October 17, (THEWILL) – The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Economist and Founder, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Atedo Peterside, CON; former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, as well as the founder, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (now GTCo) and FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola, will grace the 20th anniversary of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) which will take place in Lagos between November 4 and 5, 2021.
Speaking with journalists, the Chairperson of the Executive Council, WIMBIZ, Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, said the 20th WIMBIZ Anniversary and Annual Conference would tell the stories of pacesetters and celebrate women who have shattered ceilings, overcome adversity, broken stereotypes, enabled empowerment and created opportunities.
She said the 2021 conference, aptly themed “Celebrating Legacy”, had an interesting line-up of iconic events and legendary personalities to grace the week-long celebrations specially curated to spotlight the non-profit organisation’s 20-year contribution to elevating the status of women in Nigeria and Africa.
“For the first time in the history of WIMBIZ, five pre-conference events will be rolled out to commemorate his 20th anniversary. They are legends ball, art and fashion exhibition, Golf Tournament, Virtual Masterclasses and a special edition of its Big Sister (a corporate social responsibility programme),she said.
She also said that chairpersons for the main conference billed for November 4 and 5, 2021 are Chief Folake Solanke, CON- Nigeria’s first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Chairman/Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, MFR.
She said, “We are excited to reflect on the WIMBIZ story and our journey thus far. It has been an awesome run, but where do we go from here? We are still very challenged. When we look at the numbers of representation, particularly in politics, we are still significantly underrepresented. So, on the one hand, we are celebrating progress. On the other hand, there is still a lot to be done. We encourage everyone to join us so that we can work as a collective to build a new narrative for women. The power is in our hands.”
Speaking on the WIMBIZ legacy and its impact on the wider community, the Executive Director, WIMBIZ, Hansatu Adegbite, said, “WIMBIZ is focused on nation building. One person or group can’t build a nation. We all have a role to play in the development of our nation, especially as it concerns gender parity and inclusivity.”
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
