To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, the Presidency has published the names of women appointed into government positions by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The occasion is observed globally on March 8 of every year and the theme for 2021 celebration of International Women’s Day is “Choose to Challenge.”
In the statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President, (Media and Publicity), the celebration provides ample opportunity to reflect on how President Buhari honours the womenfolk.
The list contains only ‘few’ of the female appointees, according to Adesina, but seven of those on the list are ministers while majority of the others are presidential aides.
They are;
Zainab Ahmed, Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; Pauline Tallen, Honourable Minister of Women Affairs; Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, and Sharon Ikeazor, Honourable Minister of State for Environment.
On the list too are;
Gbemisola Saraki, Honourable Minister of State for Transportation; Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, Honourable Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Mariam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President;
Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, and Secretary of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Others are;
Hadiza Bala-Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson and CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission; Chioma Ejikeme, Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD); Patience Oniha, Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO); Aisha Dahir-Umar, Director-General, National Pension Commission;
Jummai A.M. Audi, Chairperson, Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC); Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC); Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator/Chief Executive of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Nigeria; Nnenna Akajemeli, National Coordinator/CEO, SERVICOM and Folashade Joseph, Managing Director, Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Corporation (NAIC).
Also on the lists are;
Cecilia Gaya, Director-General, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Ronke Sokefun, Chairperson, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC);?Aishah Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli, Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
The rest are;
Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Oge Modie, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Strategic Communications; Toyin Adeniji, Executive Director, Micro Enterprises, Bank of Industry (Oversees the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP); Stella Okotete, Executive Director, Business Development, NEXIM Bank;
Omolola Abiola-Edewor, Executive Director, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC); Imaan Sulaiman–Ibrahim, Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Lauretta Onochie, Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, and INEC Federal Commissioner-nominee.
