Channelling Our Women to Critical Areas of Development

Channelling Our Women to Critical Areas of Development

While the rest of the nations of the world are investing in critical areas of development such as human capital, we lag behind. Instead of ensuring that our women—the vital segment of our population—are educated and meaningfully integrated into leadership and management structures, where they have consistently proven to contribute significantly to development, we fall short. This is evident in countries like the Scandinavian nations and even in developing economies. In Indonesia, for instance, women own over 50% of SMEs, which provide about 98% of jobs. Similarly, in Bangladesh, women make up about 60% of the workforce in the garment industry, the country’s largest export sector, generating about $50 billion—far more than what Nigeria earns annually from crude oil exports.

Rather than emulating these nations by investing in our women—who constitute more than 50% of our population—and harnessing their productivity, our focus drifts toward trivialities such as the Ozoro festival, a development that reflects poorly on our national priorities. This is a profound misplacement of values. Greater effort should be directed toward meaningful development, including policies and initiatives that empower women and integrate them into the economic mainstream.

If we redirect our priorities, invest in our people, and harness the potential of our women in critical sectors, we can rebuild our nation on a foundation of productivity and inclusion—transforming from a now disgraced country into one of pride. 

With the right priorities and actions, a new Nigeria is POssible. -PO