Fashola, who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, at the 4th African Women in Shipping Conference, a three-day event which commenced yesterday in Lagos, said that, despite prevailing challenges in the industry, women in the shipping sector are determined to prove their worth in facing up to these challenges by investing in the sector.
He said that the conference, hosted by Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, is a veritable platform to scrutinise the challenges and sensitise prospective female investors on the opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector for job creation and wealth generation.
“I will use this opportunity to commend the female investors in Nigeria; indeed they have proven themselves as true amazons by conquering economic sectors that was, hitherto, male dominated. This is therefore a good opportunity to sensitise Nigerian female investors to benefit from the potentials available in global maritime businesses,” Fashola stated.
The Lagos State Governor further encouraged the executives of WISTA Nigeria not to relent in their efforts to generate awareness among women investors on the available opportunities in the nation’s maritime sector.
Speaking earlier, President of WISTA Nigeria, Mrs Jean Chiazor Anishere, said that her association is committed to enhancing the role of women in optimising the potentials of the shipping sector.
She said that it is in the direction that WISTA Nigeria is hosting the 4th African Women in Shipping Conference to promote the interest of women and ensure their participation in the growth of the maritime industry.
“Today, WISTA Nigeria has taking another giant stride in organizing this 3-day conference…I am positive that this conference will further enhance how best to optimize Africa’s maritime trade and transport potentials and the role of women in shipping,” she stated.
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