Women In Maritime Sector Are Ageing, Need Replacement—-Amaechi

 
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said that there is need to encourage more women to embrace carrier in the maritime sector as the existing ones are ageing. 
 
Speaking at the 2017 Class of MMS plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame induction and conference in Lagos yesterday, Amaechi who was represented by Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello stressed the need to mentor young women on the possibilities and potentials in the maritime industry.
 
He said that already, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is supporting programmes that have to do with mentoring and leadership at various institutions and colleges of education.
 
The minister stated that, "women in maritime are ageing rapidly and it is always good to catch them young, I know there are many organisations like WISTA, WILAT who are also in this mentorship to catch them young"
 
"We need to cultivate a crop of young women to take over and replace the ones going away"
 
"The ministry of transportation would support such issues as mentorship and leadership, Nigerian Shippers’ Council particularly is involved in mentoring younger persons, we have had visits from universities and colleges of education where we have tutorship on the possibilities and potentials in the maritime industry", he said.
 
Women who were inducted into the MMS Hall of Fame included maritime lawyer, Mrs Funke Agbo (SAN) Managing Director of LADOL Oil and Gas, Dr.  Emi Jadesinmi, Chief Ijeoma Uche-Okoro, Lady Chinyere Ani Okonkwo, Ms Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu, Dr.  Lucy Newman, Dr Febisola Janet Adeyemi and Mrs Priscilla Ogwemoh 
 
Also speaking at the event, Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs Margaret Orakwusi charged the  newly- inducted women to continue contributing their quota to the maritime sector. 
 
Orakwusi charged them to always do more and not shy away from the responsibility of leadership.
 
"We should always give adequate representation to our women. Together we can build a nation where peace and justice would reign supreme. The women we are celebrating today truly deserve it. The recognition should spur you to do more for the nation", she said.
 
In her remarks, Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex and Convener, Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT); Aisha Ali Ibrahim advised women to embrace empowerment initiatives.
 
According to her, just few women are interested in empowerment initiatives.
 
She said, “the majority of women, when you talk to them about coming together for empowerment, they look at you as somebody wasting your own time. You try to make them understand that the power of togetherness is more than that of an individual which is why we have these groups who have focus on empowerment.
 
"My advice to women is to key into any group for empowerment." , she added.
 
Female activist, Dr.Joe Odumakin in her presentation on the theme of the event National Integration: Women's role in Leadership and Mentorship tasked the federal government to initiate policies that will focus on women empowerment.
 
According to her, government's policies with regards to empowering women are terribly worrisome.
 
"A lot of our women are economically having challenges and this have serve as a formal of retrogression. Women are the lubricant for the survival of any entity that will ever progress," she said..