If I jettisoned other topics because events overtook them the same fate must not befall this particular one. One reason is that at the centre of it is one of Nigeria’s respected institutions. The other reason is that women are honoured by this institution. Whoever honours women helps Nigeria and it’s Nigeria, and what can help Nigeria, I promote always on this page. Now, the International Women’s Day for this year happened and one of the foremost institutions in the media industry in Nigeria lent its voice to it. There are institutions in Nigeria that when they speak we all listen. When they embark on an endeavour, we pay attention. A sister institution, The Guardian Newspaper, Lagos, is one of such.
When this year’s Women’s Day was celebrated, the newspaper management marked it in a special way. The Publisher/Chairman of The Guardian, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, was at the centre of it. For me, the initiative felt like, yes, this is something I’ve been waiting for over the years. Now it has happened. Honouring women for their contribution to our nation’s development is ever a commendable endeavour. The other time, I celebrated a play written by Biodun Baiyewu and staged to celebrate the contribution to the emancipation of Nigerian women as made by Egba women in Ogun State in the 1940s. When celebration of women’s contribution to national development is done by an institution such as The Guardian that’s known for its excellent journalism and sound administration of its establishment, it makes it more remarkable. The Guardian, where I started journalism on the Political Desk in 1997, is among the respectable institutions I’ve been waiting for to come into the public space to promote one or more of the important issues in Nigeria. Now it’s done this on the side of giving public recognition to the place of women in our nation’s development.
Equally, I’ve been keen to see prominent women personalities use their good offices to support and promote good causes in Nigeria. We know when they do, we are all the better for it as our nation benefits. This is the reason I called attention to some of our women who took certain worthy measures in the past. The list of such women that I’ve called attention to on this page is endless. Now, Lady Alex-Ibru is the latest with the Hall of Fame she has created. In her welcome address at the maiden International Women’s Day summit held in Lagos, Lady Alex-Ibru stated that the IWD theme for this year, Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, aligns perfectly with Goal 5 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations; this is about achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
She further pointed out that the summit was the first ever event to recognise and honour women in public service both at the federal and state government levels in Nigeria. It was also a platform to deliberate on issues of national interest as they related to the roles of women in the public sector in synchronisation with the private sector development and the economy in general. At the event, almost 40 women were honoured. Among the women honoured are those who have contributed to public service in the country, including retired armed forces personnel, ministers, top civil servants, like Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan, the Head of the Federal Civil Service, as well as Dr. Ayoade Folashade Arike, Secretary to Kogi State Government. Others were Hon. Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu from Anambra State who was awarded as the most impactful female House of Representative member, as well as Senator from Lagos, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was awarded as the most impactful female senator.
I particularly take note of the lawmakers, Ikpeazu and Tinubu, because they are where laws that can impact women are made. Laws are one of the important instruments by which we can improve the condition of women in Nigeria. These two female lawmakers never fail to get my attention when they speak in the chambers of the National Assembly on matters that concern women. They make their contributions based on what they know women feel and the challenges women are generally confronted with. Sometimes when I hear Senator Tinubu speak at senate sittings, I wonder if what she said would have been said at all if no woman was present. Even at that, any lawmaker can raise matters that concern women but only women know how to say it best and get people to listen. That’s the reality. Female lawmakers know where the shoe pinches the most and they see, and hear, more about the plight of their fellow women.
It happens that I feel really concerned when a girl child is left without being empowered either through education or acquisition of a skill. She’s a problem waiting to happen in the future. I’ve seen women who aren’t so empowered and whose condition ensures their children are turned into child labourers, hawkers, house helps, sex workers, etc. Their children sometimes become a liability to the society in the end. I’ve also seen women who are empowered, sometimes against their own more modest desires, and the story has turned out to be one that gladdens the heart. In stating this, I always recall a particular example about which I knew the beginning as well as the consequences. I was there when a friend of mine up North, government official and a PhD holder, got married over two decades ago. This lady had secondary school certificate from one of the best secondary schools in the North at that time.
What followed was a situation whereby my friend was determined to make his wife have more education and generally to improve her. One of the things he did at first was teach her how to use a computer at that time when the use of laptop computers was rare. The wife wasn’t keen. She was good in taking care of her home and her children but she wasn’t interested in anything else. This was of great concern to my friend who told me at the time that he wanted his wife to have a university degree as well. The first thing he did, however, was to enrol her for an NCE programme. She completed it but wasn’t interested in proceeding to the university. My friend wasn’t going to have any of that, arguing with her that she needed to have more certificate so that she could get a suitable employment if she wanted. What if something happened to him tomorrow and he wasn’t there anymore; how would she take care of herself and the children, my friend had argued at the time.
My friend enrolled his wife for a degree programme. She completed it and applied to the state government for a job. She began to work. Shortly after, my friend who was the head of one of his state’s government agencies travelled, as usual, to Abuja for an official meeting. Unfortunately, he had a road accident and lost his life. The wife is still working with the state government and she’s been taking very good care of their children. This and many more examples I have, and they make me really worry when I see any young female left on her own, no education no skills. The consequence is ever the 2+2 that must equal 4. There’s no other way around it.
As such, I take full note when anything is done for women in order to educate them, empower them and generally improve their condition. Law making is core to this and so the presence of more women lawmakers in law making chambers is one we must continue to promote. Also, honouring women who make contributions to national development is a worthy endeavour, honouring those who make laws that affect women is even more so. Lady Alex-Ibru, the woman who took the latest step of honouring Nigerian women, is worthy of honour herself. For this Hall of Fame she creates for women, which to me is what this endeavour connotes, doesn’t only encourage the awardees to do more. It can also encourage other women to aspire, aim higher, which is to the overall benefit of our nation.
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