NBA President Calls for More Women in Leadership, Says ‘Let More Be Done Than Said’
By Tams Jonah, ABUJA – The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb(UK), has called for greater opportunities for women to participate meaningfully in leadership and decision-making processes across institutions.
Badejo-Okusanya made the call while speaking at the 19th Annual Banking and Finance Conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), following a women-focused engagement session themed, “Inclusive Leadership, Stronger Systems: The Strategic Role of Women in Building Resilient Financial Ecosystems.”
She said the discussion reinforced her conviction that the challenge confronting many women was not a lack of capacity, but limited opportunities and systems capable of enabling them to thrive.
According to her, many women possess the competence, talent and capacity to contribute to institutional growth if given the opportunity.
“Women should not simply be accommodated in the room. They must be given the opportunity to participate meaningfully, contribute to decisions and take on leadership responsibilities,” she said.
The NBA President stressed that genuine inclusion should go beyond merely increasing the number of women present in institutions.
She noted that inclusive institutions must be capable of recognising talent, providing platforms for diverse voices and allowing leadership to be attained on the basis of competence and capacity.
Badejo-Okusanya further urged stakeholders to move beyond conversations and translate commitments to inclusion into concrete actions.
“As I reflected on the discussion, I was reminded that the real measure of any conversation is what follows it,” she said.
“After all is said and done, let more be done than said.”
