As Council  trains over 65 per cent of its female

L/R:  Hon. Jime Emmanuel, ES/CEO NSC, Barr. Margret Orakwusi, Ship Owner and Board member, NSC and Mr. Kingsley Usoh, Former ES, NSC at a public function

As part of events to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hon Emmanuel Jime, has disclosed that the council has surpassed the 35 per cent affirmative action of the United Nations on gender equality.

Speaking  while celebrating IWD with the Women in Logistics and Transport Nigeria (WILAT), under the theme “Embrace Equity through Innovation and Technology’’ Jime  represented by NSC’s Deputy Director of Human Resources, Mrs Ada Okam, said  the council was gender-friendly as reflected in the number of women in its top management cadre.

“Precisely, women constitute 45 per cent of the high-profile cadre as well as occupy other juicy positions. In line with embracing equity, the council has already trained over 65 per cent of its female staff locally and abroad in different capacity building programmes to properly position them in the organisation”.

“The Council will do more where our female members of staff demonstrate the requisite capacity. I commend our female staff for showing capacity by performing excellently in their designated offices,” Jime said said.

The Chairperson of WILAT, Mrs Khadijat Sheidu-Shabi, said that 15 years ago, the percentage of women in the maritime industry was about seven. According to her, women currently occupy more administrative positions.

She opined that there were not enough women in the technical sector of the maritime industry while listing the areas still dominated by men to include engineering and seafaring.

Mrs Ufon Usoro, National President, Chartered Institute of logistics and Transport (CILT), urged women to create opportunities for themselves.

“We should create opportunities and make the society to realise that we are hardworking, smart and ready to contribute,’’ she said.

Usoro urged women to avoid giving excuses but put in their best in any given assignment.

“I am very pleased about the theme of the IWD which is equity through technology. We need to create opportunities for ourselves, encourage our girls to be good in science and mathematics because that is where you start if you want to be good in using technology,” she said.

The state Chairman of CILT, Alhaji Bashir Ambi, said that no society would be complete without women.

Ambi appealed to the Federal Government to encourage more education of women in technology especially in rural areas.