Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo has urged women to encourage business networks amongst themselves in order to excel in their business ventures.
Banigo stated this while playing host to a delegation of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN) at the Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The deputy governor, who disclosed that women were always good at doing business, insisted that networking remains key in how to help each other to succeed in business, and expressed delight with the existence of a network advocacy group like ANWBN.
Banigo, who said Governor Nyesom Wike was very keen on education and ensured that all schools were renovated, and teachers were trained and retrained for maximum service delivery, noted that levies were not allowed in our primary and secondary schools because the government pays impress.
“We want our children to stay in school and complete their education, both the NECO and WAEC fees are paid by the government, we want them to be educated fully, so they can also contribute to society”,the deputy governor stressed.
According to her, equipping the youth was important, saying that it informed the decision for her office to engage youth in entrepreneurship training, in collaboration with the Redemption Ministries and the Redeemed Christian Church of God, adding that she loves to do it with a focus on Godly roles, and trainees them on several skills, to ensure they do not remain idle.
The deputy governor said the state government’s security architecture was top-notch, and insisted that the state remains the safest place to live and do business in Nigeria.
Speaking on road infrastructure, she said at the inception of the Wike-led administration, in 2015, the state government started with operation zero potholes and completely transformed all the roads, noting that they have gone further to do ten flyovers, which according to her, was futuristic.
In her response, the Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network, Rivers State Chapter, Mrs Oriaku Hanson Oyet-Ile, said the association was a coalition of over 63 different women associations focused on the business and career development of its members.
According to her, it was the apex private body, committed to mitigating the challenges faced by women pursuing business and career growth, and has a combined membership of over four million women entrepreneurs, while soliciting the support of the deputy governor towards the implementation of the policy recommendations as stated in the Women National Business Agenda.