Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and United Nations Women (UN Women) are working on strong partnerships on the integration of gender bonds and other gender-themed sustainable financing mechanisms as strategic instruments to drive gender equality and sustainable development in Nigeria.
This was deliberated at a high-level engagement between NGX and UN Women officials during the visit of Dr. Maxime Houinato, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Region (ESARO) and interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa Region (WCARO), to the Exchange.
During the engagement, the parties spoke on the need to galvanize public and private sector stakeholders to the development and adoption of gender responsive instruments in Nigeria’s capital market and the mobilization of public and private capital towards investments that promote gender equality outcomes, among other focus areas.
“UN Women has been on the forefront of female advocacy which is a major priority of the work we have been doing with International Finance Corporation on the Nigeria2Equal project,” said Irene Robinson-Ayanwale, Divisional Head, Business Support Services and General Counsel, NGX. “We are committed to this collaboration with UN Women to further deepen impact in the capitl market and broader private sector.”
Chidinma Chukwueke-Okolo, Head, Product Development, NGX said, “Our collaboration with UN Women will primarily border on capacity building for issuers and investors, specifically for the development of a framework for gender bonds issuance in the Nigerian capital market.”
Dr Houinato, during his remarks stressed the importance of female participation in the leadership in the private and public sectors. He emphasized the necessity of more men in the private sector driving the advocacy for women and also touched on UN Women’s work on female advocacy.