorly for the fuel scarcity in the country.

He said, “There are many reasons. I don’t doubt that some sharp practices are going on, but it is too simplistic to say that is the cause of the scarcity. So, I don’t believe that they (NNPCL) will say that.”

“I do not believe they said so. I do not doubt that there may be some sharp practices here and there, but I do not believe the NNPCL would say so.”

Explaining the cause of the scarcity, he said, “I have said it is logistic challenges. There are many other problems, but the immediate cause can be classified under logistic challenges.”

To solve the prevailing fuel scarcity, he said the government should “flood the markets with the products.”

“If you wake up and they say there is no product in Nigeria, then you can call or hold NNPC responsible. But now, the custodian of the stock is the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and they have not said that we don’t have products. When Nigerians should hold us responsible is when there is no product. But, there is product in excess.

“The 1.5 billion litres we said about four days ago has increased, because we’ve added more vessels and we are going to make almost three billion litres available. So, distribution should be looked into by the NMDPRA.

“When the regulator sanctions some stations, it will make others sit up and do the right thing. But, as NNPC, we don’t have the power to sanction any station,” Soneye stated.