The MMS Hall of Fame Women in Leadership and Career Empowerment Programme (WILCEP) Africa has kicked off in Lagos.
Already, two mentorship candidates have been given scholarship for entrepreneurial training in China, while several others got scholarship opportunities to begin career and be trained abroad in the aviation industry.
These were revealed at the just concluded maiden two- days WILCEP Africa mentorship workshop which took place in Lagos.
WILCEP Africa, an initiative of the MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF), a non-profit organization.
The workshop assembled resource persons who are professionals in different sectors of the economy to impact select younger women who are students, graduates and career makers from different companies.
Different speakers who delivered papers at the opening of the WILCEP maiden two-day mentorship programme which held at the Conference Hall of Shippers Plaza, the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Apapa, Lagos, advised on making choices as the key to making a successful career and good home.
MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) Initiative is focused on role modelling, capacity building, and leadership creation in young women. It has discovered and inducted 48 women of substance from across Africa into the hall of fame. These women are the mentors being paired with the mentees.
Speaking on her presentation titled: Career Management and Work/Life Integration, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Le Look Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Chinwe Ezenwa advised young women on the need for the “right choices’ in life, as she guides mentees through the various careers.
Ezenwa who is also the Chief Executive of Ocean Serve and Logistics Limited, shared her experience as a young lady who was able to succeed by remaining focused and staying with the right choices.She also talked on the importance of having a ‘personal drive’ for success just as pointed out the fact that young people must understand the need to take on responsibility before their efforts would attract assistance.
“Do not indulge in self-pity. You must work for everything you want”, she said.
Ezenwa who retired as a Director in the Federal Ministry of Transport and remained the only female Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) frowned at time wastage and love for everything imported by most Nigerians.
Citing China as an example where the citizenry engage in massive production of goods for export, Ezenwa encouraged young people to imbibe the culture of creativity and knowledge-sharing.
Also speaking, the former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) also, Chief Eugene Nweke, exposed the mentees to the various sub-sectors of the maritime industry and encouraged them on the opportunities that abound for women in the industry.
Delivering his paper titled “Making a Career in the Maritime Industry: Opportunities and Challenges”, he also stressed the need for a personal drive to make headway and succeed in the industry, irrespective of the challenges people may face.
Former Woman Leader, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State, Chief (Mrs.) Shola Benson talked on the prospects and challenges women have in making a career in politics.
Benson encouraged young ladies to avail themselves the opportunities in politics, to serve and make remarkable impact in society, particularly to better the lot of women.
She said that contrary to a popular mind-set that politics is a dirty game, the educated and young people going into politics could achieve the desired change by making a difference.
Co-founder of the programme, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke had in his opening remarks said that at the end of the sessions of paper delivery “candidates will be paired with the hall of famers in their choices of career.
“Therefore, the speakers and lecturers assembled here from far and near are to provide windows and doors for the candidates with which they can access their career dreams.”