IWD: More women should aspire to become stockbrokers — Okereke-Onyuike advocates
As a strategic move to deepen the quality of human capital in the Nigerian financial market, women have been advised to take a profession in the securities market.
Besides, women are believed to have innate ability to match their male counterparts in any profession and thereby remove the stigma of gender inequality.
Speaking on the Theme: “Promoting Gender Equality as a Core Value in the Nigerian Capital Market,” the former Director-General of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyuike explained that although stockbroking was dominated by males, more females should aspire to join the profession as they have equal opportunities.
She said more females joining the capital market tends to enhance the quality of manpower in this noble profession.
“Women have made serious contributions to the growth and development of the Capital Market by removing the stigma of gender-inequality in many professions.
“They have achieved this by using their God-given sixth sense. The unique Theme of this year’s International Women’s Day has opened the floodgate of how we stockbrokers can effectively achieve the core value of equality in the Capital Market and the whole financial district of Nigeria.
“The Institute should work towards holding a forum to encourage those who have derived wealth from the market to support the Millennials who lack the wherewithal to participate in the market,” Okereke-Onyuike said.
Corroborating her, the first female stockbroker to be inducted and licensed by The Nigerian Stock Exchange and Group Managing Director, Futureview Securities, Mrs Elizabeth Ebi, explained that she left her comfort zone as an investment banker, broke barrier and opted for the securities market which was largely dominated by men.
“Considering my comfortable and exalted position at the bank and the heavy work load attached to the position, there was no motivation to take on the extra-curricular required to qualify as a stockbroker. However, as I recalled my long drawn out crusade to break he barrier against women becoming stockbrokers I decided to take up the challenge.
“ I humbly and dutifully applied myself to the task by not just meeting all the training required but also excelled in the exam recording one of the best results.
“I was subsequently inducted and licensed as the 1st female stockbroker on The NSE, together with Chief Nike Adeniran,” said Ebi.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Institute’s President, Mr Olatunde Amolegbe urged females to embrace the securities market to take advantage of its opportunities.
“I assure you that the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers is commitment to the ideal of Gender Equality. The Capital Market is a remarkable exception when it comes to discrimination against women. Our own Prof. (Mrs) Ndi Okereke-Onyuike was a long serving Director-General of The Nigerian Stock Exchange. The apex regulatory body, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has had two female Director-Generals till date; Ms Aruma Oteh and Ms Mary Uduk.
A past President of the Institute, Mr. Mike Itegboje lamented that out of 3000 stockbrokers in Nigeria, only 85 were ladies. Itegboje advocated an increased level of enlightenment on the benefits of the Capital Market across the nation to attract more females.
Other speakers were Mrs Elile Olutimayin, Managing Director, Cardinal Stone Securities and Mrs Lilian Olubi, Managing Director, EFG Hermes who both emphasized the need for millennials to participate in the market to upscale its standard through their strong background in digitization while Mrs Fiona Ahimie, the Chief Executive Officer, FBN Ouest Securities, was the moderator.
