The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), HadizaBala Usman has called on stakeholders in Maritime Sector to include more women in professional services insisting that to do so would erase the ‘unfair’ balance in the sector. She stated this at a conference of women in Africa (WIMA-NIGERIA) which took place in Lagos last week.
The Managing Director noted that in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) which took off about four years ago, there was need for inclusiveness and gender equality as a way of achieving the best for the world. She disclosed that a “disheartening 2% of the workforce are women” who find themselves in sundry positions as administration, marketing, communications, law etc.
She also decried the influence of traditional and religious practices which exclude women from certain career opportunities, thus shutting out the girl child from being involved in Ports operations.
According to the Managing Director, “what I mean is that there should be a concerted efforts at ensuring that more women get into professions in maritime sector and remain there with the prospect that will attain the management cadre”.
On the way forward, the managing director advocated that young girls should be encouraged to take interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in order to pursue career in Shipping, Marine, Operations and Engineering Sub-Sectors.
She called for the establishment of specialized institutions and the provision of incentives and scholarships for girls while insisting that a mentoring system would invariably impact on the number of girls who enter the Marine Sector.
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