‘Nigeria has 20% women in executive level’
Analysis from a report has shown that Nigeria might be moving towards a balance in gender equality as the average percentage of women at the executive level is 20 percent.
This is higher than the global average of 17 percent.
The report was published by the International Finance Corporation through the Nigeria2Equal programme titled ‘Gender Equality in Nigeria’s Private Sector: A Gender Gap Assessment of 30 Leading Companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange’.
It said that the total number of females in the workforce was 33 percent– lower than the global average of 37 percent.
Also, 30 percent of companies in Nigeria analysed achieved gender balance in the workforce.
Companies under this category included Access Bank, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, FCMB Group, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Sterling Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Zenith Bank.
Meanwhile, the average percentage of women at the board level is 23 percent, which is close to the average of 25 percent globally.
Similarly, 13 percent of the companies achieved gender balance at the board level. These included Lafarge Africa, NASCON Allied Industries, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria and Stanbic IBTC holdings.
The report added that the average score on Nigerian companies on the Equileap Scorecard was 32 percent compared to the global average of 34 percent.
Five of the companies – FBN Holdings, International Breweries, Nestle Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries, Unilever Nigeria – had a living wage policy.
However, none of the companies published gender-segregated pay information (numerical) or a strategy to close the gender pay gap.
Nigeria2Equal, an initiative to ensure both men and women earn equal rights in the organisation, is an IFC-led, multi-stakeholder programme in partnership with the Nigerian Exchange.