OGR July - August Edition 2020

WOMEN IN ENERGY
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili Charges Women to Engage in
Personal Development for Professional Excellence
A
former Minister of Education, Dr.
Oby Ezekwesili, has charged
women, especially those in the
Nigerian oil and gas industry, to engage in
personal development for professional
excellence.
“We are in a race against time and we are
set out to ensure that more women
optimize their potential,” she said while
discussing Gender Equality at the Society
for Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria
Annual International Conference and
Exhibition (NAICE) 2019, where she talked
about the challenges women face in taking
up important roles in society, and more
especially occupying senior roles for
companies.
Ezekwesili stated that even though the lot
of women has started improving in recent
years, their involvement in oil and gas
industry is not encouraging, noting that the
involvement level is about 20 percent while
involvement at the management level is
close to 17 percent, according to a recent
research.
“Women face similar challenges in almost
all industries, between engineering and
science. Globally, there is a theory that is
saying that the lot of women is becoming
better, giving women a rise in percentage
involvement of about 50% - however if you
look at women involvement in specialied
industry like Oil and Gas, it is remarkably
appalling. A recent research shows that the
involvement level is about 20% while the
management level is close to 17%.
“Now what strategy could be deployed to
close this big gap between men and women
which would be 80% of men and 20% of
women? Although due to society structure,
some men are very uncomfortable with this
horrible statistics, many others, however
feel that nothing is wrong with it after all,”
she said.
According to her, there are two factors that
account for the low representation of
women in science and engineering. She said
that they are External barriers and Internal
barriers.
Explaining External barriers, she said they
include: Sexual harassment; Disposition of
high quality jobs to men than women;
Relegation of women; Male orientated
ideas; Different standard for both women
and men; and Difficulty for women to
advance into management due to male
stereotyping.
Speaking on the Internal barriers, she said:
“The Internal barriers are the ones that are
self -imposed and are inherent in humans -
whether be male or female. So these internal
barriers would either be the easiest set of
barriers to remove or the toughest to deal
with, depending on the angle we consider
it.The third party power can try to override
some of the external barriers but what if the
individual who is the cause decides not to
stop it, what would you do?
What women should be doing in this age is
taking personal responsibility in the field of
engineering to use it as a medium to break
forth.This radical change does not start from
the outside - in fact, real change does not
first begin from the outside - change starts
from the inside.”
She called on women to be excellent in
what they do. “Excellence is the quality of
being outstanding and very superior;
displaying extreme brilliance; the ability to
set and achieve a set determined goal, one
to which we are committed,” she said while
defining it.
Ezekwesili urged Women to be consistent,
passionate about what they do, maintain
self-respect and be courageous.
She told women to admit and own
themselves, commit and submit to an
intensive professional psychosocial
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili
evaluation and diagnosis that can
analytically uncover all of their self -
constructed barriers.
In closing, she said: “We need diverse
thinking. We cannot afford to leave any
talent untapped. Why are you wasting
talents? You are just a bush man if you think
that because somebody is a woman then she
shouldn't be given the opportunity to sit in
the same office as you. In fact, know that
you are the problem. If you are a Manager
here, know this: Companies with increase
gender inclusion have greatly increased in
their rate of turn over. Companies that are
breaking all fronts in goal attainment are
deliberate in assembling gender diverse
teams.”
Dr. (Mrs) Obiageli Ezekwesili is a Public
Policy Analyst / Senior Economic Advisor,
A E D P I a n d C o - F o u n d e r o f
#BringBackOurGirls Movement, Nigeria as
well as the #RedCardMovement. A
Chartered Accountant/Consultant. She
holds an MA in International Law and
Diplomacy, an MA in Public Policy and
Administration from the Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University. She is a
founding Director of Transparency
International. Dr Ezekwesili was Vice
President of World Bank (Africa Region) and
former Nigerian Minister of Education,
Minister of Solid Minerals, head of Budget
Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit as
well as Chairperson of NEITI.
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OIL AND GAS REPUBLIC I SPECIAL EDITION