By Oke Peter
Leading Electricity Distribution Company in Nigeria, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE) has joined the rest of the world to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day celebrations, tagged Embrace Equity with the theme; DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.
In her welcome remark at the hybrid event that was well attended by mostly female employees and other invited guests of the company, the Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, Mrs Folake Soetan, noted that it is imperative to embrace equity in the workplace by ensuring that employees are paid equitably for the work they do and also enjoy all necessary benefits equitably, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion age and any other divisive characteristics. She therefore urged all employees (both females and males) to be accountable for all activities in workplace in terms of achievement, challenges and how to move the company forward. She stated further that the principles of equity in the workplace includes clear communication, collaboration, social intelligence, problem solving, managing conflicts, security and safety of all.
Soetan said equity can be promoted in the workplace through mutual understanding, strong interpersonal relationships and by being honest with one another at all times as these will go a long way to boost the morale of individuals for better performance, especially those who feel that they are being treated unjustly in the workplace.
Engr Chariot Essiet, Director of Corporate/Regulatory Affairs, AOS Orwell Ltd said there is significant gender gap pay in the technology industry in Nigeria. She added that the technology industry is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic industry in the world that offers Nigerian women a wealth of opportunities to build fulfilling and rewarding careers. She said there is need to raise awareness on the myriad of benefits available in the sector for women who are technology inclined.
For Folasade Agbejule, also a guest speaker advised that women need to embrace digital literacy for competitive advantage, with deliberate commitment to adoption and usage of fast paced and solution driven digital tools as the whole world is leaving behind the era of doing things manually. Other speakers at the event includes Uche Uzoebo, Chief Distribution & Stakeholder Engagement Officer SANEF and Muyiwa Faulkner both of whom shared great insights on how women can invest their time to do more and favorably compete in a male dominated space.
The Board Chairman of Ikeja Electric, Kola Adesina MFR, who graced the occasion virtually in his remark, acknowledged the exemplary leadership prowess and invaluable.
contributions of the women in IE and the collaborative efforts with their male counterparts which have helped the company to attain enviable heights and recognitions in the power value chain. He charged the women in the room and beyond to be proactive and not relent in exploring innovative solutions and opportunities, citing an anonymous quote which says; “The stone age did not end because the world ran out of stones, but innovation happened. There will be more achievement if leadership is placed more on women’s shoulders.” He said.
