WIMA-Nigeria hosts 2019 Conference to empower Nigerian Women in maritime sector

By Dapo Olawuni |

The President of Women in Maritime Africa (WIMA-Nigeria) Nigerian Branch, Hajia Bola Muse, said that the 2019 conference of the association would empowered more competent women for effective participation in the maritime industry.

Muse made the disclosure at a press briefing held on Friday in Lagos as part of preparations for the forth coming annual conference of the association.

According to her the conference with the theme “Empowering Women For Effective Participation In The Maritime Sector” scheduled to hold on October 15, 2019 is aimed at improving women participation in the industry.

She urged women from all areas to participate in the conference, saying that seasoned maritime experts have been lined up to mentor and tutor them on how to excel in the industry like their male counterparts.

Muse said that WIMA-Nigerian is a sub chapter of WIMAfrica which has adopted the maritime strategy 2050 to contribute to the building Africa’s blue economy.

She said the association provided a platform for training, capacity building, corporate and entrepreneurial development of African women in the maritime sector.

“WIMAfrica was established in Luanda, Angola on the 25th of March 2015 with the response to the request made by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission(AUC), during her inaugural speech.

” Since inception of WIMA Nigeria in 2017, we have had two dispensations of executives who have been progressively growing the association.

“WIMAfrica had donated giant Oven to Makoko Women Fishing community to enable them produce more fish for export and also donated waste bin to Inland Water Ways Authority to support in making our waters clean at all times.

“Between 2017 and 2018, we have formally registered the association and got recognized by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the National Assembly and other national bodies,” she said.

Muse added that the association had undertaken some empowerment programmes including the donation of fish processing and preservation equipment to women in Makoko fishing community in Lagos.

The Chairman of Conference Committee of WIMA-Nigeria, Barr Foluke Akinmoladun, a maritime lawyer, urged both women and men who intend to encourage themselves in maritime businesses to take advantage of the conference and exploit the maritime industry.

” The conference will feature numbers of well established maritime professionals who will be coming and speak to the audience on areas of maritime business they can developed themselves in.

“The conference will showcase participant from maritime regulators, private sector who will enlightening participants on how to run maritime business without having difficulties”

“Participating in the conference will be a well invested time which will be affordable and reasonable considering numerous opportunities in the maritime industry which is yet untapped,” Akinmoladun said.

She explained the need for more Nigerian participation in the maritime sector adding that a lot of foreigners were making money from the country shores as well as through maritime business.

She said that countries with gender equality would have more economy growth while companies with more women leaders perform better.