Omobola Johnson Reveals Why Women Can’t Help In Nation-Building

Former minister and chairman of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Omobola Johnson, has revealed why women can not help in nation building.

Omobola Johnson during the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited event held on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 lamented that the imbalance in female representation in all facets of life could hinder women from being part of nation-building.

The NGX event was organised in line with the exchange’s ongoing collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which aimed to reduce the gender gaps in leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship under the Nigeria2Equal programme.

In her presentation, Omobola Johnson said, “It is quite ironic that we are celebrating the advancements we have made in corporate governance a day after the National Assembly voted very strongly against a bill that was seeking to address the imbalance in female representation in all facets of our national life.

“Building a greater nation requires all hands to be on deck.

"Women want to be partners and collaborators on this journey and we cannot be if we are excluded by law, cultural practices and norms", she said.

Omobola Johnson, who was Nigeria’s communication and technology minister during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, has more than 30 years experience spanning both the private and public sectors.

She joined technology venture capital fund TLCom Capital LLP as a senior partner in 2015, focusing on investment and value generation for technology companies in sub-Saharan Africa.

A former managing director of Accenture, Nigeria, Omobola Johnson is a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and serves on the boards of a number of blue-chip companies including MTN Nigeria.

She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University of Manchester and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.

Omobola Johnson resumed as the first female chair of Nigeria’s third-biggest brewer, Guinness Nigeria Plc on July 1, 2021.