By VIVIAN EMONI

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called for equal representation of Women in all levels of governance and leadership in Nigeria.

Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Secretary-General of the NEITI, made the call at the event marking and recognition of the 2025 International Women?s Day, by the office, on Friday in Abuja.

Orji said that the theme of the women day tagged, ?Accelerate Action? emphasised the urgent need to take decisive steps toward achieving gender equality.

He said that the theme would also address the slow pace of progress and empowering women and girls worldwide.

According to him, the theme underscores the urgency of making faster, more efficient strides, to bring together the quest and the desire for more inclusion of women in global and national affairs.

?That is why a day like this is a day for reflection on the imbalance in terms of representation at the level of decision making and others.

?There is always a benefit for women to have their own right at the table where decisions are being made.

?If they are not there, no one else can speak for them better. So when we have more women at the centre of decision making, issues concerning women will be much more taken seriously.

?Women go through a lot to bring up children, especially in Africa where mortality rates for women appear to be higher, because women are exposed to more risk than anyone can explain,? he said.

Orji said that the women day was supposed to be March 8, but NEITI decided to celebrate the day ahead.

The secretary general said that women remained underrepresented in key top positions, often facing barriers that hinder their participation and advancement.

?This disparity not only limits the potential of women in contributing to the world development, it also deprives of diverse perspectives essential for sustainable growth and innovation,? he said.

He noted that the top high-level management positions in the industry were predominantly occupied by men, adding that it highlighted a critical lack of gender balance in decision-making.

He said that women representation at the federal level had also seen some remarkable progress, adding that more needs to be done to ensure its balance.

The NEITI boss said that the aim of the meeting was to share insight on the legal and policy framework that would promote gender equality, workplace rights, and inclusive governance in Nigeria?s extractive sector.

Mrs Ezinwa Okoroafor, International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA), said that the meeting was one of the strategies to advance gender equality.

According to her, as we engage ourselves, we are going to hear things, share different ideas that will bring more understanding and better knowledge of what we can do to advance gender equality.

Speaking also, Mrs Tengi George-Ikoli, Senior Programme Officer, Natural Resource Governance Institute, said that women had consistently demonstrated competence, resilience and leadership in the oil, gas and mineral sectors.

Geoge-Ikoli said through strong advocacy, more women would have access to opportunities for growth, leadership, and economic empowerment in a sector that had historically been male-dominated.

?Today?s meeting will provide a valuable platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and strategic collaboration.

?It is my hope that today?s discussions will further inspire actionable steps towards building an inclusive industry,? she said. (NAN)

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