The Women in Maritime and Energy (WiME) Awards Community has lauded the impact of women whose selfless efforts continue to shape the maritime, energy, and engineering industry.

Speaking at a virtually held webinar titled “Anchored in Purpose: Women Leading the Charge on Land and Sea” to mark International Women in Engineering Day, International Women in Diplomacy Day, and the Day of the Seafarer, WIME Advisory Board Chairperson and Deputy Director at NIMASA, Dr. Chizoba Anyika, underscored the importance of honouring women’s growing impact in traditionally male-dominated fields.

Describing the event as a platform to celebrate purpose-driven leadership and innovation, Dr. Anyika assured guests that WIME remain committed to championing and amplifying impact for outstanding females in the maritime and energy sectors.

We recognise the strength, brilliance, and impact of women who continue to shape the maritime, energy, engineering, and leadership spaces, industries where their voices have been long underrepresented but are now rising louder than ever.

With the theme “Anchored in Purpose: Women Leading the Charge on Land, and Sea”, this event is a celebration, but also a call for visibility, inclusion and a call to drive real change., This gathering also commemorates three significant global dates, namely: International Women in Engineering Day (June 23), International Women in Diplomacy Day (June 24), and the Day of the Seafarer (June 25), celebrating the power of women’s voices in leadership, negotiation, and policymaking,” she said

Keynote speakers, including Dr. Odunayo Ani, President WISTA Nigeria and Head, Internal Audits, NIMASA and Engr. Dr. Amina Danmadami, First Female Chairperson Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria, delivered stirring messages on empathy, mentorship, and systemic change.

Dr. Ani called for values-based leadership and challenged attendees to “engineer, sail, and lead” together, while Dr. Danmadami emphasized inclusive workplace policies and the importance of overcoming challenges as leadership inaction.

A high-impact panel discussion moderated by Tunbosun Afolayan, Executive Director WIME Awards, featured industry voices like Capt. Edidiong Sola-Abalo Vice President WISTA Nigeria, Marine Engineer Damilola Adebamipe and Engr. Nimot Muili, Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch, Lagos. Speakers shared personal journeys and championed resilience, continuous learning, and mentorship as keys to driving transformation in their sectors.

Interactive segments, spotlight stories from emerging professionals, and reflections from Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike, D.G, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping and Mrs. Abiola Soremekun, Managing Director, David Almond Resources Ltd, deepened the event’s impact. Concrete action points emerged, including launching a WiME Purpose Lab, mentorship exchanges, technical showcases, and a women’s workplace integrity taskforce.

As the session closed, participants joining from across the world, echoed a shared commitment to keep pushing boundaries and to build inclusive, purpose-led futures across land and sea.

The event was moderated by 2025 WIME Awards Rising Women in Maritime Honoree, Joy Dimka, a senior legal counsel at Nigerian Shippers Council. This event comes at the heel of several recognitions for honorees, Iroghama Ogbeifun, who was appointed to the Board of NIMASA, Funmi Ogbei who emerged as the National Publicity Secretary OGTAN, and Abiola Soremekun, as Secretary OGTAN Lagos Branch.