Follow Us on Google
By Merit Ibe
For many social scientists, women, the world over, represent the largest pool of untapped talents.
The case is not different in Nigeria as women are increasingly shaping the future of manufacturing.
Despite their giant strides, their full potential remains untapped as they are starved of the right support and inclusive policies.
Industry experts note that by creating equitable opportunities, enhancing workplace conditions and championing diversity, the industry can unlock a wealth of talent, innovation and economic growth driven by women in manufacturing.
For a fact, the manufacturing sector in Nigeria has largely been dominated by men over the years, but the field is slowly expanding, though the contributions of women are scarcely noticed due to several challenges retarding them.
Women in manufacturing, who spoke to Daily Sun, are pushing for better lives, opportunities, fair treatment, tax holidays among other incentives to improve the lot of women and increase their number in manufacturing.
Nigerian women who dared the harsh environment, have identified formal education as critical for growth. They called for support, coaching and encouragement for more young women to be recruited and retained in manufacturing.
They are of the view that the Nigerian government must be held responsible for the lack of success of women in business and manufacturing, part of which is the lack of respect for the gender, women development and the unconducive environment.
Commenting on the need to deepen women participation in manufacturing, the Lagos Chairman, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Gertrude Ahkhimien, pointed out that women manufacturers are few in Nigeria.
“I think women are usually not bold enough to venture into manufacturing because of the high risk involved. They need capital to go into manufacturing as they need equipment, structure on ground like assets. A lot of women don’t have that, as such they are discouraged to get in. Most men have these assets and huge capital to delve into the sector.
“Due to the difficulty accessing bank facilities, it is hard for women to really raise the capital for starting such a manufacturing firm. We are trying to encourage women in NASSI to start small, no matter how small. We also try to see how the government can give them grants at low interest rates or single digit rates.
“We have few women who are doing very well in manufacturing that can be mentors. Since there are not many women who have made it in manufacturing, it’s difficult for our young women to imagine they can do it. The association keeps pressing on women who are succeeding to mentor these younger women who are coming up so they too can succeed in manufacturing.
“The regulatory authorities like SON, NAFDAC and others don’t have any gender table when you talk about certification. I think they can give women some preferential treatment so as to boost their productivity. We don’t have such opportunities. We are even trying to ask for a tax rebate for women in production, so as to encourage women to move forward. Government can help us.
The interest rate should be low so that it does not eat into the profit margin. These are what we advocate for.
“In the area of the land use Act, the government needs to make it easier for women to be able to perfect their land ownership because it’s so difficult getting a C of O in Nigeria. If women can achieve this, it will be great.
“I advise younger women to start small. They should not be intimidated by the ‘Dangotes.’ They should keep moving up. Even Dangote started by selling rice and sugar in a few bags before he expanded. Little by little they will get to understand the business, then they can scale up and become big. I advise that women should not be afraid of the terrain. It’s a challenging one but people should look up to it and try to overcome it.
Women by their nature are accommodating in terms of the care and meeting the needs of the family and people around them. So, the more women go into production or manufacturing, you will be sure there will be an increase in employment and job creation, they help their husbands and this will boost the economy. When the uncertainty that shows up sometimes when men lose their jobs or businesses, the women can be there to uphold the family from going down the drain of poverty. “When you have more women in manufacturing, because women are good at involving their children, friends and community in their businesses, they create wealth for that community. There will be that spiral effect.
Women are critical to filling the unemployment gap and the government needs to empower them to do so. We must also reduce the barriers for women in manufacturing in accessing funds from financial institutions for those who want to transit from paid jobs to manufacturing and for those already in the sector and would want a boost.
“I also encourage women to join associations because no business succeeds in isolation. They need to join associations to help them boost their trade. At the early stage of business sometimes it’s very difficult, but together, you can sail through. When you are in the midst of industrialists, you share your concerns, worries and questions. Together as a formidable force you can advocate and challenge the government on the status quo on any area of need. No matter the manufacturing concern, women need partners or cooperatives to be able to achieve success in manufacturing.
“45 per cent of women are in manufacturing in Nigeria, but most of them are under small scale industrialists. Across the country, when SMEDAN did an estimation, they were able to find out that 26 million SMEs were in Nigeria and out of that about 80 percent are women and out of that those into small business production concerns were in that range (about 45% thereabout,) those producing garri, kunu, kulikuli, chips and some others even in their homes. If you don’t aggregate you would not know what is going on. They are doing a lot, they are actually the engine room of this nation”.
In her views, the Chief Executive officer and Managing Director, FAE Limited, manufacturer of envelopes, Layo Bakare-Okeowo, said it was heartwarming to see women making waves in manufacturing.
“As African women, we need to respect our men. They are our men and fathers, but we’ve forgotten that in this new age, what a man can do, a woman can do better. When you look at women, they are very passionate about whatever they are doing. Because of the gender disparity, we want to strive to go the extra mile, that is why whatever we do, we succeed in it.
“Women have become leading industry players in different sectors, which were for long the preserve of men – including manufacturing. The industry needs to send out the right message that women can and do succeed in manufacturing.
“The number of women in manufacturing is low compared to men. I will say the ratio of women to men in manufacturing is 1 to 10, but if we make up our minds to increase in number, we will, as long as the will is there.
“Though the issue of gender disparity in the manufacturing sector is glaring, women in the sector or business manage better than men.
Apart from women in manufacturing, ask me of any woman that borrowed and did not pay. Even banks acknowledge that most women in SMEs when they have 100 clients, with 50 men and 50 women, its only 20 out of the men that pay back, but the 50 women will pay back. Women are always careful and passionate about what they do.
“On the collateral aspect, as wives and mothers, we spend time nursing our children and building the home front for the men, so, where do we get this collateral from? Government should guarantee these loans to some extent, for women to thrive in business generally. When they get these loans, they are established, build more factories and employ more youths, thereby reducing the rate of unemployment. Women companies create more jobs.
“The boardroom intimidation when it comes to women is one of the challenges, but we will not surrender as women. I think things are getting better now than before. We are not where we want to be as women but not as bad as before on gender bias.
“My advice for younger women is that they should not get intimidated, but should look at manufacturing as a mountain that can be surmounted. If the young women get discouraged, they will fall back to the kitchen, but if you persevere and get to the top, it’s cool up there.
We need to be at the forefront of being major drivers of the economy. Get the best education you can to fit into any position conveniently.
“For me as a manufacturer, the journey has not been smooth but I believe I’m better now. By God’s grace, FAE is the largest manufacturer of envelopes in Nigeria. We are doing well. Passion drives me.
“As a manufacturer, when there is a problem or issue in the industry, you stay back and sort it out and never run away. I’ve never had any problem I could not overcome.
The sound of the machines in my factory gives me joy. That is the passion for manufacturing. If I’m just a normal business woman, I might decide to quit, but as an industrialist, who has passion for the job, you remain and slug it out.
I want the government to have the political will to hire and to fire. We all know that there is a scarcity of foreign exchange (FOREX). In manufacturing we should be looking inwards, that is backward integration. All our machines are imported. Whatever machines are being used in Europe, we have them here. Our problem here is the conducive environment, that is why manufacturers have issues in the country. The business environment is not friendly. Many government parastatals are not doing what they are supposed to do, but because they know they can always get away with whatever they do, they have continued. Manufacturers are at the mercy of these government agencies. So, the government should fire anyone not doing the right thing. Our graduates are job seekers now, they are not lazy, but no industries to employ them. Manufacturers cannot employ them when the business environment is not favourable and the turnover low. If there is a conducive environment, our professionals will remain and employment will improve”, she stated.
For the Chief Executive Officer of Showers Group, Mrs Ekama Emilia Akpan, who is also the first female vice president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), manufacturing is not actually dominated by men.
“It’s only that most women in manufacturing do not belong to the association.
For you to break even in an association dominated by men, you must be combative politically and men don’t like that. There are many women doing business and excelling in their different fields. They are focused when it comes to serious business. But many women do not have the energy to fight and go into a system, controlled by men. You must prove your mettle because it’s not usually easy.
“Government needs 49.1 percent of women who can help increase the GDP of Nigeria, therefore, the point is to give them leverage.
Where there are only 10 women in the midst of 100 men, the situation is not developing the 49.1% that women constitute. If 30 percent of that 49.1 percent are educated and doing business, it will increase employment, reduce juvenile delinquency and boost the GDP, because women create massive jobs.
“Governments in European countries understand the place of women in developing the economy, so our government must be held responsible for the lack of success of women in business and manufacturing. We hold the government responsible for the problems of this country, part of which is the lack of respect for women, women development and an unconducive environment.
MAN as a body needs to encourage more women representation. The association should involve more women. So one of the things to do as an association is to tilt towards gender balance, thereby suggesting a solution to the practice in the environment.
For women to actually do well in manufacturing, they must have the right backups. The women should not act in isolation, they need mentors.
I advise women in manufacturing to join associations like MAN, because they help in terms of acceptability of their products. Your products must be within a certain level of acceptance before you can export. That’s why you need to join bodies like MAN because they will help in terms of acceptability of your products”.
Pointing out some of the challenges women in the sector face, she said: ‘Sometimes obtaining loans from the banks is so difficult for the women folk. A situation where a woman will be asked to bring her husband before she is granted loan or withdrawal is ridiculous. But for a man to get a loan is seamless. The system and the environment are negating. Until the authorities understand that women constitute the progress of this country, it’s going to be difficult to make any move or progress.
Though the banks tell you they have something for women, when you apply, they make it so difficult. They don’t cut short the system as they do for men. For some influential men, they don’t need to go to the bank,the banks bring the papers to their houses or offices for signing, but for a woman, she has to struggle, use all she has as collateral. Well, the good news is that most women don’t owe like men. Women have more integrity. When it comes to creativity, we have it.
“A woman is working in three dimensions: as a wife, a mother, a business or career woman. She is naturally strong. God has given some women the energy to continue to inspire others. A good husband that understands is also important. Young women should not just marry any kind of man because some men find it difficult to accept the success of their women. They make things difficult for them. They blame them for staying the whole day in the factory doing what, when they still have other duties at home.
“One thing unique about women is that when she goes out of her way to do business, you will see some perfection in it. But not every woman has the capacity to stay long with manufacturing type of stress.
The women who go into manufacturing are the products of the men folk in the house. If you have a father who tells you you can do it, it’s a boost. Our job now is to push the government to encourage such women.
“On the part of women, they have to develop a thick skin. If you have the desire to do something, don’t look at the circumstances. Education is critical. Without education, a women cannot sign any document in the bank. I am a women advocate. I encourage my girls to go into areas dominated by men like manufacturing. I encourage them to take online courses to explore E-commerce, E-marketing and others. Women are good at doing a lot of things at the same time, so let’s use our brains”, she added.
