Former Minister of Works Babatunde Fashola has urged women to move beyond representation in leadership to make meaningful use of the authority they are given to influence governance and decision-making.

Mr Fashola made the call on Wednesday at the 2026 Women Directors’ Biennial Conference organised by the Women’s Group of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria in Lagos.

The conference has the theme “From Presence to Power: Advancing Women’s Influence in the Boardroom.”

He said that although diversity in boardrooms had improved, the focus should now shift to strengthening women’s capacity to influence governance and organisational outcomes.

According to him, effective leadership is determined by competence rather than gender.

“If you are given authority and cannot use it, you cannot attribute that to gender. Ineffectiveness is a human issue, not a gender issue,” he said.

Mr Fashola urged women serving on boards to prepare adequately for meetings, ask critical questions, continually improve their knowledge, and understand the organisations they serve.

He also advised women leaders to prioritise their teams’ welfare and develop strong communication skills to build trust and achieve results.

Reflecting on his years in public service, Mr Fashola said many achievements recorded during his tenure as Lagos State governor were driven by women occupying leadership positions.

He also stressed the need for stronger regulatory capacity as Nigeria deepens privatisation, particularly where the government retains operational influence after transferring ownership.

Chairperson of Access Bank Plc, Ajoritsedere Awosika, described inclusive leadership as both a moral obligation and a governance imperative.

Ms Awosika said the goal was no longer to secure seats for women but to ensure their participation translated into measurable impact.

“Presence and power must lead to impact. Women have the capacity to transform workplaces, governance institutions, and homes when they actively shape decisions,” she said.

President of CIoD Nigeria, Adetunji Oyebanji, said the conference sought to bridge the gap between representation and leadership as boardrooms navigate challenges such as artificial intelligence, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and macroeconomic uncertainties.

Also speaking, the wife of the Ogun State governor, Bamidele Abiodun, said empowering more women to contribute to governance would strengthen national development.

She said the conference would enrich ongoing conversations on inclusive governance and improve board effectiveness across the public and private sectors.

(NAN)