The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), says women are under represented in the energy sector in spite of constituting a substantial portion of Nigeria’s population and workforce.
It said that as at Quarter Four (Q4) 2023, women represented only 18.6 per cent of the sector’s total workforce and 23.1 per cent of its leadership.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd. Malam Mele Kyari, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2024 Strategic Women in Energy, Oil and Gas Leadership Summit and Awards, Northern Region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit is being organised by the Women in Energy, Oil and Gas (WEOG), Nigeria in commemoration of the International Women’s Day observed annually on March 8.
The summit with theme: “Invest in Women for Accelerated Progress’’ was hosted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
In a keynote address entitled “Closing Energy Gaps in Nigeria by Investing in Women”, Kyari said the gap was largely attributed to the low level of participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields, the major channel for the work force.
“Studies have also shown that at the middle of the technical talent pipeline (which is middle to senior management levels); there is lagging progress for women which is greatly impacted by the degree of flexibility of work.
“At NNPC, we have evaluated the challenges faced by women across different levels of our workforce and taken additional steps to address them.
“We focused on several key strategic initiatives. From coaching and mentoring to ensure our managers are effective leaders, to unlocking the full potential of flexible work.
“By empowering women and providing them with equal opportunities, we can unlock immense potential and drive meaningful change across the energy landscape.
“We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and empowerment, where women have equal access to opportunities for growth, advancement, and leadership,’’ Kyari said.
According to him, the NNPC Ltd is actively working to build a more diverse and resilient workforce through initiatives such as mentorship programmes and leadership training.
He said from engineering and technology to leadership and management, women had proven time and again their ability to excel in every aspect of the energy sector.
While recognising the critical role women played in driving sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change, Kyari said empowering women as decision-makers, sustainable practices, acceleration of transition to renewable energy could be achieved.
He urged all stakeholders within Nigeria and on the global stage to reaffirm commitment to gender equality and inclusive development, and join hands in supporting initiatives that empower women and close energy gaps.
Also, Mr Ahmed Aminu, Executive Secretary, PTDF, commended the women in the energy sector for consistently breaking barriers and making significant contributions.
This, Galadima said was leading to positive change in various aspects of the oil and gas industry.
Earlier, Dr Oladunni Owo, National President, WEOG, called for commitment to inspire inclusion in the energy industry value chain.
According to her, the International Women’s Day amalgamated into International Women’s month and concluded as a period when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
Dame Hassan Audu, Chairperson, Summit Organising Committee, said that a recent UN survey showed that closing gender gap in employment could boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by 20 per cent.
The study, she said, revealed that closing gaps in care and expanding services with decent jobs could spark almost 300 million jobs by 2035, and an estimated 360 billion dollars was needed annually to achieve gender equality.