SecureID's Akinkugbe Urges Legal Framework for Gender Parity in Nigeria
For Nigeria to achieve meaningful gender parity, it must establish a deliberate legal and institutional framework, including the Revised National Gender Policy, enabling equal inheritance laws and land access rights. This call was made by Kofo Akinkugbe, Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of SecureID Group, during the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce's (NBCC) International Women's Day event, themed 'Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls'. Akinkugbe stressed that without enacted laws and policies to support gender equality, no real change will occur, highlighting the need for actionable measures beyond mere rhetoric.
Rwanda's Success as a Model for Transformative Change
Akinkugbe cited Rwanda as a prime example, where gender parity is embedded directly into the Constitution, mandating that at least 30 per cent of lawmakers in the lower house be women. She noted that Rwanda's 2024 elections exceeded this mandate, with women taking 63.8 per cent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies. "We are not here to ask for 'handouts' or 'entitlements' for women. Nothing will change if laws and policies are not enacted to support it," she said. "While laws alone cannot erase every systemic bias, they determine who is invited to sit at the decision-making table and whose voice carries the weight of authority. We should look at our neighbours to see what is possible when policy moves from rhetoric to action."
Economic Empowerment and Collective Responsibility
In a fireside chat, Akinkugbe urged women to make economically viable decisions, regardless of risks, and adopt a legacy mindset to drive logical choices. She acknowledged women's inherent strength and called for collective responsibility to create impact, emphasizing that equality should extend broadly, especially to those in rural areas. She encouraged young women aspiring to leadership roles to never give up, assuring them they can reach their peak by harnessing their potential.
Deliberate Inclusion in Organizational Leadership
Sharing her experience, Akinkugbe revealed that promoting women in her organization is a deliberate key performance indicator (KPI) set by the board. "On the senior management level, we have a ratio of 60 per cent male to 40 per cent female, while on the bottom level, it is 68 per cent male to 38 per cent female. It is a work in progress and we want to see this grow," she explained, underscoring ongoing efforts to improve gender balance.
NBCC's Commitment to Women's Economic Participation
In his welcome address, Abimbola Olashore, President and Chairman of Council at NBCC, noted that the event's theme speaks to the urgency of the times, reminding that conversations and advocacy alone are insufficient without deliberate action. He stated that the Chamber, committed to promoting bilateral trade, sustainable enterprise, and inclusive economic growth, recognizes that no economy can thrive without full women's participation. "Empowering women is not a social gesture; it is an economic imperative. When women succeed, businesses grow. When businesses grow, nations prosper," Olashore said.
He added that International Women's Day is both a celebration of women's contributions across sectors and a call to accelerate equality by removing systemic barriers and creating equitable opportunities for all women and girls.
