Female Nigerian marine surveyor graduates from IMO’s inaugural SheEO Leadership Accelerator Programme

Female Nigerian marine surveyor, Sandra Okoli, on Thursday graduated as one of the beneficiaries of the IMO’s Leadership Accelerator Course, which sponsored one woman from each country globally.

Expressing her joy to have been granted the opportunity, Okoli  said she became aware of the opening for the training through the African Women in Maritime(WIMA) platform.

According to the marine surveyor, her membership of the association has opened her to greater career opportunities.

She talked of joining the association in February 2021, with a focus on being purpose-driven for opportunities that would be made available to women in the sector.

Today, Ms. Okoli is proud of the support she got from the association’s leadership, when the former Continental President of WIMA, Mrs. Jean Chiazor-Anishere, SAN, invited her to partake in a virtual conference earlier in 2020.

Speaking on her strategic decision to becoming a member of the association, Okoli said: “Joining WIMA has been one of the strategic decisions I’ve made in my maritime career that has made a huge impact.”

Ms. Okoli recalled the opportunity granted her to speak at a Webinar on the “African Union Day of Seas and Oceans” in 2022.

She said: “From getting an invite to be a speaker on her Webinar “African Union Day of Seas and Oceans” in 2020 to an invite for an online conference, “Maritime SheEO”, my career has been positively impacted.”

Okoli was selected after she applied in 2021, wrote her essay with copious reference to Mrs. Anishere’s  paper title “How African Women Can Be Drawn Into The Maritime Industry,” which Anishere  had earlier shared on the WIMA platform.

She said: “To the glory of God, I was selected to represent Nigeria in the course, and our president Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, didn’t waste a moment in giving me a recommendation/membership affirmation letter.

“Truly WIMA has impacted my career positively. I appreciate our former and present presidents, Mrs. Jean Anishere (SAN), and all the executives; past and present, and the entire house for their positive impact.