Women in Industry: NAWOJ, SMEDAN Explore Areas of Collaboration on Technical Support for Women Journalists
The need for more women to venture into the dynamic world of commerce and industry to support their career formed crux of discourse today at the boardroom of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Association of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Engaging two top brass of SMEDAN, Mrs Olabimpe Fawale, Head, Women and Youth Unit/ Deputy Director, SMEDAN and Regina Bamaiyi, Chief Enterprise Officer, SMEDAN, the National Chairperson of NAWOJ, Aisha Ibrahim K. Bura stated that capacity building of members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists was one of the cardinal points that drives her administration’s resolve.
“NAWOJ is a professional association of women in the media, in print, electronic and new media. Most of our members are in the employ of government amd would one day retire from active public practice. Pension alone cannot cater for the burden of responsibilities women continue to bear in their families.
It is therefore important for them to have some other means of earning an extra income so that retirement will eventually not be a herculean and daunting time in their lives in the event they eventually retired,” the National Chairperson stated.
She praised the efforts of the organization in pushing for economic empowerment of women and ensuring, through diligent and committed guidance, the emergence of female captains of industry in Nigeria.
She requested the organization’s technical and other supports to build the capacity of women Journalists and to enhance existing skills.
“NAWOJ has formations, in the South-South, South-East, South-West, North East, North West and North Central.” She stated.
She further stated that the formations have, in no small way, helped successive administrations to know how to spread development initiatives across the various zones nationwide.
In her response, Mrs Olabimpe Fawale stated that the primary responsibility of SMEDAN is to ensure the growth of nano, small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria.
She commended the national leadership of NAWOJ for the initiative to empower its members to cushion the lethargy and despair that often comes with retirement into penury and noted it was a measurable and realistic plan.
“Those that are of more concern are retirees that you mentioned, it will be a helpless situation for these women when regular salaries had stopped and more harsher realities stare them in the face, especially when you wished to start off something but do not have the technical knowledge on starting up, understanding the rule that you cannot give what you don’t have. That is where SMEDAN intervenes, to give the technical support. And it is good to structure the initiative across the zones and prepare your members for an uncertain future.”
She assured NAWOJ of SMEDAN’s support in translating ideas into realities.
Among delegation that accompanied the National Chairperson on the visit were, Wasilah Ladan National Secretary, Chizoba Ogbeche, Zonal Vice Chairperson, Zone D, Grace Ijeoma Umeh, Chief of Staff to the President and Esther Ado, member, FCT Chapter of NAWOJ.
Wasilah Ladan
NAWOJ National Secretary