The Managing Director, West Africa Exploration and Production Company (WAEP), Mrs. Olajumoke Ajayi, has challenged women to dare and venture into all vocations, including technology, energy, as well as politics, as their impacts are needed in all these sectors. She threw the challenge while delivering the keynote address titled “Give to Gain” during the 2026 Women’s Day celebration organised by the Centre for Gender Issues in Science and Technology (CEGIST) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), in collaboration with the FUTA Women Forum and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), on April 28, 2026.
The WAEP Managing Director, who is also an alumna of FUTA, enjoined women and the girl child not to be content with just a first degree, but to always aspire to higher goals. She acknowledged that they would surely be confronted with obstacles, which should serve as stepping stones and not limitations to their ambitions. Mrs. Ajayi counselled: “Your setback is not your story. That you are tired is not the same as being defeated. Do not quit. The world needs women in technology, in the energy sector, in politics, in all vocations. Your degree is just the beginning. Never stop learning.”
The keynote speaker, who encouraged women to support others to rise, also urged them not to wait for permission or affirmation before developing themselves, but to take charge of their destiny by being positive and intentional with their time and actions. The WAEP Managing Director, who acknowledged that pursuing a career in the energy sector has been challenging for her, considering that it is male-dominated, advised that women aspiring to reach the peak of their careers must prove themselves worthy through determination and by setting clear goals.
In addition, Ajayi enjoined women to be intentional with their time, to surround themselves with people who challenge them to grow, to build networks before they are needed, avoid procrastination, apply for opportunities, and take on responsibilities, as well as engage themselves meaningfully rather than waiting for white-collar jobs which may never come.
In a remark at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Oladiji, cited great women of impact in the Bible who used their privileged positions to save lives. Oladiji, who congratulated women on the occasion of the 2026 International Women’s Day, reaffirmed that women are doing exploits in various fields across the nation and the world, as she advocated that women must not be seen as inferior to their male counterparts. The Vice Chancellor noted: “Women are doing exploits in various nations of the world. Women are not inferior to men. Women are competent and resourceful.”
Earlier, the Director of CEGIST, Professor Mary Olowookere, reiterated that the aim of International Women’s Day is to bridge the gap in gender equity. According to her, various themes of the occasion in the past have always shown that “if we invest in women by providing the right platforms for them to thrive, society will, in the long run, benefit from such investment.”