women in management , business and public service ( also known as wimbiz ) is a nonprofit organisation for nigerian women .

the organization is located in ikoyi , lagos .

it was founded in the year 2001 to promote women in all spheres of life with focus on women 's protection and development in public and corporate entities through regular training and networking .

the establishment was formed by thirteen vision aligned women and one man .

wimbiz

my name is foluso gbadamosi and i absolutely love wimbiz . my most impactful experience with wimbiz was
everyone needs a big sister ! ! so wimbiz is giving some girls in niger state big sisters . # wimbiz urltoken
the wimbiz mentoring program has clarified and increased my confidence in my career choices .
wimbiz secretariat . 200b isale eko avenue . dolphin estate , ikoyi , lagos , nigeria .
wimbiz women on boards ( wimboard ) to increase the rep of women on boards across all sectors in nigeria through advocacy efforts , building a database of board ready women , mentoring & a wimboard institute in partnership with ie bus sch spain and lbs ( wimboarddb @ wimbiz . org ) # wimbiz urltoken
she went further to explain how wimbiz as an organisation is achieveing its goals as well as aspirations .
personal branding – julia oku - jacks – head corporate communication , moni pulo limited and wimbiz board of trustee .
welcome to the wimbiz blog , a go to resource for women in management , business and public service . . .
accenture nigeria supports the wimbiz ( women in business and management ) initiative to help women overcome the economic challenges they face .
the women in management , business and public service group ( wimbiz ) has selected aishah ahmad , cfa as its new chairperson .
aishah extended her thanks and gratitude to the members of the group who has given a lot to the group while acknowledging the council who put their faith in her “at wimbiz it is very much a team effort . thus , i must acknowledge the executive council who shape the execution of the wimbiz mission ; the wimbiz secretariat , led by a dynamic executive director , mosun layode ; who operationalize and make it all happen . i also appreciate everyone who has been part of the organizing , fundraising , speaking , moderating at wimbiz . all of you who have contributed over the years donating your skills and time . you played your part share in the glory of what wimbiz is today .
200b isale eko avenue , dolphin estate , ikoyi , lagos , nigeria . mobile : + 234 01 460 5625 email : wimbiz @ urltoken
the 2017 wimbiz annual lecture themed “ bold steps in the face of uncertainty” which held on tuesday , march 7 challenge women to push . . .
my wish is that every woman gives wimbiz a try and makes up their mind from an insiders perspective . you will be pleasantly surprised . 15 years of building and growth has gone into wimbiz and it is stronger and better than ever . i look forward to welcoming the new entrants and collaborating with those of us already part of wimbiz . it ' s been a colorful journey so far and i ' m looking forward to the adventures to come .
my wimbiz story
any time women come together with a collective intention , it ' s a powerful thing . whether it ' s sittin . . .
wimbiz is a non - profit organization that has , over the last 16 years , implemented programs that inspire , empower and advocate for greater representation of women in leadership positions in the public and private sector . wimbiz collaborates with credible domestic and international global organizations to deliver programs , which have influenced over 93 , 825 women since inception .
wimbiz : founded in 2002 by 14 individuals who identified a serious issue concerning women in the workplace and in business , particularly in the areas of leadership capacity building and avenues for networking for growth . wimbiz is well - known for increasing the proportion of women in senior positions in corporate organization and on boards . website | | twitter | | facebook
“the story of why i am standing here , as wimbiz chairperson , is very much the story of wimbiz and to my mind captures the true essence of our organization . for me wimbiz is an outlet to channel my energies , express my creativity and give back in an area i personally care about – inspiring and empowering others . over the years , i have been challenged , leveraged my skills , and through the example and inspiration of other high achieving women , strengthened my resolve to dream bigger than i ever thought possible . ”
“i especially would like to congratulate the outgoing chairperson of the wimbiz executive council , osayi alile for a successful tenure , and being the first chairperson of the ‘next generation’ . no transition is without its challenges and the grace with which you handled your role at this critical moment in the history of wimbiz shall be applauded for years to come . as we all do now .
network outside my sector : i knew i needed to start meeting people across sectors , outside my existing network and building relationships in professional and structured organizations . wimbiz immediately came to mind .
robers , f . , idigbe , i . , austen - peters , b . , oku - jacks , j . and okonjo , c . ( 2014 ) . wimbiz findings on female representation on boards and top management of commercial banks in nigeria ( 2012 – 2013 ) . [ online ] wimbiz . org . available at : urltoken [ accessed 30 dec . 2016 ] .
wimbiz was formed in 2002 to improve the success rate of female entrepreneurs and increase the proportion of women in senior positions in corporate organizations in nigeria . it has set out to foster improved networking amongst businesswomen and corporate professionals to help address issues specific to women in all areas of economic endeavour . through support and encouragement , wimbiz hopes to see more women in positions of leadership in nigeria .
managing director @ hadizabalausman is a speaker at the # wimbiz master class currently going on at the george hotel ikoyi . she is making a presentation on “equity and inclusiveness : a panacea for national development” urltoken
i attended a few annual lectures and conferences depending on whether i liked the speaker , i found the theme interesting and even in some cases based on too numerous to ignore text messages and emails from wimbiz devotees .
women in management , business and public service ( wimbiz ) , is a nigerian non - profit organization formed in 2001 by 14 individuals ( 13 women and 1 man ) who identified a serious issue concerning women . . .
accenture has supported wimbiz for the past 10 years . partnering with the initiative demonstrates our commitment to helping women overcome the economic challenges they face and underpins accenture ' s respect for the contribution of women to society and the world .
in 2015 , under the wimbiz umbrella i got the opportunity to be a speaker at the global summit of women conference in são paulo , brazil on renewable energy and was invited to serve on the wimbiz executive council . i understand the enormity and responsibility of being a role model , moreover those who had served before me had made huge strides that one would have to improve on which is no mean feat but what better platform to ride on to meet my csr goals of improving the lot of career women , young women and female entrepreneurs . wimbiz has now become more of giving back with the satisfaction of seeing the impact in the life ' s of women and their families and youths .
are you networking the right way ? hear what @ busimkhumbuzi has to say . . . # fullinkmedia # thelifeofink # newmedia # networking # wimbiz # networkingtips # sheleadsafrica # naijabrandchick # businesstips # womeninbusiness # business # femaleentrepreneurs # connect urltoken
adeola azeez adeola azeez is the deputy country head of the deutsche bank nigeria where she oversees the bank’s business operations including managing liaisons between the deutsche bank offshore and nigerian banks . she has over 20 years’ expertise in correspondent banking . she was one of the founding members of women in management , business and public service ( wimbiz ) and was elected in 2011 as the chairperson of wimbiz . she has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the university of lagos and llb from the university of warwick .
posted on march 19 , 2013 , in africa , career and tagged # crossriver , business and public service ( wimbiz ) , calabar , nigeria , university of calabar , winning without compromise , women in management . bookmark the permalink . leave a comment .
adesola , . . , awosik , i . , ahmad , a . and ayen , y . ( 2014 ) . wimbiz findings on female representation on boards and top management of financial institutions in nigeria . a synopsis of the results of board and top management survey conducted by wimbiz based on figures available from banks websites and annual reports as at december 2013 . [ online ] lagos : women in management , business and public services , pp . 2 - 6 . available at : urltoken [ accessed 28 dec . 2016 ] .
4 . adeola azeez , deputy country head , deutsche bank nigeria : adeola azeez is the deputy country head of the deutsche bank nigeria where she oversees the bank’s business operations including managing liaisons between the deutsche bank offshore and nigerian banks . she has over 20 years’ expertise in correspondent banking . she was one of the founding members of women in management , business and public service ( wimbiz ) and was elected in 2011 as the chairperson of wimbiz . she has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the university of lagos and llb from the university of warwick .
a resonant theme with extremely successful , strong , and inspiring women is that they either have a very supportive spouse or a strong support system ! . . so can women really have it all ? yes ! with the right network and / or mentorship support structure . # wimbizannualconference # wimbiz
imoukhuede noted that societies that do not allow women to contribute to societal development cannot grow , adding that companies with more women on board suffer fewer crises . he said that the wimbiz has become a beacon of light not for only women but all well meaning stakeholders in nigeria and across nigeria .
there is gender issues in manufacturing , but things are much easier now , no room for errors , quality control now is key . . thus women are encouraged to join in manufacturing , women have the ability to endure pain and this is what manufacturing is about . - kofo akinkugbe # wimbiz urltoken
nov 3 , 2009 - when i received the letter from the chairperson of the women in management and business ( wimbiz ) , mrs bola adesola , inviting me to be guest speaker of the organisation ' s 8th annual conference , i excitedly agreed , without reading in detail the theme of the conference .
aishah is passionate about global investing and promoting diversity & women’s ( financial ) inclusion ; she regularly speaks on these topics and advises on the board of several companies . she is currently the chairperson of the executive council of women in management , business & public service , wimbiz ( www . wimbiz . org ) ; a leading women - focused not - for - profit organization in sub - saharan africa . she is also a member of the steering committee on cherie blair foundation’s , technology for growth project ; a groundbreaking learning intervention programme for female entrepreneurs in nigeria , and was an alternate director at friesland campina wamco ( 2010 – 2014 ) , a global company in the dairy industry .
president of council of the nigerian stock exchange , mr . aigboje aig - imoukhuede , weekend , urged women to have a vision and game plan so as to thrive in a challenging environment . he said this during the women in management , business and public service ( wimbiz ) annual lecture themed : “thriving in tough times : navigating challenging environments . ”
our previous outreach programme has attracted well over a thousand female and male students from specific and surrounding tertiary institutions . our facilitators are drawn from our pool of wimbiz mentors , associates and seasoned facilitators who would walk the participants through their experiences and hopefully pass onto them the rules of survival in our society and the need to be more accountable for their actions .
he added those crises are test of ability to overcome crisis , saying , “if you do not thrive in crisis you do not worth leading others . ” in her welcome address , wimbiz chairperson , mrs . osayi alile , said that the topic was chosen as a result of the realities of nigeria and the need for people especially women to prepare and learn the most out of the situation .
5 . aisha ahmad one of the most respected and admired women in corporate nigeria , aisha is the head of consumer banking at diamond bank plc , one of the fastest growing retail banks in nigeria . this classy executive is currently the chairperson of the executive council of women in management , business & public service ( wimbiz ) , a leading women - focused not - for - profit organization .
wimbiz , a non - profit making organisation for women in business in nigeria , has released a report on female representation on top management boards of financial institutions in the country based on their 2012 – 2014 report . studies have shown that there is a gradual increase in women representation at top board positions – which is remarkable but still very inadequate . confidence and acceptance levels have also increased for women occupying leadership positions in nigeria .
she is the founder / ceo of the chair centre , sokoa chair centre limited and tcc security systems . she is also a fellow of the aspen global leadership network and a multiple award winning entrepreneur . she has founded , and supports , many non - profits institutions . she is also a board member of the women in management and business ( wimbiz ) and convention on business integrity . she is a pastor of the fountain of life church and she hosts a popular tv programme called , business his way .
“so , the future awaits us… and as we approach our 15th year as an organization , we are keenly aware of all that is yet to be accomplished . there are simply too few women steering the ship at the national level , and we surely cannot thrive with less than half of our nation’s skills and human resource left behind . thus , we must enhance women’s leadership , empowering them with the skills required to step up and stand out . strengthening the pipeline of eligible women at board level remains a top priority , as well as increasing the participation of women in all aspects of political and public life . we shall also readily leverage technology & big data to engage our growing multinational audience and position wimbiz as the key repository of research concerning women . most importantly , we must also ensure that wimbiz continues to provide a platform for every woman to get involved and give back to other women – in whatever way she chooses . after - all , we are ever so powerful when we walk together on this journey than when we go it alone ! ”
she serves on several boards including house of tara and the nigeria higher education foundation as a non - executive director , and is also an associate member of wimbiz , serving on its planning committee since 2015 . she was most recently a 2015 finalist for the access bank w award for young professional of the year . after eight years working in wealth management , arese is now engaging young africans on the importance of financial literacy and the impact it has on helping them get money , keep money and grow money as they drive the continent forward .
i had been aware of wimbiz from its founding year , the concept was interesting but not high on my priority at that time . timing as they say is crucial because our times and seasons vary . i enjoyed the gist and snippets of information i gathered about the conferences and other activity and at that time it was more than enough for me , somehow you hear more social gist than substance , perhaps people were hoarding the real value , making light of the substance within or didn ' t know how to express the value they were getting from the organisation and the networks .
ibukun awosika mrs awosika is the chairman , first bank of nigeria . she is the first woman to take up this position since the establishment of the bank . before her appointment , she was a non - executive director of the bank . ibukun awosika graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from obafemi awolowo university , ile - ife and holds an mba from iese business school , barcelona , spain . she is an alumna of the lagos business school chief executive programme . she is also a board member of the women in management and business ( wimbiz ) and convention on business integrity .
12 . arese ugwu arese is a money guru and the brain behind smart money africa , a platform that delivers quality content on financial literacy . she is the head of wealth management at partnership investment plc . she sits on the boards of house of tara international ltd and the nigeria higher education foundation as a non - executive director and is an associate member of wimbiz . fiercely ambitious and driven , arese recently organized the first edition of the smart money africa woman workshop which was attended by women from all works of life , and is likely to be replicated all around africa due to its huge success .
our campus outreach program themed “winning without compromise” ( wiwic ) is one of the major initiative through which wimbiz has achieved its goals and objectives . one of the main focus of this programme is to prepare undergraduates on workplace balance , business and health issues by challenging them at an interactive session to unveil , discuss and resolve their expectations , opportunities and / or fears . we have held this programme in five campuses namely : the university of lagos , lagos state university , university of port harcourt , university of abuja and the university of ibadan . this year we have chosen the university of calabar and we intend to target young undergraduates of higher institutions .
74 . osaru alile osaru is a high - spirited , vibrant young woman ; she loves to explore various cultures through travelling and exciting adventures . in 2007 , she co - founded caxton alile design ; a pro - african creative force and founding company of caxton alile living , cc interiors & its new initiative eterior spaces which aims at # creatinghappyspaces for all , irrespective of ones budget . osaru acts as a global shaper in the lagos hub of the world economic forum ( wef - osaru is a vital voices grow fellow , wimbiz associate , mara mentor and the committee chair for education , interior design association of nigeria ( idan ) . she is very passionate about creativity , entrepreneurship , education and the empowering of nigerian youths .
wimbiz is not all work , there ' s lots of fun too . there are a few clubs that help us de - stress and gives us the opportunity to enjoy our hobbies with like minded women , one of which is the food and tavel club . i ' ve acted as co - chair of this club and met many foodies , we meet monthly to try out new restaurants , recipes , cuisines of other lands and local food . we get instructions and learn how to make the food under the chef ' s instruction . as if that ' s not enough fun , anchoring the associates inductions in abuja and lagos and the after parties are some of the ways we ' ve let our hair down while welcoming and meeting new associates .
41 . ibukun awosika “aunty bili” as she is fondly called by those close to her , ibukun awosika is a consummate professional , a successful entrepreneur , and a mentor to many . she is the founder and ceo of the sokoa chair centre group comprising of companies involved in furniture manufacturing . in 2015 , she was appointed as the first female chairman , board of directors first bank nigeria . with high interest in social issues including women , ibukun is a co - founder and past chairperson wimbiz and afterschool graduate development centre ( agdc ) – a facility which she promoted to help address youth employability and enterprise issues in nigeria . she is deeply committed to mentoring upcoming generation of entrepreneurs and through the tfd series , and in partnership with tara fela - durotoye , she has mentored hundreds of women .
describing vision , he said , “there is nothing more important than having a vision and there is nothing in life that has not been achieved without a vision , everything that you see has been achieved through a vision .
it is vision that makes you entrepreneurs and makes you succeed , vision is fundamental to survival , your vision is your anchor of hope and without a vision when you are beaten down you have no reason to get up .
“your vision is your source of confidence , stability motivate your passion and your conviction to succeed . dreams are good but then we wake up , plans are the actionable steps you must exude successfully to make your vision a reality . without a game plan there is nothing to focus on , focus is relevant in the contest of a plan , focus without a plan is meaningless , ” he said .
alile said , “when we go into business we are always looking at the profit of today but when you go into business with a long term vision , you find out that regardless of the ups and downs and some challenges you face , at the end you are able to achieve those goals . so i think is a process but we needed to be prepared for that process having a strong decision . ”
comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof .
president muhammadu buhari is the first nigerian leader to appoint individuals reportedly close to him into the inec whi . . .
nimses is launching in nigeria . the app is not just another icon for your screen . this is a wallet full of every minute . . .
the all progressives congress , apc has rebuffed the rebellion of the buba galadima led reformed all progressives congres . . .
the nigerian equities market , on thursday rose by 65 bases points , bps on renewed bargain hunting activity with the nige . . .
fifty years ago , a young man fighting on the side of biafra during the civil war entered record books when a saladine ar . . .
“population is only a strength if it is well educated , healthy , the economy has the capacity to provide them with employ . . .
a genuine hero of democracy should be one who consistently engages in activities that promote democratic culture and ins . . .
it is hate speech against the police for people to read negative meanings to the subject as if the allowances were embez . . .
we should put things in their proper perspective in order to tackle them headlong . nigeria should stop apportioning blam . . .
our annual conference has earned its place in the hearts of leading women in business and careers who are seeking opportunities for personal and professional growth . the conference attracts over 1 , 000 women from diverse areas of the corporate , business and public sectors , including indigenous and international delegates . visit urltoken to read more . to register for this year ' s conference , click here
my name is saudat salami . i am the founder / ceo of urltoken . we are an
my experience has been every bit inspiring and rewarding . it was one of the best
how to apply interested and qualified candidates should forward their application and cv to : careers @ urltoken using the position applied for as the subject of the email . note : only applicants key responsibilities / roles
have a minimum of five ( 5 ) years of relevant experience in progressive positions .
strong technical and organizational skills in addition to excellent written and verbal communication skills , in a professional environment .
a high level of integrity , accuracy , dependability , enthusiasm , and confidentiality .
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4 months ago , these ladies started their journey to changing the world by enroling in the # wimboardtraining in partnership with @ iebusiness today , ladies and gentlemen , we are pleased to introduce the gamechangers - the # wimboardfellows class of 2018 . urltoken
after attending last year ' s conference , this attendee ' s false mindset was completely debunked . before you nurse the idea that the person sitting beside you is snobbish , think about the fact that they might be shy or that it might be their first time attending the said event . urltoken
participants with profesor joleine mudd after her very insightful session . up next is the session on
strategy & vision
by professor joseph pistrui # wimboardtraining in partnership with @ iebusiness urltoken
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which held on tuesday , march 7 challenge women to push the envelope and chart new territories in line with our objective to empower women to achieve their potential and become meaningful contributors to economic development . the lecture by mo ' abudu was delivered on the eve of the international women’s day , in efforts to align with this year’s theme , “be bold for change” .
who are you ? what is your unique selling proposition ? ( mo’s is persistence and consistency ) . what are your strengths and weaknesses ? build on your strengths but give some attention to your weaknesses . you can take steps to correct some of your shortcomings .
it is your responsibility to seek and find your god given purpose . you are more likely to excel if you do what you are made to do .
by staying put in your room . you do have to venture out to meet people and be connected .
believe in your dream no matter how big or scary it is . write your ideas down . there will be “dream makers” and
dream killers . ” don ' t get put off by the dream killers ; learn from their criticism . if necessary , go back to the drawing board and come back stronger .
that can execute . build partnerships . don ' t be casual about such relationships ; trust is critical . partnerships can and do break up . legal agreements should clearly address such eventualities , including exit .
how relatable is your business ? it is important to make noise about your business . invest in promoting your brand and let people know what you do . by embracing social media , you can share your story widely .
christine lagarde shared her thoughts on the world’s glacial progress towards gender parity in a davos session on disrupting the status quo of gender roles .
“we have been talking about it for as long as i can remember , ” she said , noting that , according to world economic forum research , it would take 170 years for the economic gender gap to close , with the rate of progress stalling in the wake of the financial crisis .
the head of the imf , who was was formerly france’s first female finance minister , then gave some examples to shed light on why parity remains elusive .
“we have to identify our own biases , ” she said . “sometimes you have to identify that when a board member who happens to be a woman takes the floor , guess what , many of the male board members start to withdraw physically , they start to look at their papers , to look at the floor… and you need to disrupt that . ”
lagarde , who once walked out of a job interview when she was told her prospects would be limited as a woman , also said : “when i was finance minister , very often the presidents of companies would come and report on their strategies , and when i asked them about their board composition , they would always say - ‘i would love to have a woman on the board , i just can’t find any , and the ones i know are fully booked . ’ so i had a bit of paper in my bag with the names of 20 women on it . ”
progress is not easy or straightforward , though . she said that in order for the imf to reach its gender quotas , in some areas they would have to hire only women for the next five years , which made her uncomfortable . once they had reached the top , women should support other women : “it’s our responsibility to help others progress along the way . ”
in the same session , sharmeen obaid - chinoy , the oscar - winning documentary maker , took aim at the obsession with women and motherhood .
“women , even if they’re very , very successful , they keep getting asked : how do you juggle family and work ? how many male ceos get asked , how do you juggle being a ceo and having a family ? i refuse to answer the question . i am a film - maker . what is a female film - maker ? ”
isabel de saint malo de alvarado , panama’s foreign minister , shared an anecdote on how family roles can be deeply ingrained - even for high - flying women .
“i’ve always been a professional but i’ve always taken care of my family… my daughter needed to go to the doctor . i told her , the appointment is made , daddy is taking you , and she asked , but will he know what to tell the doctor ? and i said , but he’s sitting right next to you . . . many times men just don’t take on some roles because we don’t let them . ”
my name is saudat salami , i am the founder / ceo of urltoken , an online grocery retailer targeted at working women tha . . .
no matter how much impact we have on the lives of women within our network , we can never share their stories as well as they can . which is . . .
we understand the conference fee of n55 , 000 might be a bit steep for some women . so , we ' re creating incentives for women to still at . . .
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i think my excitement arose from my personal knowledge of the sterling qualities of a number of the members of the board of trustees , and a general knowledge of some of the members , whose accomplishments i have always felt proud to be associated with .
my excitement has since came under control when i started planning to write this address , i scrutinized the letter more closely and focused my attention on the vision of the organisation which is
to be the catalyst that elevates the profile and influence of women in management and businesses
and also the theme of the conference which was to
change the game and make a difference
.
i asked myself if i had not walked into a veiled discussion of the gender issue . what was i going to say ?
it is not because i do not like the discussion on gender issues . rather it is because i believe very seriously that words have consequences than we care to think and because somewhat too often , we have , to my own personal discomfort , paid lip service to gender issues by saying many nice things and doing too little things . i did not want to be part of a number in directionless crowd .
however , having had the privilege of speaking at the opening ceremony of the 9th annual conference of the committee of wives of lagos state officials recently , i have found a perspective that allows me to say again what i mean while hopefully addressing the theme and any sub - plots and themes that lie beneath it .
although i have often wondered when the men whose wives work for the lagos state public service will form their own committee , as the number of women in the lagos state public service continues to increase at a rate when lagos can now be said to have become liubirin ( the land of women ) and i mean this
, as a compliment .
nevertherless , i am here , and speak i must , even as i express my sincere appreciation personally , and on behalf of my government , to the board of trustees for considering me worthy of such honour .
in a rapidly changing world , heralding the information technology revolution , i think all of us must realize how privileged we are not only to be witnesses but also critical individuals who will have a role to play in shaping this revolution . i have recently consistently asked myself how those who mid - wifed the industrial revolution will feel today if they were alive .
the face of international business has changed . the rules that worked 50 years ago have become inadequate to deal with today ' s demands .
businesses that were the mainstay of families , states and nations have disappeared , and many more are threatened . the swiss watch industry that prided itself on the art and craftsmanship of a generation of watchmakers has given way to battery operated watches ; film developing and film developers , who• prided themselves on their darkroom skills to produce wonderful photographs have given way to digital photography and digital printers ; and threatened the entrepreneurial acumen of world renown brands like kodak .
it also remains to be seen how xerox , who taught us to copy will react to the changing times as the newspaper industry is dying gradually as many more read their newspapers on the move from blackberries , with its adverse effect on the newsprint manufactures , and their suppliers of pulp and trees ; everybody is now a broadcaster on the internet through facebook , twitter and many more that will emerge .
as fareed zakariya posits , on the information highway ,
. . . everybody is connected but no one is in control
.
the oil industry will be seriously challenged in the jobs it can sustain from exploration to dispensing of finished products from petrol stations as the world goes green in a race to protect the environment and• produce battery powered cars within less than a decade from now .
distinguished ladies and gentlemen , welcome to the future that is here now . how are women in business going to be affected ? how are their homes and our societies where they play an all too important role going to fare ? how can
women in business
change the game and make a difference
to secure the future ?
i must confess that i do not have any ready made answers . i have however in response to this invitation gone back into some history to look ( or a guide from the past , to understand the present , and attempt to chart a course for the future .
first , i must say that my views about the future are based on a bottom - up approach , in which everybody is allowed to playa role no matter how little . that of course comes with a caveat that no one must be expected to playa role in which he or she has a natural physiological or psychological limitation and that nature can not be wrong in making us different but complimentary to one another .
one of the first historical references that i came across is contained in peter iron ' s ' book , a people ' s history of the supreme court , which discussed the role of abigail adams , who he described as
. . . the strong - willed wife of john adams
who was a revolutionary who later became the president of the united states .
shortly before john adams helped in drafting the declaration of independence in 1776 , abigail wrote to him :
i long to hear that you have declared an independency - and by the way , in the new code of laws which i suppose it will be necessary for you to make i desire that you would remember the ladies , and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors . do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands . remember , all men would be tyrants if they could . if particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies we are determined to foment a rebellion , and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice and no representation
essentially , from those early times , she was asking her husband to create a role for women in the nation building process . to our regret , he did not listen and we are only today opening up the space for women , as if we are doing them a favour , when indeed they have more than a passing role to play in nation building , which is the biggest business on the globe .
in nigeria , there is a rich history of such women , who went beyond writing to their husbands , and actually stepping out from behind them or away from beside - them , which ever you prefer , to make far reaching and enduring contributions to direct business and indeed nation building .
in his monograph titled ,
culture , gender and development , dr . r . o . soetan recounted the outstanding achievements of a yoruba woman in business , efunsetan aniwura .
efunsetan aniwura of egba origin , was a big - time farmer and producer of food crops in ibadan . at a stage in her rise to wealth and fame , she was said to have had as many as 2 , 000 slaves on her farms ( johnson , 1963 : 393 ) . she probably went into food processing and trading ( commercial ) activities . she was conferred with the title of iyalode of ibadan and in the early 1870s ranked among the social , economic and political elite in the city .
similarly , madam tinubu , an owu - egbo , made her fortune in abeokuta , badagry and lagos in the 1850s and early 1860s and was conferred with the title of iyalode of egba in 1864 . these two wealthy women invested heavily in business enterprises , attained to prosperity , high chieftainship and political power .
apart from these women , history , particularly nigerian history is replete with the names and achievements of many women of substance who have contributed invaluably to our nation building process and i must say some of them are also here with us today .
with what we have seen from history , the kind of businesses that were done by efunsetan aniwura have given way to more formal structures , which themselves are now at risk .
globalization has come upon us . man ' s most enduring form of exchange , capitalism , predicated on principles of free trade , market forces and credit has come under serious challenge .
i am reasonably confident that these changes have come to stay . what lies ahead of us is a common resolve to create a new legal order , a new body of rules to regulate how business will be done in a most uncertain future .
what should be our guide or compass to enable us conceive these new body of rules ? what roles will women in business be expected to play in delivering these rules and in implementing them .
it is my humble view that the future of the whole planet depends significantly on the role that africa assumes within the next few years .
as the most populous black race , nigeria cannot stand on the fence . our minds must be alert , our hands must be at work and our voices must be heard in the process of developing this new body of rules .
it seems to me that the biggest economic ' activities that lie ahead will be found in activities targeted at protecting the environment because our planet is at risk .
new ways of doing business in a way that puts the environment at less risk and affords protection to all of us are a matter of urgent necessity .
as leaders of the world head for copenhagen in december this year , hoping to find common areas of commitment to environmental challenges of the world , i anticipate that decision reached and submitted for implementation will affect women , businesses and their families in africa and nigeria .
for example , if we must stop tree felling and encourage tree planting , if we must reduce fossil fuel like coal , how many businesses and cottage industries , bukateria and the like run by africans and nigeria women to support their families and sodeties will be affected by these decisions .
i believe this is the time for all of us , and in this context , women , to be more proactive in the search for sustainable sources of alternative energy on which businesses depend .
as our senate begins the consideration of the petroleum industry bill , and the national government commits to its plan to deregulate the supply and distribution of petroleum products very far reaching consequences will occur in the sector that represents well over 90 % ( ninety percent ) of our nation ' s economy .
if we get it right , our economy will head north . if we get it wrong , very severe strictures of poverty will be inflicted on our people especially women , who bear the brunt .
in order therefore to change the
game and make the difference
, i urge women here to sufficiently arm themselves with enough information about the proposed reforms in this sector and participate in the process
of formulating the rules that will govern the
game
of managing the petroleum industry .
before i conclude , i will like to advert our attention to a major area where women can lead us to a most decisive change . this is in the area of population management .
it is now common knowledge that more than two - thirds of the world ' s population live below or in poverty . it is also no longer debatable that the most defining problem of the modern age is how to combat poverty which afflicts more of the population of developing nations like our country and the impact is more severely felt and borne by women in the very many injustices like abuse , trafficking and prostitution they are subjected to in order to survive .
i think that women in business more than any other people know and understand that in business and enterprise management , efficiency and success is dictated by the prudent utilization and allocation of resources that are always• limited .
it is therefore incumbent upon all of us to see our country , and each of the component states as enterprises that must be effectively and efficiently managed by judicious utilization and allocation of resources in order to reduce scarcity and poverty .
how far can the land boundaries of lagos expand , how much more of our water bodies can we afford to sand - fill to create land to house an increasing population ? has the time not now come upon us , when we must begin to right - size our population through family planning to fit our resources .
can a family with one bedroom rise out of poverty if they make 6 ( six ) children to live in that 1 ( one ) room on the basis of only the hope that life will get better .
distinguished ladies and gentlemen , women in business , this is one game that you must help to change by leading the advocacy for the benefits of family planning as a way of improving quality of life and fighting poverty .
i do not wish to be misunderstood as suggesting that it is only your responsibility , but i appreciate that you can play more than an important role in leading this change .
the old arguments that were the foundation of very large families , such as the need for extra farm hands , poor healthcare that limited the survival chances of children and the preference for a particular gender of child have been ' demystified as simply not tenable .
mechanized farming has shown that you do not need so , many hands to plant or harvest , immunization has improved the survival of our children from what is was over 4 ( four ) decades ago when i was born .
if there was still any doubt about what a girl child can achieve , the members of this organization of confident , intelligent and successful women provide the answer to the sceptics .
if we do not restrain our procreative urge , we cannot lift ourselves out of poverty . i urge you not to ignore this call to lead a most impactful change .
it remains now for me to conclude by once again thanking you all for this honour of this privilege to deliver this address .
governor babatunde fashola san ( l ) receiving a gift from mrs . bola adesola ( r ) during the opening ceremony of the 2009 women in management & business annual conference . governor babatunde fashola san ( r ) , mrs . bola adesola ( m ) and mrs . hairat aderinsola balogun ( l ) at opening ceremony of 2009 women in management & business annual conference . other speeches jobs & economy


chemonics international is a private international development company that works for bilateral and multilateral donors and the private sector to manage projects in developing countries .

the organization bids primarily on contracts from the u.s. agency for international development ( usaid ) and manages projects that cover a variety of technical sectors .

in addition to its headquarters in washington , d.c. , the company also has project offices in different countries .

chemonics

glassdoor has 239 chemonics international reviews submitted anonymously by chemonics international employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if chemonics international is right for you .
mr . teele , a former foreign service officer , and business associate frank feffer founded chemonics international in 1975 as a technical consulting division to chemonics industries . feffer headed chemonics industries .
in addition to paying the settlement , chemonics will hire eight of the applicants who previously did not get jobs .
chemonics deferred requests for interviews in kabul and washington , d . c . , to usaid . usaid told us it had given permission to chemonics to do the interview , but the company did not respond to our requests .
we believe those who have the least deserve our best . at chemonics , development is more than a passion or calling .
chemonics even directed some of those workers to remove rubble from private lots adjacent to its port - au - prince headquarters instead .
editor ' s note : this story was revised to include a usaid statement provided to globalpost about the oig audit of chemonics .
jane gotiangco , director of communications at chemonics , attributes the pattern of discrimination to a manual application system that , she says , did not allow the firm to track diversity data . chemonics has since upgraded the system and renewed its commitment to diversity , gotiangco says .
chemonics international inc . is building a talent pool to develop a roster of go - to experts or pre - qualify candidates for future roles .
the oig found “not all activities implemented have involved community participation in a way that guarantees sustainability . ” in one especially egregious example , chemonics :
the department of labor also found that chemonics violated rules about maintaining required records and conducting internal audits , which the company has now agreed to fix .
in an interview aired during the episode , i explain that chemonics was the largest recipient of post - quake u . s . disaster relief and in fact , is one of the largest aid contractors in the world . a topic that we have covered on this blog for years . in a response to the episode , chemonics claims the “segment does not provide a complete or accurate picture of chemonics’ work in haiti over the past five years . ”
the post — “chemonics responds to devex article” — quotes chemonics ceo susi mudge , who said , “immediately upon recognizing the project was facing challenges , we owned our responsibility . addressing these challenges is one of our top priorities . we believe we have made the necessary changes to ensure progress is made . ”
the company agreed last month to pay back wages , interest and benefits to the applicants , but the terms of the settlement allow chemonics to deny liability .
it is certainly welcome that after years of stonewalling inquiries and freedom of information act requests that chemonics is now eager to discuss their funding of local organizations .
the washington post reported that former employees of chemonics , which has received over $ 430 million in usaid contracts since 2003 , said their superiors kept their mouths shut about failing programs in order to keep contracts flowing . a spokeswoman for chemonics said the company is now employee owned and stands by its work in afghanistan .
critics of usaid spending say the mistakes chemonics made in haiti and afghanistan are emblematic of those that occur frequently across the development aid world as aid contracts increasingly shift away from ngos to for - profit companies . foreign policy reported in july that in 2011 , 27 percent of usaid funds worldwide went to american companies like chemonics .
usaid gave seven of the 10 largest contracts for operations in haiti to chemonics international , a for - profit provider that johnson said is the largest usaid contractor in the world . chemonics’s two largest projects in haiti include the winner project and the office of transitions initiative , which johnson described as “the more political arm of usaid . ”
nonetheless , the public is unable to ascertain how chemonics spent the vast majority of its multi - million - dollar contracts in haiti due to usaid’s lack of oversight reports .
indeed , it was chemonics’ contract with usaid that is shown in the episode , with all cost information redacted and the entire statement of work—25 pages—redacted with bright pink pages .
last week ' s audit is likely to fuel scrutiny of usaid deals with companies like chemonics , both in the united states and in the countries where those deals take place .
williams had his critics . chemonics officials praised his firm ' s agricultural work , but called his construction work shoddy . one chemonics official told me a thai engineer williams hired to implement a $ 700 , 000 usaid project to construct 19 small irrigation dams was incompetent , did not understand english and submitted an initial design that was
a crappy little drawing .
a department of labor review of the hiring practices of chemonics in 2011 found that its regional business unit , which supports the company’s development work in africa , asia , europe and eurasia , latin american , the caribbean , and the middle east , discriminated based on race when hiring for entry - level positions . of the 124 african americans who applied for jobs at chemonics , none were hired .
chemonics failed to set timelines or estimated dates of completion for some work being done by subcontractors , causing some projects to run behind schedule . in september 2011 , usaid awarded chemonics a $ 1 . 9 million contract to build a temporary space for haiti ' s parliament , which lost its building in the earthquake . but no timelines were set for steps in the process – such as installing “utilities . ”
as devex reported last week , chemonics’ most recent quarterly report to usaid revealed that only 7 percent of the global health supply chain – procurement and supply management project’s shipments arrived “on time and in full . ”
there is clearly more to the story of haiti’s reconstruction than what was covered in the roughly 15 - minute vice on hbo episode , but chemonics’ response is not just incomplete ; it’s inaccurate and misleading too .
founded in 1975 , chemonics is an international development consulting firm . in 70 countries around the globe , our network of approximately 4 , 000 local professionals share a simple belief : those who have the least deserve our best . so we pursue a higher standard every day to help clients , partners and beneficiaries achieve results . where chemonics works , development works . follow us on facebook and twitter or visit us at urltoken .
chemonics was awarded “urban beautification” contracts to build benches and spruce up public spaces near the new $ 224 million carocol industrial park outside haiti ' s northern city of cap haitien . but instead of hiring haitians from the local communities , chemonics brought in workers all the way from port - au - prince in the south of the country . “as a result , residents saw jobs in their neighborhood being done by outsiders , and without an understanding of the activities , they did not see how anyone local benefited , ” the audit stated . it concluded two of these beautification projects failed altogether because chemonics did not involve local residents in the process .
while usaid did not respond to globalpost ' s questions about chemonics ' contracts in haiti , the agency did provide a written statement , declaring ,
we take very seriously the effectiveness of our programs worldwide .
while this may be true , it does not address the main issue which vice raises : that so much post - quake aid went to a community that wasn’t impacted by the quake . further , the priority for chemonics in implementing a usaid program was to provide support to the industrial park . chemonics also funded the public relations firm for the inauguration of the park , paid for billboards that dot the area declaring it “open for business , ” as well as other efforts aimed at promoting the park . this very well may be what chemonics was asked to do by usaid , but it doesn’t mean it was a good use of aid dollars .
chemonics has come in for criticism on other issues too . an audit of a $ 62m project it carried out in 2006 in afghanistan found that the company “fell considerably short of intended results” and was followed up by the us press . chemonics said that the reports “provided an incomplete picture” . in 2010 , in the wake of the 2010 haiti earthquake , chemonics was awarded more than $ 196m to help rebuild the country , making it the largest recipient of post - earthquake funds from usaid . but just a few months later , auditors discovered [ pdf ] that the company had hired only one - third the number of haitians it was supposed to .
“the [ usaid ] inspector general found that chemonics regularly runs short of its goals and over its budget , ” cepr’s johnson said . “this is typical , but it’s become particularly evident in haiti because of the earthquake . ”
a chemonics consultant who was supposed to help haiti ' s national mapping agency replace geographical data lost during the earthquake hadn ' t finished the job when her contract ended in february . “the activity did not meet its objectives because chemonics did not communicate effectively with [ haiti ' s mapping agency ] or provide adequate support to the consultant , ” according to the audit . “the chemonics officials said they never asked agency staff members whether the consultant was meeting their needs and learned only at the activity’s end that [ the agency ] was not satisfied with her . ” the head of the agency told auditors that the consultant ' s work was “insufficient and would have to be redone . ”
usaid then stepped in and appointed new managers and hired polish workers to replace american ones . in the end , despite the independent evaluators ' criticisms , usaid gave chemonics an
excellent
rating for the project . . . .
instead of usaid implementing projects itself , the agency doled out government aid money to private contractors like chemonics , who then hired a cascading series of subcontractors to actually carry out the work . chemonics was one of dozens of washington - based contracting firms known as
beltway bandits
established in response to the privatization of government services by the reagan , bush and clinton administrations . the owner of chemonics at the time , scott spangler , worked for usaid during the first bush administration . during the 1990s , he and his wife contributed $ 98 , 000 to political candidates , all republicans . by 2004 , 95 percent of the firm ' s $ 185 million in annual revenue came from usaid .
in response to further inquiry from devex , chemonics wrote in an email : “we work closely with the global fund , unfpa , and unicef to mitigate the effects of late orders on commodity security in the countries that we serve . ”
chemonics international , one of the largest private development groups partnering with the us agency for international development ( usaid ) , has agreed to pay $ 482 , 243 ( £389 , 000 ) to job applicants who faced discrimination in the company’s hiring process .
chemonics supports international economic development projects with usaid , including education , healthcare and agriculture programmes . it has been awarded some of largest aid contracts by the us government , from supporting the white helmets in syria to supplying medicine and health supplies around the globe .
persons with disabilities who need to request reasonable accommodations during the application process may send an email to : applicantrequest @ urltoken or call chemonics at ( 855 ) 955 - 6877 or ( 202 ) 955 - 6882 . no other phone calls will be accepted .
a favorite usaid contractor , chemonics international , started in 1976 by conservative republican gerald murphy , in part , because as he told the new york times in 1993 , ‘i’ve always wanted a way to do two things : one , have my own c . i . a . , and two , be helpful to people , ’ received $ 500 , 000 to support usaid field missions in nepal . oti and soros’ open society institute ( osi ) are also linked through a contract awarded to chemonics in nepal to provide for u . s . - funded propaganda to be broadcast on fm stations in nepal . the soros / usaid / chemonics media blitz in nepal is also funding radio kailash , targeting thr humla district of nepal and nepal chautari ( a national live radio call - in show ) .
this is not true . since the earthquake , chemonics alone has awarded nearly $ 100 million dollars directly to haitian organizations , in the form of grants and subcontracts , providing much - needed monetary resources , as well as institutional strengthening and capacity building services in tandem .
in 2015 , chemonics received a contract of $ 9 . 5bn over eight years from usaid – the largest contract ever from the government agency devex reports . only one other contractor receives more usaid awards , the partnership for supply chain management , which is a conglomerate of 13 companies .
after devex published an article revealing problems with a critical global health supply chain project funded by the u . s . agency for international development , chemonics international , the project implementer , responded in an online post that acknowledged “challenges” and described steps the company has taken to improve performance .
he then worked as a consultant on economic and agricultural development . among his projects was designing an agricultural project for a cooperative in puerto rico and helping create a fertilizer company in afghanistan . it was in afghanistan where mr . teele and feffer worked on the idea of starting chemonics international .
in truth , the agricultural development program williams implemented for chemonics and usaid was a shadow of a similar usaid cold war effort in helmand . in the 1970s , a dozen afghan extension agents worked in each district . in 2004 , usaid - via williams - employed only two per district .
it isn ' t the first time usaid has reacted to mistakes by chemonics by sending even more contracts its way . a 2005 audit found the company ' s $ 153 million program to improve agriculture in afghanistan had missed an important objective that resulted in the “limited” success of the project . nonetheless , one year later , usaid awarded chemonics a new $ 102 million contract for similar work in afghanistan . a later investigation found even that project was flawed , running so far behind schedule that afghan farmers on 10 , 000 hectares of land were unable to plant their crops one summer .
undeterred by the mishaps , just three months later the us awarded chemonics $ 53 million to implement 141 new haiti projects . now , an internal audit reveals some of these projects are lagging behind schedule and others have failed entirely because the company didn ' t engage local communities in the work .
but in the vice episode , mayor lamour explains that what happens is that companies like chemonics “just come and tell us they are investing in something . ” gandhi asks if the mayor would rather have had support for plumbing and running water , to which lamour responds , “it’s true that they built a lot of things in the area , but we didn’t really need them . ” of course , lamour and vice are not the only ones who have denounced the lack of community involvement . in fact , usaid’s own inspector general ( oig ) has specifically called out chemonics for just this problem .
thurston f . ' tony ' teele consultant firm co - founder thurston ferdinand ' tony ' teele , 70 , chairman and co - founder of chemonics international inc . , a leading international development consulting firm in washington , died of lymphoma march 21 at georgetown university hospital . he lived in the district .
chemonics undertook a “foundational change , ” by restructuring “how the project itself functioned from a management perspective , ” according to a statement on the company’s website , which was posted on friday . the usaid implementing partner also worked to prevent stock outs by working with other donors to “bridge gaps” in the supply chain process .
new york — two years ago , auditors revealed the washington , dc , consulting firm chemonics international and a partner company were employing only one - third as many haitians as their contract required to clear rubble left by the january 2010 earthquake from city streets as part of the us government - funded “cash for work” program .
chemonics failed to conduct an “environmental mitigation and monitoring plan” before beginning a project to plant hundreds of thousands of medicinal jatropha plants near the city of saint marc . “potentially adverse environmental impacts can occur if proper mitigation and monitoring procedures are not put into place before implementing an activity and monitoring it , ” the audit warned .
“there have been no delivery delays or stock - outs that resulted in or caused any patients to stop treatment . recognizing the challenges in the new process , usaid and chemonics took proactive steps to avoid such issues , including by working closely with other donors to bridge gaps and prevent stock - outs , ” the post read .
both the soccer field and community center were identified as local priorities at community meetings , and haitian leaders such as mayor lamour , who was interviewed for the piece , participated in kick - off meetings and signed grant agreements that included details on the projects , as well as roles and responsibilities for both chemonics and community leaders .
the statement added that usaid
worked closely with the oig auditors
to examine the issues raised about chemonics and that
since the audit was completed , usaid has funded a local firm to conduct third - party monitoring and evaluation .
usaid did not explain how the local firm would resolve the issues raised in the audit .
but chemonics , whose contract with usaid explicitly states that decisions about what programs to fund “will be based upon us foreign policy interests in consultation” with the state department , worked to further usaid’s objectives of “counter [ ing ] the destabilizing effects” and the “growing discontent” with the pace of reconstruction . it ran pr for the new industrial park , installing benches and flower planters in nearby areas to “project a positive image . ” an audit later noted that the flowers soon died “from lack of care , ” while the mayor decried the lack of community involvement . but business was good for chemonics , whose ceo at the time received a $ 2 . 5 million bonus .
when i submitted a foia request for more specific information about chemonics’s work in haiti , every document i received was heavily redacted . usaid explained that to “release the information…could willfully stir up false allegations…and cause strife within the target communities , ” adding , “the release of the information…would likely instigate demonstrations and create an unsafe environment” to work in .
chemonics evaluated some of its projects based upon criteria that had absolutely nothing to do with the goals of those projects . in one case , chemonics was charged with providing school supplies including chairs , desks and backpacks to two public schools , but it evaluated its work based on the number of children who returned to school . “the performance measure did not correlate to the activity , ” according to the audit . similarly , a project that was supposed to create a plan to improve roads in a haitian town was evaluated by the “number of reconstructed national governing institutions and systems that receive [ us government ] assistance to incorporate principles that support democracy and government legitimacy” — whatever that means .
while chemonics and dai are the largest single recipients , the bulk of the funds have gone to beltway contractors as well : firms in virginia received the most funds of any state , $ 45 . 3 million , followed closely by maryland , $ 44 . 6 million . another $ 31 . 7 million went to companies based in the district of columbia .
throughout the piece , the development industry in haiti is criticized for lack of consultation with haitians . for chemonics , this is incorrect on a number of levels . at every point during implementation , we prioritized using haitian expertise , haitian goods , and haitian companies … our team of passionate haitian staff engaged directly with a diverse array of community leaders prior to and during every activity .
one project that flew under the radar involved building irrigation canals for farmers in helmand province . a little advanced research might have exposed the fact that the farmers in the region are overwhelmingly opium poppy growers and that they were using the water to grow even more poppies . the success of one of chemonics ' contracts was openly undermining another : to wean farmers off the opium market . 129
again , taking a look at previous oig reports proves useful . a 2010 report found that usaid had not performed internal financial reviews of chemonics despite “expending millions of dollars rapidly . ” also in 2010 , i asked a usaid contracting official if he could provide information on amounts going to subcontracts , he responded : “you need hard data … and i need that hard data too . ”
at the time , i assumed grader was exaggerating . like generations before him , he saw youth as feckless and society in decline . four months later , though , chemonics fired grader after only 10 months on the job . company officials said they could not comment on personnel decisions . grader said he was forced out after he dared clash with usaid officials about the agency ' s programs .
and they ' re fighting to keep it that way . last year , chemonics joined 50 other american development contractors to form a lobbying group to fight the sort of reforms proposed in usaid ' s forward initiative . the companies argue that the status quo is preferable to giving contracts directly to smaller companies within host countries because they are harder to hold accountable and often have no experience handling large - dollar contracts .
below are our current international opportunities . we continually seek outstanding individuals willing to serve as long - or short - term technical specialists . technical specialists cover the range of practice areas on which chemonics’ and donor organizations focus their efforts . in addition , we look for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world and demonstrate leadership , versatility , and integrity in their work .
in may , a globalpost investigation revealed that not a single dollar of the original $ 1 . 1 billion in humanitarian assistance the agency allocated in haiti in fiscal year 2010 went directly to haitian organizations or businesses . an analysis by the cepr found that 70 percent of the $ 450 million awarded through reconstruction contracts has gone to beltway companies like chemonics , and only 1 . 3 percent has gone directly to haitian companies .
the united states agency for international development ( usaid ) , which is in charge of allocating us aid in haiti and around the world , responded to an audit last week of its haiti contracts with chemonics , the largest recipient of us aid contracts in the island nation and around the world . the audit , which concluded in february , examined 22 of the 141 projects , totaling $ 6 . 8 million . among its findings :
in the episode , vice on hbo correspondent vikram gandhi travels to caracol , in the north of haiti , home to the international community’s flagship reconstruction project , the caracol industrial park . gandhi visits a police station , which cost over $ 2 million as well as soccer field and cultural center . as gandhi states , “when we looked at the costs of many other projects , we noticed the same contractor kept coming up . ” chemonics .
several months after visiting little america with grader , i returned to helmand to learn more about the contractors leading the u . s . effort . my guide was a 40 - year - old ex - u . s . army paratrooper who asked to be identified by a pseudonym - bob williams - for safety reasons . williams ' s small contracting firm was the subcontractor grader hired to actually carry out chemonics ' s agricultural development work in helmand .
the oig also found that “urban beautification” projects failed for similar reasons . the oig writes , “the purpose of these projects was to improve public areas by installing plants and benches , as well as doing minor masonry work , and to project ‘a positive image of what role the nearby caracol industrial park and other upcoming economic investments will play in citizens’ lives . ’” although chemonics did do some plantings , “they died from lack of care . ” meanwhile :
chemonics is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices . all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race , color , religion , sex , national origin , political affiliation , sexual orientation , gender identity , marital status , disability , protected veteran status , genetic information , age , or other legally protected characteristics . military veterans , americorps , peace corps , and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply .
in march , globalpost witnessed haitian subcontractors installing electrical wires in that building — four months after usaid officially “inaugurated” the structure , announcing it complete . a globalpost investigation found the building remained unused by haiti ' s parliament months after the inauguration because usaid only asked chemonics to construct the frame of the building — leaving the offices void of furniture and the chambers hall empty and unusable . haiti’s government later drew at least $ 775 , 000 from the public treasury to finish the job .
while many of these programs deserve criticism for achieving very little , even worse , some also manage to be outright harmful . the most problematic program was the u . s . government - funded “agroinvest” project , which was implemented by a private subcontractor chemonics . the agroinvest project was launched by usaid from 2011 to 2016 with a budget of $ 19 million . from this amount at least $ 2 . 5 million was supposed to be used for reforming land and the development of laws :
to defeat the current stasis requires challenging business as usual . imagine a political system in which doing business with such outlaw outfits was either banned outright or reduced to a tiny trickle . corporations such as chemonics and dyncorp , with dubious records both in the west and in developing nations , should not receive further governmental contracts unless they implement drastic internal changes to ensure accountability . that would be a massive first step in reducing the ability of disaster capitalists to get what they want from the political system .
mr . teele ran the day - to - day operations at chemonics international from 1975 to 2002 , when he became chairman of the board . the firm grew during his tenure . it employs more than 2 , 000 people and has managed projects in more than 90 countries in africa , the middle east , latin america , southeast asia and eastern europe . in some projects , the business has advised governments on agricultural policy reform , investment promotion , enterprise development , and product distribution and marketing studies .
sharif also feels that chemonics ' urgency for ramp to develop international markets - which largely failed - has caused them to neglect domestic needs for food security . ramp , for example , has instructed farmers in parwan to grow more vegetables , and promised to find buyers for them both within the country and beyond . the farmers , who normally planted beans and lentils , grew green vegetables as encouraged . but instead of profiting , they lost money . vegetables flooded the market and drove the price down . 126
the contractors , development alternatives inc . of bethesda , maryland , and chemonics international of washington d . c . , which received more than $ 31 million each in no - bid contracts , responded to ap in an email saying that together with several other contractors , they had employed 25 , 000 haitians a day . now , they said , 10 months after the earthquake ,
priorities have evolved beyond a focus on temporary employment ,
a program that has paid haitian workers $ 18 million in wages .
lanky , with a thick shock of gray hair and a faded all - american look , grader was a marker of how the american approach to development had changed since the cold war . no longer a government worker , he was a private contractor paid $ 130 , 000 a year by chemonics international , a for - profit consulting firm based in washington . from kabul , he managed a $ 130 million usaid contract to revitalize agriculture and slow the exploding cultivation of opium poppy , the raw form of heroin , across southern afghanistan .
if you try to dig deeper into how usaid money is actually spent , you’ll find a black box . while it is relatively easy to look up online how much money chemonics has received for work in haiti since the quake ( over $ 200 million ) , it is impossible to identify the thousands of subcontractors that actually implement the various programs usaid supports . interested in how much money contractors are able to take off the top for their headquarters back home ? too bad—that information is a tightly protected trade secret that usaid and its contractors refuse to disclose .
chemonics is a bit bureaucratic . there is a fair amount of favoritism and racism in the company . if you are a minority then moving up the ladder can be 3x as hard as a white male . you will make it to the manager position and max to a director position . beyond that it ' s all white males . they will have a white female at the upper level every now and then to spice - up things a bit but that ' s about it . they were even written up by the department of labor in 2016 ( google it ) for discriminating against black applications at the executive level . for a company that has 3500 employees that is something .
one of the us government’s largest private aid - delivery partners last month agreed to pay damages to more than a hundred african american job applicants for racial discrimination .
“winning federal contracts , paid for with us taxpayer dollars , is a privilege , not a right , ” patricia a shiu , director of the office of federal contract compliance programs ( ofccp ) , said in a statement . “with that privilege comes the obligation to practice equal employment opportunity towards all demographic groups of workers in this country . ”
joanna hawkins , a representative for the department of labor , says that each company working with government agencies is evaluated on a neutral case - by - base basis .
“on the other hand , ” she tells the guardian , “the agency does believe this settlement will send a message to other contractors , including those working in the international development arena , that employment discrimination is unacceptable and will not be tolerated . ”
this article was amended on 23 november 2016 to clarify that the hiring discrimination was identified at chemonic international’s regional business units , not the entire company .
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outsourcing quake assistance : haitian contractors get only 1 . 6 % of u . s . aid | urltoken
outsourcing quake assistance : haitian contractors get only 1 . 6 % of u . s . aid
haitian patrick brun , left , owner of a company that distributes construction supplies , walks with an employee at his facilities in port - au - prince , haiti , saturday dec . 11 , 2010 . out of every $ 100 of u . s . contracts now paid out to rebuild haiti , haitian firms have successfully won $ 1 . 60 , the associated press found in a review of contracts since the earthquake on jan . 12 . and the largest initial u . s . contractors hired fewer haitians than planned . there are many reasons for the disparity . among them , us aid is more familiar with some u . s . contractors and gave out some no - bid contracts out of urgency , and fears the corruption that is rife in haiti . on the haitian side , there is a limited understanding of u . s . government practices .
port - au - prince , haiti - - in a port - au - prince warehouse loaded with tarps , plywood , corrugated roofing , nails and other building supplies , company owner patrick brun says he had hoped to get contracts from the billions of dollars in international aid promised to haiti .
his 40 - year - old company , chabuma s . a . , sells cement blocks , doors , sand bags and other materials for international companies . but what he wants is a more significant role in his country ' s recovery , which is why he says he keeps bidding — without success — for u . s . government contracts .
you can imagine that if we can ' t win the contracts ourselves , we become totally dependent on foreign companies and nonprofits , and there is not much hope in that ,
he said .
we may not have the extended capacity of a u . s . company , but we are respectable . we keep good books and records , we have foreign suppliers , we have good credit , we pay our taxes and our customs dues .
out of every $ 100 of u . s . contracts now paid out to rebuild haiti , haitian firms have successfully won $ 1 . 60 , the associated press has found in a review of contracts since the earthquake on jan . 12 . and the largest initial u . s . contractors hired fewer haitians than planned .
there are many reasons for the disparity . among them , us aid is more familiar with some u . s . contractors and gave out some no - bid contracts out of urgency , and fears the corruption that is rife in haiti . on the haitian side , there is a limited understanding of u . s . government practices .
but using foreign aid to give local companies contracts is one of the most important aspects of reconstruction , says clare lockhart , chief executive officer of the institute for state effectiveness .
you can ' t just provide manual jobs . you need to contract with companies so that the middle tier managers and owners of companies have a stake in the legal system and rule of law , and ultimately a stake in the success of their political system and their economy ,
she says .
of the 1 , 583 u . s . contracts given so far in haiti totaling $ 267 million , only 20 — worth $ 4 . 3 million — are going to haitian - owned companies . and an audit this fall by us aid ' s inspector general found that more than 70 percent of the funds given to the two largest u . s . contractors for a cash for work project in haiti was spent on equipment and materials . as a result , just 8 , 000 haitians a day were being hired by june , instead of the planned 25 , 000 a day , according to the ig .
us aid says it is committed to increasing the amount of contracts going to haitians .
we already are engaging with haitian communities to make them aware of how they can partner with us ,
said janice laurente , a spokeperson for us aid .
economists say giving contracts to local businesses creates jobs , which help build the private sector . also , most donors would rather see local businesses thrive than foreign companies profiting from a disaster .
harvard business school economist eric werker , who researches foreign aid , says the spillover effects go beyond the aid itself .
some are obvious , like salaries and profits that stay in the local economy , but there are also ways to increase capacity of local firms by giving them progressively larger contracts ,
says werker .
the first is a no - bid process : 25 percent of the contracts went directly to u . s . contractors without even giving haitians a chance to bid on them , sometimes because the needs were so urgent there wasn ' t time to go through a formal bidding process . in addition , some government requests for local haitian subcontractors and expertise are published only in english , limiting access for many haitians who speak creole .
also , at times of catastrophe , it can be easier to use an established contractor with a strong record than a previously unknown local one . the haitian economy was so decimated by the earthquake that it was hard at first even to get wood or tarps for shelters without importing them . now , even though there are haitian companies providing many products and services , the pattern of using foreign ones continues .
and finally , it ' s more complicated to contract directly in countries like haiti , where corruption is rife . there has been price - gouging among some would - be haitian contractors .
the unprecedented promise of $ 9 billion in aid , with the u . s . as a top giver , at first raised hope of rebuilding and even of a new and brighter future for the tragedy - prone island . but fewer than 10 percent of those funds have made it past the
promise
stage .
the u . s . foreign aid contracts to haiti since the earthquake have gone to an array of almost entirely u . s . - based goods and services , from bullet - proof vehicles ordered nov . 18 by the centers for disease control from a miami - based firm to $ 24 , 000 in dental supplies for u . s . navy medical providers in june from a chesapeake , virginia , firm . yet bullet - proof vehicles and dental supplies are available from haitian companies , according to the nonprofit peace dividend trust .
frankly , it ' s a shame and a serious opportunity lost ,
says edward rees of the peace dividend trust . his organization put together a business portal , offering everything from security services to catering , and is training haitians on how to bid for contracts and grants .
no one is systematically tracking how many contracts have gone to haitian companies .
the lack of local spending in haiti is similar to that in most other countries receiving u . s . aid , although economist werker said haiti is likely at the low end of the spectrum . but rees contrasts haiti with afghanistan , where — backed by peace dividend trust — u . s . army general david h . petraeus ordered his commanders to
hire afghans first , buy afghan products , and build afghan capacity .
the results in afghanistan are encouraging : a recent study found that 37 percent of $ 2 billion in annual international aid is now being used to buy locally - produced afghan goods and services , up from 31 percent a few years ago .
the ap review focused on contracts from the u . s . government , which spent an immediate $ 1 . 1 billion in u . s . humanitarian assistance after the earthquake , and promised another $ 1 . 15 billion for reconstruction . in november , the first $ 120 million of the pledged reconstruction funds were tranferred to the world bank - run haiti reconstruction fund , according to the state department .
in addition to government aid , more than $ 1 billion has come from nonprofit charities , most of which try to buy local , said samuel a . worthington , president of interaction , the largest alliance of u . s . - based international nongovernmental organizations . he represents nonprofits managing about 90 percent of the u . s . donations that were directed to haiti after the quake .
worthington says there is no system to count how much has gone to haitian - owned companies .
there is a very strong bias to ensure as much local procurement as possible , and as much spending in the local economy ,
says worthington .
our bottom line is to serve as many people as possible and get the best price , to spread those dollars .
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the division concentrated on managing agriculture projects for the u . s . agency for international development in the beginning years but later branched into economic and business consulting services .
he also lectured widely on agro - industrial development and was an associate professor of economic development at georgetown university .
mr . teele was born in new rochelle , n . y . , and raised in needham , mass . , where his father , stanley f . teele , was dean of the harvard university business school .
tony teele graduated from amherst college and received a master ' s degree in economics from the fletcher school of law and diplomacy at tufts university . he did graduate work in economics at georgetown university .
he began his career as a foreign service officer in 1956 . he was a political officer at the u . s . embassy in athens and an economics analyst with u . s . aid executive secretariat before leaving the state department in 1964 .
mr . teele was vice president and a board member of the u . s . global leadership campaign ; board member of the society for international development ; and co - chair of the international development task force of the professional services council .
survivors include his wife of 23 years , barbara c . teele of washington ; two children from his first marriage , ted teele of pittsburgh and stacia teele of new york ; two children from his second marriage , kristy teele of ledberry , england , and allan teele of san francisco ; a stepson , mark carmichael of scottsdale , ariz . ; a brother ; a sister ; and nine grandchildren .
william sorg air force officer william sorg , 84 , a retired air force lieutenant colonel who was also a government agency systems analyst , died of cardiopulmonary arrest march 26 at walter reed army medical center .
col . sorg , a native of pittsburgh , began his military career with the royal canadian air force when he was about 17 . he transferred to the u . s . army air forces during world war ii and piloted a republic p - 47 thunderbolt fighter jet in missions over europe .
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sindh , pakistan’s second largest province , has made recent economic progress , but its education indicators are still low , with about 4 million children ages 5 to 12 not in school .
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a member of the ghsc - psm staff builds pharmacist ' s capacity by conducting inventory in a local hospital ' s pharmacy in angola . photo by :
a global health supply chain project that coordinates lifesaving deliveries has run into serious problems , putting vital treatments and health services at risk .
in response to devex’s report , usaid administrator mark green said the agency is watching its troubled program
like a hawk .
devex spoke to usaid administrator mark green , who said that he was “angry” about the project’s poor performance , and that the issue has strengthened his resolve to tackle problems with usaid procurement during his tenure .
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michael igoe is a senior reporter with devex , based in washington , d . c . he covers u . s . foreign aid , global health , climate change , and development finance . prior to joining devex , michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post - soviet central asia , where he also wrote for eurasianet . michael earned his bachelor ' s degree from bowdoin college , where he majored in russian , and his master’s degree from the university of montana , where he studied international conservation and development .
with the help of the feed the future uganda enabling environment for agriculture activity , uganda has launched a four - year strategy to implement the national grain trade policy . learn more here : urltoken
and presented to local stakeholders on june 29 , a milestone event that lays the groundwork for the multi - sectoral collaboration required for the successful implementation of the framework . cameroon is the first global health security agenda member country to adopt the emergency preparedness framework , taking an important first step toward ensuring the country’s