Businesswoman and publisher Apostle Folorusho Alakija has expressed her desire to witness more women in the printing and publishing industry.
She decried the high entry barriers that have prevented women from entering into the printing and publishing industry.
She said the world gender ratio was approximately 50:50 and, in her view, 50 per cent of the world’s economic potential have been lost due to the exclusion of women in leadership roles.
Alakija, who recently released five books, called for more women to venture into the publishing business in Nigeria.
“The printing and publishing sector presents high entry barriers for women because it is highly capital intensive and technology-driven. I have had my fair challenges as an author, printer and publisher but with persistence and tenacity, I have been able to move forward. However, women are still vastly underrepresented in this space and need encouragement to flourish in this sector’’ she said.
She made the submission as a guest speaker at this years Nigerian International Book Festival (NIBF).
She said: The stereotypes that women have been cast in, gender discrimination and economic disempowerment as well as a deliberate exclusion from capital-intensive and technology-driven male-dominated industries, has rendered most women helpless in the face of daunting circumstances.
“There is need for legislation to empower female business owners while seeing to the eradication of taboos and cultural biases preventing women from thriving in business. The influence of a woman is far-reaching, it is important that more women enter the business of publishing as this will create a natural love for knowledge and reading which will be taught and extended their children, making readers and leaders out of them.”
