Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has called for greater participation of women in economic leadership, saying the next generation of women has the potential to drive global transformation.
She made the remarks on Tuesday at the trading floor of the Nigerian Exchange Group in Lagos, where she rang the ceremonial bell to commemorate International Women’s Day.
Speaking during the event themed “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality Rights, Justice, Action, For All Women and Girls,” the minister praised the Nigerian Exchange Group for leveraging the capital market to promote inclusion, transparency, and opportunity for women across the country’s economy.
According to her, empowering women in business, finance, diplomacy, and governance strengthens institutions and contributes to broader national development.
She noted that the occasion was personally significant to her because her late father in law, Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, served as one of the founding presidents of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Describing him as a visionary industrialist, she said he strongly believed in enterprise, innovation, and national development.
“It is therefore both a personal honour and a historic privilege to stand here today at the Exchange, celebrating progress while renewing our commitment to a more inclusive economic future,” she said.
Odumegwu Ojukwu urged stakeholders to ensure that women are not only participants in the economy but also leaders shaping its direction.
“When women thrive in business, finance, diplomacy, and governance, institutions grow stronger and societies become more prosperous,” she said.
The event attracted several prominent women from different sectors of the economy, including the wife of the Imo State governor, Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma, media entrepreneur Mo Abudu, and Nollywood actress Funke Akindele.
President of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Mr. Temi Popoola, also stressed the importance of expanding women’s participation in the capital market.
He said women have achieved significant milestones in the financial ecosystem but noted that greater participation was still needed.
“When women rise, economies rise,” Popoola said, encouraging more women led businesses to access financing through the capital market and consider listing their companies on the Exchange.
He added that many women entrepreneurs possess innovative ideas but must actively engage with financial markets to scale their businesses and drive economic growth.
Popoola also highlighted Nigeria’s creative industry as a sector where women are already making strong contributions and expressed hope that more women driven enterprises would join the capital market in the future.
The ceremony formed part of a global initiative observed across stock exchanges worldwide to highlight the role of financial markets in advancing gender equality and economic empowerment for women.
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