MUST READ: Nigerian Career Women Succeeding In Male-Dominated Sectors

The oil and gas industry is overwhelmingly male, both locally and internationally. The women who have carved out careers for themselves in this sector deserve special recognition.

The first female President of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies) is Diezani Alison-Madueke. Mrs Madueke holds the distinction of being the first female Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria and was also the first woman to be appointed as Transport Minister.

Some of the women motivated to excel in the oil and gas sector include Dr Amy Jadesimi and Catherine Uju Ifejika. The former is the managing director of Ladol, a petroleum services company based in Lagos. She has stated that women are gradually taking up influential posts around the country because they are competent managers. She also said that people tend to trust women more than men.

You have probably heard of Uju Ifejika. She is one of Africa’s richest women and is the most successful female oil tycoon on the continent. She is the chairperson and CEO of the Britannia U Group, a group of oil and gas companies, making her one of Africa’s few female oil industry bosses. According to her, women make good managers since they can effectively juggle various duties and still perform excellently.

Other than the oil industry, the justice sector in Nigeria has also seen a rise in the number of women holding top positions. Just recently, Jennifer Douglas Abubakar was called to Bar, bringing into sharp focus how far women have come. Jennifer Abubakar is the wife of former vice president Atiku Abubakar. As part of her achievements, she has attained a PhD and established the GEDE Foundation that works to improve the lives of people living with HIV in Nigeria. To find out more about her work and Foundation please visit Jennifer Douglas on LinkedIn.

Another outstanding lady in the justice sector is Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar. This notable lady holds the honor of being the first female justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as well as the first woman to be sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Country.

If you were to interview all these amazing women, they would no doubt tell you that it took a lot of courage and determination to get to where they are. In their own ways, they make Nigeria proud and are positive role models for young women.