The newly appointed Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Ibukun Abiodun Awosika, has urged Nigerians not to see gender as a barrier to success.
Awosika, who emerged as the first woman to be at the helms of the affairs of the bank, made this statement on her Facebook page, in response to a comment from a well-wisher on Tuesday.
Reacting to the well-wisher, who described her appointment as an indication that feminists were rising to the top, she wrote, “I am a woman who believes in doing the best always. Gender is not the issue.”
Earlier, Awosika had also indicated in another statement posted on her Twitter page that a bright future awaited the country as she prepared to step into her new role.
She then invited Nigerians to join in the march to progress, saying, “Be a part of the great things that God will do with First Bank of Nigeria.”
Several reactions have greeted Awosika’s emergence as the first female chairman of the bank on social media, with many describing her appointment as well-deserved.
The wife of Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Church, Nike, was one of the first people to take to Twitter to congratulate her.
“Congrats@IbukunAwosika, first female chairman of the board at FBN. More grace from God to serve, Adeyemi had tweeted.
Also commenting on the development on Twitter, one Aisha Yesufu addressed Awosika, “You dared to dream. You dared to achieve. You are daring others to dare.”
Until her appointment, Awosika was a non-executive member of the board of First Bank of Nigeria.
She holds a first degree in Chemistry from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and an MBA from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
Also, she is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme.
She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Chair Centre, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited and TCC Security Systems, manufacturers and marketers of office furniture, office seating and Banking Security Systems in Nigeria and West Africa; and a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Awosika is also a multiple award-winning entrepreneur; the Promoter and Investor of Furniture Manufacturers Mart that provides furniture processing service for various categories of furniture manufacturers.
Apart from sitting on the boards of a number of companies, including Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Women in Management and Business, she has founded and currently supports many non-profit institutions, while serving as a pastor at the Fountain of Life Church and hosting a popular TV programme titled, Business His Way.
Awosika is also the Chairperson and promoter of After School Graduate Development Centre, a social enterprise set up to address Employability and Enterprise development amongst young Nigerians.
She played a key role in the establishment of SCC ALGON, which provides a metal-based component for the furniture manufacturing and related industries, and The Furniture Village Cluster – a joint venture with the Ogun State Government – aimed at providing infrastructure, skills and support to a cluster of SME firms with similar raw material requirements.
Reputed for her inspiring teaching on entrepreneurship, she has been described as a role model of success, a blessing and source of inspiration to many Nigerians who has made her country proud.
(Punch)
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