‘Education is key to success for a woman’

Are you content with the number of women we have in politics?I am not, but this administration has done better than other ones. But it can be improved. The men are ready to give us a little bit of chance, but it is not going to be on a platter of gold. What is the […]

Are you content with the number of women we have in politics?
I am not, but this administration has done better than other ones. But it can be improved. The men are ready to give us a little bit of chance, but it is not going to be on a platter of gold.
What is the way out?
It can be enhanced by women themselves braving up to hold political positions. We cannot just sit down and be complaining or blaming the men. Power is not something you go and take on a platter of gold. We have to brave up , show that we are capable and step out.  Like in the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) where I belong, women don’t pay for forms. That magnanimity that women don’t pay for ticket in the party should be exploited by women. We can’t keep clapping and dancing for men and still complain of not having positions and power.
Women complain of barriers like funds, culture, religion , and  violence among others?
Yes many factors militate against  women in politics, like our culture demands that we sit at home and take care of the children. When you get pregnant and go on maternity leave, your husband and his colleagues remain in the office. If there is any vacant position in your absence, they can’t bring it home to you where you are bathing the baby, pregnancy also reduces our work so also is money thus  they will give the work to the men who are around.
Moreso , men are ready to lobby. We must be ready to lobby too. If you want to go for night meeting for instance, your husband may say no and to avoid friction in the home you stay back and wouldn’t be able to chase any god father like the men.
 Socialisation also nurture us to serve the men and family so when we come out, we don’t have the self confidence that the men exhibit. Leadership requires a lot of self confidence.
 But all these barriers notwithstanding, government agencies have been speaking for us, NGOs and the United Nation have also done a lot for women. We should now leverage these agitations and begin to pave way into the corporate world as well as in politics.
Do you see a woman emerging as president of Nigeria anytime soon?
Sure, a woman will become the President of Nigeria sooner than you think because there are many women who because of education and leadership are being honoured. Look at Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, she can lead this country.
What can be done to redeem the education sector?
To start with, the budget that runs between 20-30% must be increased because education is the catalyst for the development of any nation. Knowledge is what will empower the people and transform the nation. If we invest 40% on education, we will be preparing for the future because leaving education where it is means that we are not planning for tomorrow and we won’t have quality man -power. And people wouldn’t want to invest because people need man power that will work. When we have enough money in education we will now renovate all the schools across the country because if a child is being taught in an unkempt environment, it affects him psychologically.
When we renovate the schools and equip them, the children learn. It is not changing the system, but equipping the ones we have on ground now. We also need quality teachers because now we recruit the bottom rock to teach the children. People who barely passed their secondary schools certificates are the ones sent to colleges of education. People who have third class or pass degree certificates are also sent to the education sector.
The minimum entry requirement  into college of education is only three credits, some even have the audacity to introduce preliminary studies. So if you don’t have three credits, you can do nine months and be admitted for NCE in the College of education.  
But in other developed nations, it is the best brains that are sent to teach education. The national policy on education stipulates a pupil cannot rise above the quality of his teacher, yet the quality of the teacher’s in this clime is lower than the quality of people who are in the banks and other places. Year in, year out we quarrel about the result of WAEC, but it is because the teachers themselves are not properly trained.
I propose that, the NCE entry qualification should  be upgraded to five credits. Let us re-introduce the Bursury award we used to have for  people who want to read education to serve as attraction for  people who are brilliant but do not have money to go the university to come to the field of education.
From your experience so far what are your success tips for women in the home, work places and young women aspiring to be like you?
One thing we should do as women is to get knowledge, go to school. From statistics, do you know fewer women access Masters degree than men and when it gets to Phd, women become even fewer. To make it, women should acquire education because if you are learned, people will look for you. If you know what you are doing in your profession, men wouldn’t push you away. It will not be easy for them to by -pass you. Knowledge will make you a force to reckon with.
 Two, we must also exhibit strength and professionalism in our work places because we quickly say we are tired even when we know we are not. We need to use initiative and go the extra mile like the men. When there is a new job we are prone to push jobs to the men by using our children as excuse and when the opening comes, it is the man who takes the extra jobs that gets the promotion.
Another thing is to learn the politics of the work place. We should try to know a whole lot about any office we find ourselves. We specialise in taking care of everybody at home, why can’t we take that same skill to the corporate world, mange the men there and excel? We must learn not to take board room issues personal. Inspite of arguments during meetings men begin to interact and discuss European League after the meeting while women walk back to their office in anger .
We also leave substance and chase ephemeral things. For instance, dressing and  appearance tend to occupy us more than reading and improving our intellect. We should read books, have understanding and deliver rather than chasing only fashion. Over chasing fashion sometimes is responsible for women’s inability to have money for elections.
On balancing work and family, fortunately, nowadays women can easily balance home and work with the availability of gadgets like fridge, micro wave and the rest.
 What is your advice for women then on fashion?
We should use moderation where fashion is concerned because we need money to do things for our families and not only fashion and gold. I read the Bible a lot and Proverbs 31 told us what the duty of the woman should be.  Women can buy a plot of land for their family.
When I am on the road, you know what they bring for me? Fashion Magazine. That was why I introduce this magazine called ‘woman of influence’ it is meant to project our women who have made a mark in the society. Women must work hard so we can be given chances in the development of Nigeria because if we are part of decision making, chances are that we will be telling them to do something about areas that concern women and children.
 The quality of decision making will be a lot better than it is today. Women must arise and work for their interest because power is not given on a platter of gold, it is worked for.