Now You See Me

Last year, I was compelled to write an article entitled “Do You See Me?” upon learning of President Buhari’s demeaning statement regarding his wife’s public rebuke of him and the so-called Cabal. Standing beside Angela Merkel, arguably the most powerful woman on earth, his innate patriarchy drove him to make what many of us found to be an incendiary and diminishing comment. Those words spoke volumes coming from the country’s lead citizen that his wife’s contributions didn’t matter and that she was primarily good for contributions in the Other Room. 

We were also in the throws of a global misogynistic wave where women who dared to raise their heads and their voices were being figuratively dragged through the mud. At the time I wrote “Do You See Me?”, I could never have imagined that Hillary Clinton would lose the US elections to Donald Trump. On that fateful day, several people I knew couldn’t believe a man with virtually no technical depth or political experience who was being accused of pretty heinous acts against women had just been elected to the highest office on Planet Earth. 

A few months before, when UK Tory leadership candidate, Andrea Leadsom, suggested that Theresa May would be unsuitable for the Prime Ministership simply because she hadn’t borne any children the firestorm that attacked her was immediate. It seemed at a global level women were fair game for abuse although there was no consistency with which our abusers were being handled. I confess to being weary and couldn’t quite digest what these macro events meant for my micro existence so I soldiered on. After all, we will lose a battle here and there but the desire for equality for women would continue. 

I’ve tried to live my life along these lines as you can’t espouse values if you’re not living them. I genuinely feel that the world would be a better place if 50% of its population came to the table and were offered a valuable seat when we got there. If girls are educated and exposed to empowered female role models when they are young, they are more likely to pursue careers which promulgate the advancement of womanhood. I also knew that women couldn’t do it alone, we needed our male counterparts – HeForShe - to understand the benefits for their wives, daughters, sisters, families, and society in making the world a more equitable and safe place for women to thrive. 

According to think tank Catalyst, at a global level women held only 24% of senior roles in 2016—a mere increase of 3% from 2011. In addition, one-third of global businesses had no women in senior management roles, no improvement since 2011. At this rate of change women will not reach parity with men until 2060. While I understand there are several complex factors which result in the skewed dynamics within the corporate world – availability of childcare, primary caregiver status, education levels, mobility, etc - the facts are sobering and we have to continue to work towards closing the gap. 

We often look to the developed world to provide illustrative examples of what progress looks like but the analysis from McKinsey & Company’s 2016 Women Matter Africa report suggests that professional women fair just as well on the continent. In Africa, women hold 5% of CEO roles, less than a third (29%) are senior managers, and just under half (44%) of senior women hold line roles. Additionally, according to that report, “although the number of women in leadership positions [in Africa] may have risen, women do not necessarily have greater power. In the private sector, more than half of senior women occupy staff roles [(staff roles focus on support functions, for example, HR and legal; line roles focus on core operations, for example, strategy, finance, risk)] rather than the line roles from which promotion to CEO typically comes. In the public sector, approximately half of women cabinet ministers hold social welfare portfolios, with arguably limited political influence, that do not open doors to top leadership roles.” In essence, for women to exercise influence in the private and public sectors we need proper seats at the “big boys” table and that clearly isn’t happening fast enough.  

This is why when I read that Mrs. Aishah Ahmad had been given a seat at a real table, I was jittery with excitement. She’s a woman I have recently come to know personally and have observed in her role as executive chair of WIMBIZ over the last couple years. She’s what I call a firecracker! She forges ahead and gets things done, particularly those things that she’s passionate about and she is deeply passionate about Nigeria’s financial sector and the development of girls and women.

Notwithstanding, when I heard about her nomination to the position of Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a voice whispered in my heart that said brace yourself. The ensuing vitriol was as immediate and vicious as it was expected. I wondered whether her naysayers bothered to acquaint themselves with her professional and educational qualifications? Did they understand what it takes to work with the apex regulator of the banking sector? Have they studied precedent appointments in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large? Somehow, I doubted it.

Be that as it may, the majority of people that I know, particularly women, have been exhilarated by her appointment. A win for one woman is a win for us all. I was elated for her and for Nigeria. She was me and she was so many of us. Hard-working women who have delivered time and time again and although we are not perfect and have stumbled along the way (similar to our male colleagues), we have what it takes to get the job done. One friend sent me a message saying that

“News like this really empowers and emboldens other women to feel like they too can reach for the top of any ladder they choose to climb. Love it.” 

The mood amongst my social network of professional women was one of surprise, pride, and elation and there was a genuine sense of euphoria in the air. I won’t repeat the disgusting comments written on social media or in private group chats but it’s the content and ramification of these vitriolic attacks that worries me. The core of the comments are centered on (i) her ineligibility for the role given her youthful age in spite of a commercial banking career spanning circa 20 years; and (ii) the appropriateness of her representation of Muslim women as an indigene of the North Central geopolitical zone. On the first point, how much do these agents of judgement actually know about her professional background and what precisely do they understand about what it takes to be a central banker? I doubt much of either. Have the naysayers looked across the landscape of Nigeria’s political appointees, elected officials and civil service cadres and still maintain Mrs. Ahmad cannot carry the intellectual load of the role? Not possible if you’re open-minded and fair. Please focus on facts and not conjecture. 

We need a breath of fresh air in every facet of Nigeria’s economy and I am confident that Mrs. Ahmad will work tirelessly to influence CBN accordingly. Even in light of some alleged facts which I have read in the public domain (no clue as to their veracity), I still believe that she can perform the tasks that will be placed before her if confirmed by the Senate. Moreover, forty is not young by any stretch of the imagination. Take a look at the leadership ranks – corporate, entrepreneurial, and political - of developed economies and you’ll see that those of us in our 40’s aren’t too young to do great things. I won’t bother to list the names of global CEO’s and presidents who are in their 40’s and under. If you don’t know these facts, please sit down and stop distracting Nigeria from its path to greatness. 

People say “this is Nigeria, Aishetu, we aren’t the West.” All due respect but you too need to sit down and catch up on some African history reading. Start with the “State of Africa” by Martin Meredith and you will learn that many of our forefathers who fought to end colonialism were in their 40’s. Then after you read that book, pick up “Soldiers of Fortune: A History of Nigeria (1983-1993)” by Max Siollun. From both, you will learn that bold moves on this precious continent have been driven by people in their 40’s and oftentimes below. It’s not my intention to be rude to the elderly and in so doing diminish their contributions but it’s imperative to understand that the world is evolving and younger people have the requisite experience to lead us towards economic advancement 21st century style. If we/they don’t understand that, we are choosing to remain underdeveloped has-been‘s who never quite were.

To the point about Mrs. Ahmad representing the values and ideals of Muslim women, I just sigh and silently weep. Our biggest poison pill issue in Nigeria was so well articulated by Dike Chukwumerije in his TEDxMaitama talk entitled No Culture Is Older Than Being Human. What is your state of origin? is a question that serves as the persistent mechanism by which we suppress, repress, and oppress intellectual advancement in Nigeria. When will simply being Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, be enough? Mrs. Ahmad is from Niger state and she’s female. On those two points alone she’s an appropriate replacement of Mrs. Sarah Alade. This is a superficial measurement of value and one that perpetuates dissension in Nigeria. So based on our federal character goals, Mrs. Ahmad fits the bill but then we shift the goalpost saying she isn’t Islamic enough. Once again, do we understand what it requires to sit on the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria? Do we understand the various levers of economic growth?  If we do, we will understand that Mrs. Ahmad’s religion has absolutely nothing to do with her ability to function effectively in the role Mr. President has recently appointed her to. Nigeria is comprised of Muslims, Christians, Traditionalists, and a host of other religions and we mustn’t forget that we are a secular nation. Let the clerics, priests, and pastors guide us in our respective places of worship and then we can let God judge all of us. It’s like saying that the delicious steak you’re eating for dinner came from a cow that didn’t shower the morning it went to the abattoir. If you care about Nigeria and her advancement, you wouldn’t be concerned with how Mrs. Ahmad dresses. It’s not our business and comes across as pedestrian in my view. We need to think critically about what our country needs to record high levels of economic growth and not let the sight of a highly educated and credentialed Northern muslim woman and her uncovered head disgust you. 

Misogyny is defined as “a hatred of women.” I oftentimes find both women and men to be grossly misogynistic. Rather than kicking a woman down just as she’s been recognized by receiving a national appointment, why not find ways to assist and enhance her ability to take that role to the next level? We need to SUPPORT qualified and credible women in their quest for career advancement and nation building and what we are wearing cannot/should not be discussed. I am not my hair (its blonde now) and she is not her hijab. We are not open for criticism on our physical appearance particularly if we are appropriately dressed for the occasion. Who called open season on professional women in their 40’s who are ambitious? 

Thou shall not judge

All major religions recognize this fact. Don’t play god instead play goalie, striker, quarterback or any one of the positions that ultimately result in making Nigeria great again. 

In my last article, I asked if you could see all of the women out there who are making magic in the workplace while they may or may not be holding down families. I asked if our contributions mattered and if they did I wondered why we weren’t getting THE call. Since then several of my friends have gotten great calls and I’ve been so excited for each of them. Change is coming albeit slowly. Mrs. Aishah Ahmad has also gotten THE call. She has been seen! And right afterward some irresponsible people decided to sully her name by taking to social media and daily newspapers. Public discourse and criticism is healthy, a personal unprovoked attack is not. In my view, this is bigger than Mrs. Ahmad. University age women are watching how this will play itself out. I am watching. Your daughter is watching. Your vitriol is meant to cause fear in the ranks. To scare women back into Buhari’s Other Room so we won’t speak up and stick our necks out for roles that will take our country forward. 

Finally, I want to send a message to every woman out there with incredibly ambitious career aspirations and tell them to hold their resolve against neanderthals (both male and female) and their ignorant rants. We are equal shareholders and stakeholders in Nigeria and we deserve to be seen.

I see you Aishah and wish you well!