In commemoration of the International Women’s Day (IWD) the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Ahmed Lawan Kuru has called on parents to educate the girl child to enable them stand the opportunity to compete with their male counterparts in the financial services industry and other fields of employment hitherto dominated by men.

Addressing the staff at the brief ceremony to mark the day at the corporate head office of the Corporation in Abuja at the weekend, Kuru who was represented by Mr. Aminu Ismail, AMCON’s Executive Director, Operations, noted that the financial services industry is fast expanding just as the population is growing meaning that over the next decade there would be critical need for skilled professionals in the sector, and that women must play a significant role in ensuring that these needs are effectively met.

He said, “Nigeria is a big market for financial services and as the most populous country in Africa, it is also the choice investment destination for forward-looking investors. From projections, the country in the years ahead would require professionals in all aspects of financial services and it is my wish that we have increased women participation in the sector. It is not accidental that the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Balance for Better’. It has come at a time when women in the industry need to step up participation and contribution in order to achieve this desired goal.

“As far as our Corporation is concerned, we remain committed to ensuring that more women are given the opportunity to pursue their ambitions. We are not afraid to put women in positions of authority because they are women, it is rather based on the competence and value they have added and would continue to add to our resolution and recovery strategy. Aside that, we continually ensure that we train our women and also encourage them to put in more efforts into self-development for effective capacity building.”

The AMCON boss disclosed that the “bad bank” has women who are taking the lead in resolution strategy, administrative and managerial areas of the Corporation’s work. He said, AMCON remains committed to investing in both her female employees and their male counterparts as capacity and efficiency have been at the core of the corporation’s focus. While commending the efforts of other groups who have pushed for more women participation in the financial industry, he commended associations contributing largely in taking the message to the grassroots, which have encouraged more female participation including young girls in these areas.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Modupe Wigwe, a renowned counsellor and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Peak Performance Academy, who was appointed guest speaker at this year’s edition of the celebration at AMCON, challenged the ladies in the corporation to always ensure that they are bold, qualified and competent enough to compete with their male counterparts on professional grounds around the office space. She said it was not enough for women to be shouting equal rights when indeed most of them are not ready professionally, mentally and emotionally to assume such positions they fight for.