Oby Ezekwesili, Ibukun Awosika to Speak at the 10th Edition of Business Day’s Inspiring Woman Series | #BecauseSheDared

L-R, Director, Government Relations at AOS Orwell Limited, CHARLOTTE ESSIET (Engr.), Founder/CEO, PatrickRow Limited, BEATRICE OLUMHENSE, Associate Editor/Coordinator, Inspiring Woman Series, BusinessDay, KEMI AJUMOBI, Former Vice President Secretary General, AfDB, CECILIA AKINTOMIDE, and Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Board of Directors of Heritage Bank Plc, IMOMOEMI IBISIKI (Ph.D), at the press conference in preparation for BusinessDay’s Inspiring Woman Series 10 recently.

Since 2010, Business Day’s annual women’s conference, Inspiring Woman Series, has inspired women to inspire other women. It has been a gathering of knowledge sharing, enlightenment and networking.

This year, Business Day celebrates the 10th Edition themed ‘Because She Dared’, with a combination of conferences, awards, fashion shows, music and more.

Speakers at the event include Chairperson: Ibukun Awosika, Founder/CEO, The Chair Centre Group and keynote speaker, Oby Ezekwesili, Senior Economic Adviser of the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative.

Special guests of honour include the first lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, first lady of Kwara State, Her Excellency Ambassador, Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq, first lady of Kebbi State, Her Excellency, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, Her Excellency, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Chair/Founder, Leadership Empowerment And Resource Network (LEARN).

Other speakers include Boma Alabi (SAN) Chairman JUST Commercial Vehicles Nigeria Limited; Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, Senior Advisor to the Group President, Dangote Industries Limited; Cecilia Akintomide, Former Vice President Secretary General AfDB; Hansatu Adegbite Executive Director, WIMBIZ; Charlotte Essiet(Engr.), Director, Government Relations at AOS Orwell Limited; Imomoemi Ibisiki (Ph.D), Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Board of Directors of Heritage Bank Plc.; Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani, Chief Commercial Officer at Mixta Africa and Beatrice Olumhense, Founder/CEO, PatrickRow Limited

According to the initiator/coordinator, Associate Editor of BusinessDay, Kemi Ajumobi:

10 years of coordinating this event has been filled with a lot of experiences. I am glad that the programme has impacted several lives till date. Anything you have consistently done for 10 years is worth celebrating and I give glory to God for bringing us this far.

With the theme ‘Because She Dared’, we will be hearing the stories of these women of substance on how they dared. Registered participants are guaranteed a swell time” she said.

At the press conference, Beatrice Olumhense said:

As a generation chosen to go through one of the most challenging times in history, from health, work to general well-being, getting together to discuss and celebrate at the 10th Business Day Inspiring Women Series is something I’m honoured to be a part of. It is my belief that cracking the code to a more equitable future is a task for women and sharing our lived experiences holds some of the recipes to breaking those barriers.

Our African experience is built on rich storytelling that helps build different muscles from social relationships to business virtues and as a Sickle cell warrior who has been blessed with some important successes, daring to start my luxury home fragrance and wellness brand, PatrickRow Maison, in the midst of a pandemic was no less daunting. However, all serious daring starts from within.

Imomoemi Ibisiki also stated:

The theme for the Inspiring Woman Series 10, ‘Because She Dared’, gives me the perfect opportunity to share my personal professional history, strengths, challenges, experiences, and the core values that have shaped me to become a trusted legal advisor; easing decision-making of various local and multinational companies, across diverse business segments, in my years of commercial legal practice, and now, as an in-house legal adviser; creating bespoke legal solutions that are instrumental to driving sustainable execution of the overall business strategy of the Board of Directors and Executive Management of Heritage Bank Plc.

As I tell my story, which is significantly unique to me, I hope that it inspires many women to dare to risk the usual and see their world or their situation from a new perspective.

“I am looking forward to BusinessDay’s 10th Inspiring Woman Conference on December 10, 2021. Achieving gender equality for every girl and woman and closing gender gaps will require us to be bold, daring, strategic and result-oriented. This is what the conference will promote as we learn from our common experiences under the theme “Because She Dared”. Cecilia Akintomide, Former Vice President Secretary General AfDB, said.

According to Charlotte Essiet, “I am aligned with the program as we all have been through a few situations that made us stronger and wiser. I have had my own fair share of different conversations around my career and how I had a fast track, which also included the question of if I was good enough for the roles. I have huge expectations on the event as I will also learn from other women, share their experiences, pain and joy.”