By Daniel Edu
Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., emphasized the importance of innovation and reinvention for women entrepreneurs during her keynote address at the 2023 Women High Achievers Trybe (WHAT) conference held in Lagos. She urged female entrepreneurs to adapt their businesses to changing market dynamics, highlighting the need to discontinue strategies or products that are not working.
Awosika outlined three crucial stages of entrepreneurship: ideation, planning, and execution. She encouraged entrepreneurs to assess their interests, passion, skills, talent, and resources in relation to their target market. Being open-minded and finding the right human capital for each stage of business development was stressed as essential for success.
The conference convener, Mrs. Kiki Okewale, emphasized the importance of building a supportive community of women who collaborate, promote, and patronize one another. She rejected the notion that women do not support each other, highlighting the strength of sisterhood and the positive experiences she had encountered throughout her life.
Mrs. Toun Sonaiya, CEO of WFM 91.7FM, encouraged women to collaborate in various capacities to enhance their lives, careers, businesses, and families. Additionally, Ms. Folake Kehinde, CEO of Folake Aya Akanni Essentials, advised women entrepreneurs to leverage social media platforms for marketing and brand promotion.
Furthermore, Mrs. Margaret Moore, President of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association, urged businesswomen to allocate resources for insurance coverage, emphasizing the importance of transferring risks to third parties through paid premiums and indemnity in case of any loss. The conference aimed to empower women to achieve their goals by fostering collaboration, innovation, and mutual support within the entrepreneurial community.
