WOMEN EMPOWERMENT NECESSARY FOR DEVELOPMENT, SAYS GLO BOSS, ADENUGA
CHairman of Globacom, Nigeria's national telecoms operator, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. has said that women empowerment is a necessity for the development of any nation.
Dr Adenuga made the remarks in his goodwill message to the first National Retreat on Women Development, Peace and National Transformation sponsored by Globacom.
The three-day retreat which ended last Friday at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was organized by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. It was meant to galvanise efforts for the mobilisation and empowerment of Nigerian women for peace and national transformation.
Dr Adenuga noted that all over the world increasing attention was being paid to women empowerment and the need to narrow and eliminate gender disparity and ensure more balanced gender participation at all levels of engagement in the private and government sectors.
He added that the Human Development and Capabilities Approach and the Millennium Development Goals and other credible approaches had confirmed that women empowerment was 'a necessary step if a country is to overcome the obstacles associated with poverty and development'.
'I am convinced that with increased women participation in governance, our country can achieve the desired accelerated transformation', the African business icon noted. He expressed satisfaction that successive governments in the country and particularly the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had recognized the above role of women by increasing women participation in governance.
'The theme of the retreat underscores the aim of the organizers to play an interventionist role in the nation's march to growth and we are proud to be associated with this laudable programme, hoping it will be a harbinger of greater things in our nation', he said.
Listing the pacesetting innovations Globacom has brought to the nation's telecommunications industry, Dr. Adenuga reiterated that the company would continue 'to keep faith with our people by fulfilling our brand promise of providing affordable telecom services to Nigerians and contributing our quota to the overall development of our motherland'.
The retreat was attended by Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of the vice president, first ladies of the 15 states, World Bank's Vice President for Africa Region, Oby Ezekwesili. Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Joy Ogwu, captains of industry and members of the National Assembly.