Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Usman, has advised the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to guide more women to be bold in speaking in public so that their voice can be heard.
Usman gave the advice on Wednesday in Lagos while receiving some members of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and Women International Maritime Africa (WIMAFRICA) at the NPA’s headquarters in Lagos.
She advised women to project themselves as intellectuals, to sustain gender equality in public offices.
“I have worked very hard in ensuring that whatever I can do or is within my capacity to assist women, I will do.
“With young girls, they need to be hardworking, dedicated, and to be committed.
“No matter what you do in life across all genders, it is important to be hardworking, honest, humble and I communicate with women to support ourselves,’’ Usman said.
She advised women not to quit their profession because of domestic duties, saying that they should continue working to enable them to occupy executive positions with the other gender.
Usman advised women to continue to support the young ladies in their places of work, to enable them to remain within the employment range.
According to her, it is important for women to be independent and a lot of people, especially in the North, are unable to understand that employment is key because it gives a sense of actualisation.
Earlier, the President of NAWOJ, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole, said the association was established to support every woman in public offices and to attract more women.
Omowole said that female journalists had been watching Usman’s dedication and commitment to duty over time, adding that she was a good representative of women.
“You have been a worthy ambassador of women and we have seen your innovation since you came in.
“We are glad to associate with you; since you came on board, NPA has been getting good news reports.
“We will continue to project everything you are doing to the public in order to appreciate your commitment in delivering your duties,“ Omowole said.
She urged Usman to participate in all programmes of NAWOJ to motivate more women to support her in achieving gender equality.
Omowole said that some female journalists had constituted a pressure group in ensuring that Nigeria had more female deputy governors and a female vice president.
She said that Usman was one of the shortlisted candidates the group projected should occupy a high position.
In a related development, the President, Women International Maritime Africa (WIMAFRICA), Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, pleaded that the NPA boss should support the association to achieve gender equality in the maritime sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WIMAFRICA is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), established on the need to develop a common institution of co-operation and a continental platform for all African women in the maritime sector.
WIMAFRICA was set up to also increase the indispensable participation of women in the progress of Africa and the need for gender equality.
Chiazor-Anishere said there was need to recognise efforts being made by women and their participation in African maritime sector.
“We have women of more than 30 years experience in the maritime industry such as maritime lawyers and maritime administrators.
“We will not like to seek for sponsorship at all times and that is why we are requesting that your organisation should consider some of our members as consultants.
“We also want your organization to consider our members for foreign trips to enable them to have exposure like their counterparts from other African countries.
“We intend to buy fishing equipment to some fisher women in Makoko area in Lagos, Delta, Port-Harcourt, Lokoja and other areas where women engage in fishing as a profession,“ she said.
Chiazor-Anishere urged Usman, being a member of the Advisory Board of WIMAFRICA, to support the association to achieve its mandate of empowering women in the riverine areas.
She said that the Blue Economy could not survive without aqua culture, adding that the association would assist women who were into fisheries in riverine communities to benefit from the Blue Economy initiative.
Chiazor-Anishere said that the association had realised that some of the women in riverine areas did not have preservatives like oven and refrigerators, to enable them to store fish for export.
She said that Blue Economy would serve as a major avenue for the growth of the nation’s economy.
In her remark, Usman said that she would be available to partner with the association, being a member of the Advisory Board of the association.
She said that the NPA looked forward to future collaboration and enhanced synergy with WIMAFRICA.
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