From left: Group Head, Marketing, SIFAX Group Mrs. Catherine Abuah, Group Coordinating Director, SIFAX Group; Mrs. Wunmi Eniola-Jegede, Continental Vice President, WIMAfrica, Mrs. Carolyn Ufere,; President, WIMA Nigeria Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, and Group Head, Legal, SIFAX Group, Ms. Jesuyemisi Odeyemi, at the SIFAX Group Headquarters, Lagos, during a courtesy visit to discuss a partnership aimed at advancing gender equality in Africa’s maritime sector, pictured at the SIFAX Group headquarters on November 12th, 2023.

In a significant step forward to boost gender equality in Africa’s maritime sector, SIFAX Group says it is willing to partner Women in Maritime Africa (WIMAfrica), to alter the current one per cent female representation in the industry.

Both organisations believe that the current 99-one per cent male-female ratio in the continent was unacceptable and therefore held a strategic meeting at the SIFAX Group’s headquarters, Apapa, Lagos on November 12, 2024. The aim is to foster mentorship, sponsorship, and skills development programmes that will empower women to pursue and excel in maritime careers, where female representation remains below one per cent.

Speaking at the event, key figures from WIMAfrica, which include the Continental Vice President Mrs. Carolyn Ufere and Nigeria’s President Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, emphasised the need for corporate partnerships to expand access to training and professional networks for women.

Meanwhile, SIFAX’s Coordinating Director, Mrs. Wunmi Eniola-Jegede, who also spoke at the meeting, expressed the Group’s commitment to gender inclusivity and highlighted the presence of women in leadership roles across its various sectors.

In closing, WIMAfrica extended an invitation for SIFAX Group to support its upcoming conference in Lagos, themed “New Economy and Moving Forward for the Next Generation,” which seeks to inspire young women to explore maritime career paths like engineering and marine security. The collaboration between WIMAfrica and SIFAX Group marks a crucial move towards an inclusive future in Africa’s maritime industry.