Inclusiveness
By Stellamaris Ashinze
Prof. Enase Okonedo, the Vice-Chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, on Thursday said that inclusiveness would boost productivity in workplaces and the society in general.
Okonedo made the assertion at the second edition of theSociety for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) International Womens Day Roundtable, in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable had the theme: The Board-Ready Female: Modelling Ethical Leadership and Driving Transformation.
According to the vice-chancellor, when an organisation inclusive opportunities, it increases productivity and brings out the best from workers.
Inclusion boostcompanys reputation,consumers trust and a mixed gender board have fewer incidences of fraud.
Women in the board could prevent risky-over-investment policy, be fast to apply caution and moderate the over confidence of male chief executive officers, she said.
She added that board-ready females would think out of the box, lead by example and have the duty of care and loyalty.
She said that such females should be able to communicate openly, seek information, ask questions, display values, stand on moral grounds and be fair.
The Chairman, GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Nig. Plc., Mr Edmund Onuzo, said that female representation in Nigerias private and public sectors was still low.
He said that there were many women as qualified as men for jobs.
According to him, women are generally disadvantaged because the society was male-dominated.
We live in a male-dominated society where women are expected to be submissive, sadly and strangely, even in workplaces.
Gender diversity is not easy to achieve because it is a male-dominated world; so, any female aspiring to be a board member should be board-ready, must be of good behaviour and must be transformational, he said.
He urged women to embrace digital literacy and networking for greater efficiency.
The Chief Executive Officer of Acccestra Ltd., Mr Isaac Orolugbagbe, said that cultural perspectives were affecting female board membership.
According to Orolugbagbe, 50 per cent of the population are women and cannot be kept away if the country should record the desired impact.
The Company Secretary, First Bank of Nigeria, Ms Irene Netimah, said that tech women had not been given enough opportunities.
She said that there were many competent women ready to make impacts.
Decision makers have to deliberate on some certainissues so that women are not dropped off at the peak of their careers, she said.
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