To celebrate the 2022 International Women’s Day, the Gender and Development Policy Centre (Gen-Cent) of the University of Nigeria organized a roundtable talk with female professors of the institution. The talk was aimed at encouraging women to get more involved in leadership roles both in the University and society at large. The Director of Gen-Cent, Professor Anthonia Achike, stated in her welcome address that many female professors do not exploit the opportunities available to them to sell their potential despite being qualified or even relatively more qualified to occupy leadership positions. She noted that the roundtable’s aim is to re-jig and re-set the mindsets of many female professors about leadership.

During the roundtable, the guest speaker, Professor Edith Nwosu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, charged women to get more involved in politics and leadership at all levels in order to impact society positively. She noted that women are naturally endowed with good quality and as such, should come together and get more involved in leadership both in public and private spheres of endeavours with the aim of achieving a gender-equal world. In her remarks, Professor Nwosu said that if women sit in their comfort zones, the needed change to usher in a gender-equal world may take longer than necessary.

Prof. Nwosu also stressed some reasons why women hardly get involved or shy away from leadership positions. She talked about the “I”, the “Me”, the “She” tendencies etc.

Commenting during the event, Professor Grace Offorma, the Convener of the UNN Female Professors Forum expressed happiness that the world has started to acknowledge women and what they are capable of achieving. She urged female professors in UNN to contribute their quota to the development and success of women not just in the University but the society at large. Additionally, she thanked Gen-Cent for organizing the roundtable and encouraged female professors to join in championing the cause for gender equality in the appointment and elective posts in UNN through advocacy and agitation if need be.

A presentation titled “Gender Composition of Principal Officers, Council Members, Deans and HODs in UNN” was made by Dr Raymond Adibe, a Senior Research Fellow at Gen-Cent, to show the low level of involvement of women professors in leadership roles in UNN. He pointed out that some faculties in the university have never elected a female as Dean since inception while some have only elected a female as Dean once since inception. He also noted during his presentation that only two out of nine principal officers of the university are female and in the  2021/22 academic session, there is only one out of the nineteen elected deans of faculties in UNN. Data over a 10-year period presented showed that HODs appointed and Deans elected have been predominantly men.

Reacting to the presentation, some of the participants expressed the need to encourage women that are qualified for these leadership positions to aspire for them as it will also inspire emerging young female scholars.

The roundtable participants include:

Professor Edith Nwosu

Professor Anthonia Achike

Professor Grace Offorma

Emeritus Professor Uche Azikiwe

Professor Florence Akaneme

Professor Chinwe Nwagbo

Pharm Professor Chinwe Ukwe

Professor Theresa Ofoegbu

Professor Florence Obiageli Ezeudu

Professor Uche Igbokwe

Professor Esther Oluikpe

Professor Julie Ibiam

Professor Ifeoma Nwaoha

Professor Mabel Dinmelu

Professor Patience Ubachukwu

Professor Chioma Anosike

Professor Ebele Onuigbo

Professor Rita Udegbunam

Professor Nkadi Onyegegbu

Professor Rose Osuji

Professor Ngozi Nwodo

Professor Ifeoma Ezeonu

Engr Professor Chinenye Anyadike

Professor Elsie Umeano

Ngozi Anyaebunam

Akuzuo Ofodile