The Nigerian economist and professor has dedicated her career to promoting education and female leadership in Africa
Professor and economist Enase Okonedo, awarded this year with the Harambee Award for the Promotion and Equality of African Women, has denounced the inequality that women face in this continent, where they must overcome «barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential», highlighting the importance of education in this regard.
«I have faced direct or indirect discrimination for being a woman, but I have overcome these discriminations not only through my work but also through the work of others,» Okonedo emphasized on Wednesday, March 5, at a press conference in Madrid, where she called for «collective effort». The Harambee Award, sponsored by Laboratorios René Furterer, has been awarded by the NGO Harambee for over 20 years.
During her speech, Okonedo recalled how her education and the influence of her family have been «key» to her personal development, allowing her to break barriers in the academic and business world. This year’s awardee is the first woman to hold the position of dean at Lagos Business School.
Throughout her career, Okonedo has advocated for education as a key tool for equality, promoting leadership programs for women and encouraging their access to higher education and development in the business sector.
At this point, the awardee lamented that «women are considered somewhat unequal, even if they perform the same jobs as men, they need to work harder to be recognized.»
«Equal opportunities are the key to the progress of women and society as a whole,» reiterated the awardee, criticizing the lack of laws promoting gender equality in Nigeria. «If a married woman wants to obtain an international passport, she needs explicit permission from her husband. These laws need to change because they limit our freedom and perpetuate inequality,» she demanded.
Therefore, during her speech, she also took stock of the progress and challenges facing African women in various areas such as politics, economy, and education.
«Currently, in Nigeria, 40% of executive and managerial positions in the banking sector are held by women. This has greatly contributed to promoting female leadership, but the same does not happen in other sectors,» she highlighted, referring to the political sector, where female representation is lower. «Only 3.5% of the Nigerian Parliament are women, despite policies supporting a 30% quota to promote female participation,» she reported.
She also stated that «since the creation of universities in Nigeria, there have been around 720 vice-chancellors, but only 32 have been women.» «There is much to be done in this area,» added the first vice-chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University.
In this context, with the celebration this Saturday of March 8, International Women’s Day, she stated that «March 8th is a day to honor the women who have been a reference in the fight for equality, but also to remember how much work is left to be done.»
Okonedo announced that she will allocate the prize money to a project in the rural community of Iloti, in southwest Nigeria, where a vocational training school teaches skills in a more structured and formalized way to young people. «In rural communities, women are often excluded from the job market and are limited to subsistence agriculture,» denounced the awardee.
Therefore, the financial endowment of the Harambee award, along with a donation from sponsor René Furterer, will allow for the installation of solar-powered electricity at the school to ensure a continuous energy supply, which experiences significant cuts throughout the day.
She also recalled the impact her parents had on her education, as they firmly believed that women could contribute to the economic and social development of their families and nation, teaching her «to believe in herself.»
PROFESSIONAL TRAJECTORY
Enase Okonedo is a Nigerian economist and professor who has dedicated her career to promoting education and female leadership in Africa. She was the first woman to hold the position of dean at Lagos Business School, where she implemented gender equality policies and promoted the training of women in business management. Currently, she is the first vice-chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University, one of the most prestigious institutions in Nigeria.
Her work has focused on the inclusion of women in the academic and corporate fields, promoting initiatives to ensure their access to leadership positions.
In addition to her academic work, Okonedo has participated in various mentoring and female empowerment initiatives. She is a member of the Leadership Council of the African Initiative for Governance (AIG) and has worked with WIMBIZ Nigeria, a platform that promotes women’s participation in the business and political spheres.
Throughout her career, she has advocated for equal opportunities and has driven structural changes in the financial and educational sectors, emphasizing the importance of female representation in decision-making.