Underutilising Women’s Capacity Hurts Nigeria’s Growth, JCI President Warns

By Abubakar Yunusa

The 2026 President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Aso, JCIN Amb.Peter Emmanuel Yilbiem, has said Nigeria is failing to maximise the potential of women by restricting them to certain roles and opportunities.

He spoke on Sunday during his welcome address at the JCI Aso March General Assembly held to commemorate the International Women’s Day in Abuja.

Yilbiem said, “We are underutilising the capacity of our women in this country. We cannot restrict them to certain jobs or activities. We must tap into the virtue that is in womanhood.”

According to him, women remain one of the most untapped resources globally and should be given opportunities to “accelerate and showcase themselves” as contributors to positive change.

He added that JCI’s leadership development initiatives were already producing individuals capable of occupying top leadership positions. “We are making great strides. JCI is not only in Abuja; it exists in every state in Nigeria and in over 120 countries,” he said.

Yilbiem cited notable members such as former Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, and former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote, as examples of the organisation’s impact across sectors.

He urged young women to build confidence and pursue leadership roles. “Sometimes the right man for the job is a woman waiting to take on the responsibility with courage and confidence,” he said.

Also speaking, financial expert and founder of MTWI Services, Ifeoluwa Adegoke, advised women entrepreneurs to avoid the lure of quick profits.

“If you want to win in your financial life, don’t look for immediate gains. Think long term. Time plus deployed capital gives exponential wealth,” she said.

Adegoke stressed the need for women to invest in education, financial literacy and intentional value creation in the marketplace. She further encouraged mentoring and building ecosystems that enable others to grow.

In her remarks, Chief Executive Officer of Nagaba One, Saratu Alanza Nagaba-Pamah, said integrity remains the foundation of sustainable business success.

“Whatever you are doing today without integrity, you cannot add value to your business. Business does not exist in money alone; it exists in value and integrity,” she said.

She urged entrepreneurs to upscale their ventures by strengthening capacity and building value-driven systems, noting that “value is the biggest currency in the business sector.”