A widening gap between women’s growing presence in Nigeria’s workforce and their limited influence in decision making roles took centre stage at a leadership summit in Lagos, as business and policy leaders called for a shift from visibility to real power.
The issue framed discussions at the BusinessDay Women in Leadership Summit held in partnership with Brooks and Blake and The Conversationalistin Lagos on March 27, where speakers argued that progress in representation has not translated into proportional authority.
Funmi Onajide, chairperson of Brooks and Blake PR, said the change in women’s participation across industries is clear, but the deeper shift lies in how that presence is beginning to reshape leadership itself.
“Across industries, women are not just participating. They are rising. They are leading,” she said. “We are no longer simply asking for a seat. We are earning it and in many cases redefining what the table looks like.”
