Jobberman Nigeria has said women make up 70 per cent of the informal labour force in Nigeria, primarily as self-employed workers in small-scale retail and creative enterprises.

The Head, Operations and Customers Experience, Jobberman Nigeria, Adejoju Ajagunna, made this known at a media parley in Lagos on Friday, to announce the introduction of “BeABossLady” campaign to empower 44,000 women.

Ms Ajagunna said that the figure was a testament to the incredible entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerian women.

She said that in spite the women’s determination and contributions, many faced significant barriers in accessing essential resources including insights and mentorship to scale their businesses.

According to her, for career-driven women, the story presents another challenge, as  research from Matsh, an esteemed institution promoting professional growth, highlights a concerning trend in one of their reports.

She said, “Women’s representation steadily declines at senior leadership levels, though entry and mid-level roles show near equal participation. This underlines the urgent need for expanded opportunities that support women’s progression to leadership positions. The #BeABossLady campaign is an initiative rooted in empowering women to harness their potential, build confidence, and achieve sustainable growth in their careers and businesses.’’

According to her, the campaign offers practical courses to sharpen digital proficiency, build business acumen, and strengthen leadership capabilities.

Also, in a panel discussion, an actress, Juliana ÓIayode, gave an inspiring story of her journey to stardom after being “frustrated” by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board.

Ms Olayode said that her ambition was to be a broadcaster but ended up as an actor due to a friend’s motivation.

Olayode, also known as Toyosi in a drama series – Jenifa’s Diary, however, said that women could achieve and become a boss lady if they set their mind to it.

Also, the Founder of Hereconomy, Ifedayo  Durosinmi-Etti,  inspired attendees with the narrative on her journey of mentoring about 85.000 women and the transition of the community to a payment platform.

Ms Durosinmi-Etti said that failures were bound to happen in the journey to being an entrepreneur but should propel one towards success.

The #BeABossLady initiative is a transformative Pan-African women empowerment programme.

(NAN)