Women Seek More Investors In Nigeria's Oil and Gas Industry

By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade

Women professionals, yesterday, organised one-day conference to drum up support for the nation's security system and the economy in particular. 

The conference, an initiative of ASIS International, Chapter 206, which.took place in Lagos, brought together both senior and junior offials in the security and allied areas of the economy.

Themed" Empowering Women in Security: Navigating Security and  Leadership, the event provided  opportunities for women  to brainstorm and also offer insights into valuable growth prospects locally and internationally, an idea, which  they unaimously keyed into in order to give security industry  richer, wider and global

perspectives.

Interestingly, experts at the conference, did justice to issues bordering on local, state and national security system,  as they advocated for  personal development, networking,  analytical skills, preparedness and effective communication

in order to enhance its growth. 

Altogether, they agreed that security issues are  key to growth, as they would help in  navigating the country's landscape for general economic development. 

Speaking on the issue, the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged participants to prepare for challenges in the securitity sector.

She shared her excitement on the increasing interest of women in the profession, as well as advising participants to prepare for challenges in the security industry. 

Ibrahim said security matters are crucial since they assist in acknowledging the strength, values and abilities of officials in the sector. 

Also, the Chairperson, Joko Olanitori, ASIS International Chapter 206, Mrs Koko Olanitori, expressed satisfaction with the impacts, which women are making in the country, since the induction of ASIS in 2021.

She said the theme of the conference is timely as it would bring about  leadership empowerment, skills, and innovativenes  required to foster growth globally. 

Hear her: '"With the dynamic information landscape and the complexity of security leadership, exacerbated by conflicts in thirty two  countries and ongoing crises in regions like Gaza and Ukraine, the role of women omen In Security cannot be underestimated.

She added that innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Smart Materials would help in  improving boundaries between physical, digital, and biological spheres, as well as presenting new security challenges. 

"With the dynamic information landscape and the complexity of security leadership, exacerbated by conflicts in 32 countries and ongoing crises in regions like Gaza and Ukraine, the role of Women In Security is more crucial than ever," Mrs. Olanitori explained. 

Olanitori said that the convergence of technologies such as AI, biotechnology, and smart materials has  further blurred  the boundaries between physical, digital, and biological spheres, a situation, which has given rise to new challenges in the security industry.

Similarly, the Director of Training, Department of Security Services (DSS) Headquarters, Abuja, Mrs Bolatito Kudirat Sure-Olufe urged women  to debunk age-old myths  associated with the profession, stressing that personal development and positioning are needed for growth in the industry..

Treading similar path, the Chief Executive Officer, Red For Africa,, Mr. Adebola Williams, provided insights on how to build, sustain relationship building, as well as providing emotional intelligence needed for career growth.

" Participants at the conference must take advantage of opportunities and also  create them for growth of the security industry" he added.

The Partner/ Head, Data Analytics, Control Risks Department, Mrs. Allanna Rigby urged women to embrace tasks in their organizations and further bbecome advocates for in the industry.

Apparently taking a cue from other speakers at the conference, ASIS Senior Regional Vice President, Mr. Balogun Musa, emphasized the global significance of the organisation, adding that its has become a pride in the Western and Central African Region (Region 11A).

ASIS's Chairperson of Lagos 2023, Mrs. Tanwa Ashiru, expressed delight at the growing enthusiasm among women in the industry, stressing that women have learned and have actively participated in the industry.  "I am excited to see more women coming out to learn more about security. The level of engagement and participation by the attendees is impressive," she remarked.