30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 15 30,, 20 2015
•Cross section of attendees of the women's conference
Women, e-commerce and the attainment of work, life balance PROFILES
M
ICHAEL Umogun is Head, Business Development at Millward Brown Nigeria . He is involved in Brand Development & Strategic Marketing of the company's products and services. He is a fellow of the Institutes of Direct Marketing of Nigeria (IDMN) and the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria. Ibironke Ojesebholo works at Ceroms Media Productions Limited, as a Creative Director and Producer where she uses her training as a family advisor and entrepreneur in the production of family oriented dramas for television.She started a costume and clothing accessories business, Fabrique Afrique, which she still runs as an online store. Olayinka Thomas Ogboja is a business woman and the executive director of Thomas .O. Women Network. She is currently writing her Ph.d thesis on e-commerce. Agbolade Omowole: He is a social media expert and technology futurist. He works with the Institute of Ethics and Emerging Technology, IEET, USA, a "technoprogressive C M Y K
think tank" that seeks to contribute to understanding of the likely impact of emerging technologies on individuals and societies by"promoting and publicizing the work of thinkers who examine the social implications of scientific and technological advance" Juliet Esiri: She is the CEO of Arewa Beauty Centre. She is a beauty therapist and aspiring e-commerce practitioner who was based in the UK.. Adaora Ezeji is a Petroleum engineer. She is presently working as a Technical Sales Engineer with Ofserv Nigeria, a technical services company to the oil and gas industry. Her interests are in counseling, and groomimg great minds for a better society. She is an easy
I am an engineer and I really want to practice — Adaora Ezeji
going individual with the hope for raising a family soon. Barrister Kola Alapinni He is a partner of Business and Human Right Attorneys. He masters in International Human Rights with experience in corporate delivery. Morin Obaweya: She is a business woman and an arts curator. She is also the Managing Director of Health Access Management and supplies Ltd a healthcare management and consulting company.
Consulting company She founded Lifestrokes Gallery and has since been committed to the promotion, enhancement and growth of Nigerian and African Arts and Crafts. Morin Obaweya has spearheaded the planning of numerous exhibitions for both individuals and groups of artists and crafts people and collaborated with several organisations, including UNICEF in an exhibition together with Nimbus Gallery held at the Transcorp Hilton towards raising awareness of its activities and projects in Nigeria.
Murna Danmadami is a mass communicator and has worked with NTA Kaduna, NTA2 Channel 5 and The Bisi Olatilo Show. She is the former Projects Director of Kiddies Talent Show. Morenike Taire (Moderator) When you are juggling full time work and family responsibilities, it’s something that nobody can replace. We would like to start this discussion by having us define what work balance is. Ibironke Ojesebholo Work/ life balance is a successful integration of our work life and our family life. This has been a difficult thing, especially in our environment here in Lagos because we have so many factors that play against us having a work /life balance, considering our environment, roads and others; especially considering our work situations. Usually you would have to travel a long distance to get to work. (Moderator) I am trying to match that with the reality. Miss Ezeji, when you start a family, what do you expect to find? Adaora Ezeji. My work routine is I wake up 4.30, and need to leave the house by 5:30 to beat all the Lagos traffic. I get to work and start by 8:00 and
leave the office between 5-7p.m. and have to face two hours traffic. I get home on the average of 8-9 p.m. If I intend to get married in a few months from now I am going to have to organize my home and when the kids start coming how am I going to manage the situation? An ideal situation would be working somewhere close to my home. I am beginning to prepare my mind for marriage, or when pregnant looking for ways to manage the situation with the way nannies are acting-- you guys heard about the nanny who kidnapped the Orekoya's three kids, I am sure that woman is probably at home now. I am an engineer and I really want to practice.
Practice of engineering That is why I found this topic very interesting, and I told my boss that please, I need to be here to understand what women are really facing because I am not married yet, but I am hoping to do so in the near future. Sometimes my fiancée is like I don't want a nanny in my house, and I am like how are we going to do this, and he is like you can't trust your kids in the hands of another person except you have to bring your mother. Are you going to pay her for that? These are some of the things on my mind that I am beginning to prepare my mind for. Really I want to learn from people who are doing it and are successfully doing it. I know