By Zika Bobby

Professional Excellence Foundation of Nigeria (PEFON), a body that celebrates first class female professionals, has honoured and inducted some outstanding professional female presidents of institutes and various organisations.

According to PEFON, the women were first ladies in their different vocations and deserved to be honoured.

The investiture ceremony, which held in Lagos, honoured the living female legend of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mrs. Olutoyin Olusola Olakunri; first female president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Juliet Adaobi Madubueze; first female Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Osaretin Afusat Demuren and first female Rear Admiral in the Nigerian Navy, Itunu Hotonu.

Speaking at the event, PEFON Board of Trustees chairman, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said although there were good people in Nigeria, such were mostly pushed to the background, prompting PEFON to seek and identify those who in very difficult environment worked hard in their professions.

“They may not be wealthy, but they are happy delivering service. Just as we have people who are good at the older generation level, there are many good young people who are coming up and need to be reassured that towing the path of ethical behaviour is right,” he said.

Founder of PEFON, Dr. Dipo Bailey, on his part, said achieving excellence in any field entails giving up a lot and going through a lot of pains to excel in an environment plagued with corruption and malpractices.

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“We want to be able to identify those elders in the professions who have made the difference, so that we can showcase them and tell Nigerians that no matter what it takes, there are still credible people and that is why we have honoured these phenomenal women. They have become the reservoir of knowledge for us and we hope to tap into it,” he said.

Guest Speaker and first female Chartered Accountant in West Africa, Mrs. Olutoyin Olusola Olakunri said she was pleased to see that more women no longer wanted to stay at home as full time housewives.

“We now have more women on the field. In my case, I firmly believe that a lot of success I have enjoyed in my career is rooted in the fact that I chose a professional career, which made me more organized and disciplined. We should seek practical ways to help more women embrace professional careers as well as thrive,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of other inductees, first female cabinet minister of Nigeria, Mrs. Adenike Oyagbola thanked the foundation for deeming it fit to remember the professional ‘first ladies’ and honour them while alive. The 83-year-old said Nigerians needed attitudinal change if real change was to come.

Other women honoured at the event include Nigeria’s first female civil service engineer and first female head of service of Nigeria, Ebele Okeke; first female PhD holder in engineering and first structural engineer in Nigeria, Olatokunbo Somolu; first female town planner in Nigeria, Mrs. Catherine George and living legend of the Chartered Insurance of Nigeria (CIN), Mrs. Oluseyi Ifaturoti.

Past inductees include the late Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Priscilia O.A. Kuye, Justice Folake Solanke, Chief Mrs. Onikepo Akande, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams and Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke.