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A leading women group is demanding a 35% stake in positions arising from the eventual passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) when it is eventually passed into law.

Ms. Faith Nwadishi convener of the Women in Extractive Sector Group said in Abuja that the women folk are not favoured structurally in the running of the country’s extractive sector.

“We are aware that the national assembly is yet to transmit the PIGB to the president for assent, we don’t want an indefinite postponement of the PIGB and ask that people should stop playing politics with the bill and reforms in the industry. In the last 17 years, we have been on this reform but 17 years is enough time to get the bill passed. We want to say that the four bills do not have any provision for inclusion of women issues as regards the 35 per cent affirmative action,” she said.

She explained that it is important to put women at the centre of the discussion with women issues given a central role, and affirmative action in Nigeria should be given a priority as regards these bills.

“We also want the business aspects of the reforms to make it possible for women to partake in the business of the sector, and why should women not be part of the trust committees of the host communities because the environmental issues in the region affect women more than they affect others,’ she said.

Nwadishi said the group wants governance of the sector to give considerations to women appointments into top positions in institutions that would emerge from the implementation of the PIGB.

Photo Credit: Businessdayonline.com

Nigerian women demand 35% affirmative action in PIGB implementation

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