Mrs. Tope Omojokun has always been in the Financial Services Industry even before her appointment as the Managing Director of FCSL Asset Management Company Ltd. She started her career as a marketing and treasury officer at Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank) after which she proceeded to the United Kingdom for her Masters Programme. After her returned to Nigeria in 2007, Omojokun joined Asset and Resource Management Company Ltd (ARM) as a Relationship Manager before proceeding to Investment One Financial Services Group. She served as the Managing Director of Investment One Funds Management Ltd. (Now Guaranty Trust Funds Managers Limited) before a brief stint at FSDH Asset Management Ltd as MD/CEO. She is the immediate past President of the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN). Omojokun had also worked on several committees to promote capital market development in Nigeria.
Successes Recorded
FCSL has been a player within the capital market space for almost three decades. The Company has recorded a lot of successes over the years. To mention a few: Joint Issuing house and joint stockbroker to some state government bond issuances; Joint Issuing house to Public Offer and right issue of some companies; Stockbroker for the merger of two popular commercial banks in Nigeria.
Women in Leadership Positions
There has been significant improvement in the rate of female involvement in different areas of the society. The general notion that women are weaker, overly emotional and superficial is gradually fading, though at a very slow pace. A few positions that were once male-dominated are now being graced by women, especially in finance, fashion, medicine, education, technology to mention a few albeit the huge gaps in female participation in mainstream politics. It is the sad reality that women are sometimes still perceived as being weak and fragile. The predominant mindset in Nigeria today still requires that women prove themselves at least twice as much as their male counterparts before they are seen as being as good enough. Women are multifaceted beings who can operate within several dimensions simultaneously with varying degrees of expectations. We nurture, we nourish, we guide. So, a woman who runs a business is also expected to run the home affairs concurrently without fail in addition to other personal pursuits such as furthering education, personal development and so on. The happenings in our world today, may in certain situations have moderated the ability navigating these moving parts and yet find and maintain her voice in the society.
Impact of Social Media on the Girl-Child
The social media has a lot of advantages and can be a learning tool. However, its use by children must be well supervised by Parents or guardians otherwise there may be some negative consequences where ignorance persists. There is so much content out there and if Parents do not take enough proactive and protective steps, children will feed on them. Speaking about the girl child, in recent times, we have heard a lot of stories breakout on various social media pages about immoral activities engaged in by under-aged children and it appears the girl child was the victim of those nefarious acts. There is a high degree of intensity and frequency of content churned out across all social media platforms per second. Some of these contents are noted to have had some negative influence, particularly on the girl child. We now see incidences of cyberbullying, and low self-esteem as a result of children hanging on to the unrealistic lifestyle of some young adults.
The amount of time spent surfing through the various social media platforms has also reduced time spent engaging in other beneficial activities. Hence, the importance of parental supervision on social media usage cannot be over-emphasised. Children nowadays are more tech savvy, they assimilate and process information so quickly and sometimes parents simply play catch up. We need to engage children learn the trends and set social media boundaries where necessary if supervision would have any lasting effect. This should be a continuous exercise.
As a Wife, Mother and a Career woman, how have you been able to strike the balance between work and family life, considering the enormity of your work schedule?
Without a doubt, this is not an easy task. I am usually deliberate about striking a balance. It takes a lot of planning and prioritizing. I am thankful to God for strength and wisdom and I am truly grateful for the support of my family.
Message for the Nigerian women as they celebrate this year International Day
Women, you are unique and special, what is happening around you today should not define who you are, give up, never lose your voice, keep striving, keep speaking and keep nurturing. Nothing should stop you from chasing your dreams. You make our world a better place.
As the Managing Director of FCSL Asset Management Limited, what future do you envision for the company?
We would be a leading player within the financial services space providing innovative and customer-focused solutions, deploying agile processes and cutting-edge technology driven by our committed and diverse talent. We also are keen on educating the public about opportunities in the capital market.
