The Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite has called for increased participation of women in the Capital Market, saying opening opportunities for them would create a pathway to wealth creation.
Uzoka-Anite who spoke in Abuja during the official launch of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Podcast on Monday, pointed out that Nigerian women were good managers of investments and need to be encouraged.
A statement by SEC explained that the launch of the podcast was part of the activities to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day.
The Minister emphasized that podcasts serve as a valuable tool for educating the public and inspiring more women to engage in the financial sector.
Uzoka-Anite stressed ¹the unique challenges women face compared to men, noting that, in addition to their professional responsibilities, they also juggle family and societal obligations.
She said the government needs to come up with more policies, reforms or frameworks that encourage more women to participate in the financial sector, stressing that there are some areas where policies against the girl child still exist.
“Women are actually very good with investing, we know what to do with money. We know how to manage money in the house and it will go round the whole family. If a woman learns how to make that money multiply and how to save it in a way that it will continue to add value and meet her needs and her family needs I think she will love that. They just need that added knowledge to be able to make the right choices at any given time.
“Seek information and find out how you can invest in the capital market, the capital market is open for business and it is time for women to become active participants. Assisting women in the capital market is a multi-pronged approach, the individuals need to do more to be heard. The institutional approach where we encourage the institutions to give women a chance, to treat women based on their competencies, capacities and encourage them.
“It’s a multi-pronged approach of getting all involved to be more conscious of supporting women to attain their fullest capacity and achieving their full potential. Women are also known to be very trustworthy and dependable and that is why you are seeing more women in positions hitherto held by men. We are calling everyone involved to be more conscious of supporting women to attain their fullest capacity and fullest potential”.
She commended the SEC on the launch of the podcast describing it as very innovative and highly needed at this time and expressed hope that the objectives for which it is set up will be achieved.
The Minister said that the capital market is very critical as it is needed to set the economy free, to help the country achieve the $1 trillion economy, to boost industries, to create jobs, to unlock the potentials of the Nigerian economy, diversify the economy, create capital for individuals and companies to access and by so doing liberating the economy and injecting the much needed prosperity we need in Nigeria.
She said financial literacy is one of the first fundamental steps to take to build investor confidence adding, “In any market you must have a lot of participants for the market to be active. We have the population and we have the potential, a lot of businesses trying to come to the market. We have all it takes to be Africa’s biggest market and it starts with things like this. It starts by people knowing that this is available and what they can do with the market. The present administration is implementing reforms that will transform the capital market, make it more robust, more transparent, and more efficient and trustworthy. So that people can put their money and know it is safe”.
Speaking earlier, the Director General of the SEC, Dr. Emomotimi Agama said the Commission is starting the podcast to disseminate information to every nook and cranny of Nigeria and get people to understand the capital market and the opportunities that abound therein.
“We want people in the most remote parts of this country to be aware of the capital market and how they can participate to create wealth. We are particularly interested in having more women participate in this market and we hope this podcast will assist us reach out to them”, he added.
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