2023 Elections: Transport Amazons Plan Nigerian Female President

Mary Nnah

As the 2023 Nigerian presidential election draws nearer, top women in the nation’s transport and finance sectors, as well as eminent female politicians have resolved to produce the first female president in the country.

These amazons hatched this plan at the 2021 MMS Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) Induction Ceremony in Lagos.

While the move for a female Nigerian president was first mooted by the Chairperson of the event and Executive Vice Chairperson of ENL Consortium, Princess Vicky Haastrup, a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih and a former Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mrs. Chinwe Ezenwa, had been privately discussing the idea few minutes earlier, at the ceremony.

The Chairperson of MMS WoFHoF Initiative BoT, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi; Founder of Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT), Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim; retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, ACG Charles Edike; President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, Mrs. Mfon Usoro; Founder of MMS WoFHoF Initiative, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke called for the attainment of a female president of the nation.

Also speaking on the sidelines, three of the 2021 inductees, the President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, Mrs. Eunice Ezeoke, President of Jami’yyan Matan Arewa (JMA), Hajia Rabi Musa Saulama and a Governing Board Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Dr. Mrs. Yetunde Akinluyi affirmed that the time is ripe to achieve a first female Nigerian president.

In a bid to produce the nation’s first female president, a former Minister of Women Affairs, Anenih called on more Nigeria women to come out and be actively involved in partisan politics, noting that more female state governors should also emerge.

While delivering the lead paper on the theme, “Women in Leadership and Governance: Promoting Sustainable Economic Prosperity,” Anenih asserted that Nigeria wouldn’t attain the transformational changes desired by patriots until a female president emerges.
While encouraging women to be more involved in politics, Anineh debunked claims that women lacked funds to attain presidency in the nation.

“The truth is that women can’t be in the homes or the other room and expect to become president. No, it’s not by appointments. We are making money in the private sector, so it’s time to invest it in politics. We have very rich women and the assertion that there is no money isn’t true,” Anineh said.

She noted that women are already actively involved in politics because there is no way women could be on corporate boards as directors without some element of politicking, adding that it is time for them to play politics at the big stage in political parties.

“There is no way you can have leadership of this country without belonging to a political party. That is what our constitution says. There is no way Nigeria will appoint you president of Nigeria and no one will appoint you governor of your state. You have to come out and contest and you cannot contest unless you belong to a political party.

“So, women, come out, join any political party of your choice, use the power, your energy that you are using to excel in the private sector, in your businesses to excel and come on top in the political party, then you can have a say, then, you can have a ticket to contest, then, you can become a Governor, then, you can become a president.”

According to her, efforts to use legislative means to get more quotas for women would be less effective when compared to active participation by women.