An advocacy group, Women in Energy Network (WEIN) has urged the incoming government to guarantee that 35% of women are included in decisions about the nation’s energy industry.
The national president of WEIN, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue, who was speaking in Lagos through a member of the WEIN Board of Trustees, Mrs. Charlotte Essiet, said that this was of the highest importance to the organization.
According to Ogbue, policies and programmes that support equal opportunity, gender diversity, and inclusion in the workplace could help women gain access to jobs in the energy sector.
She mentioned that according to a recent assessment by the International Energy Agency, women only make up 22% of the workforce in Nigeria’s energy sector and only 12% of senior management positions.
“This highlights the need for concerted efforts to promote gender diversity in the sector, and we believe that the incoming administration has a critical role to play in this regard.
“WIEN is committed to working toward the goal of the advancement of women in the energy sector.
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“We will look forward to collaborating with the incoming government to create a more equitable and inclusive energy sector and to prioritize the advancement of women in the energy sector,” she said.
According to her, since the creation of the group in 2020, WEIN has been committed to the promotion and advancement of women in the energy sector.
She urged the incoming government to support training and mentoring programmes for women in the industry and encourage public-private partnerships that promote gender diversity in the sector.
She said, to further impact on women, the group would be empowering more women in the sector in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day.
According to her, this will hold March 24, in Lagos, with the theme: “Programmes & Initiatives for Equitable Access for Women in the Nigerian Energy Industry”.
She said the programme would be done in partnership with ‘Women in Shell Network’ and ‘Seplat Awesome Women’s Network’.
Story adapted from Leadership
