NNPC Board Chairman recommends aggressive technical capacity training for women in energy sector
Oredola Adeola
Sen. Margery Okadigbo, Board Chairman, Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has recommended aggressive technical capacity training for women to ensure gender equality in the energy sector.
The NNPCL Board Chairman made this known while giving a remark during the International Women’s Day organised by the Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas (WEOG) in Nigeria with the theme “The Limitless Woman: Leveraging Innovation and Technology”.
According to Okadigbo, aggressive capacity building for women who specialised in technical skills is needed in critical areas of the Nigerian energy transition.
She noted that upscaling the capacities of women in Nigeria should be taken as one of the priorities for changing the gender bias and narrative.
Okadigbo also disclosed that breaking the barrier of inequality would be ineffective without the government’s active participation in promoting policy initiatives.
She however disclosed that women in the energy sector faced barriers to employment, leadership, and others.
Dr. Oladunni Owo, National President, WEOG, on her part said that the event was organised to advance women’s empowerment and recognise their contribution to the oil and gas industry in commemoration of Women’s Day globally.
She said, “We are having this event as a channel to celebrate our women in the energy industry across the energy value chain.
“According to statistics, currently women own 20 per cent in the industry and at leadership level we are just about seven per cent which is one of the reasons why we had to form the association five years ago.
“It aims at mainstreaming women into the industry both as employees and as business owners to cut across the value chain of the energy oil and gas space.
She said that based on its urge to have the voice of women in the Nigeria local content space, it was collaborating with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on advocacy documents which entailed the formulation of a sectorial working group.
According to her, the group which is under the Nigerian content and consultative forum focused on gender diversity, and in response to the clarion call the board approved the sectoral working group to be created.
She also commended the PTDF on its reach out for scholarships for qualified Nigerians in masters and doctorate degrees.
“And I know that PTDF has a very strong concentration for women. After this event, we would find a way to strengthen that relationship so that we can take it to the next level, especially from the grassroots,” she
Dr Bello Gusau, Executive Secretary, PTDF expressed commitment to continue to support the association’s activities.
The PTDF boss said apart from its scholarship scheme, it was also into institutional development, adding that there were many PTDF activities that the association could key into.
