Nigeria has 20% women in executive level – Report

Nigeria may be moving towards gender equality as the average percentage of women at the executive level is 20 per cent which is higher than the global average of 17 per cent.

This is according to a report 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’.

The report said the total number of females in the workforce was 33 per cent, lower than the global average of 37 per cent.

According to the report, 30 per cent of companies in Nigeria analysed achieved gender balance in the workforce.

These companies 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.

The average percentage of women at the board level was 23 per cent, which is close to the average of 25 per cent globally.

Thirteen per cent 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 per cent compared to the global average of 34 per cent.

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 in the organisation, is an IFC-led, multi-stakeholder programme in partnership with the Nigerian Exchange.