… PHCCIMA President Delivers Inspiring Goodwill Message
The HAGREB Foundation, in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Port Harcourt Branch, today hosted a high-profile Mentor’s Summit to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The event, themed “Give to Gain,” convened leading professionals who explored the transformative impact of mentorship, leadership, and selfless investment in others. The event basically underscored the idea that empowering women through guidance, opportunity, and support generates widespread benefits for families, communities, and the economy.
The summit held at the Nyesom Wike Hall, NBA Port Harcourt Branch House, Bank Road, Port Harcourt, featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Prof. Heoma Nsirim-Worlu, Director of Gender Studies at the University of Port Harcourt; Hon. Justice T. S. Oji of the Rivers State Judiciary; Professor Bassey Fiebai, a consultant ophthalmologist; and Mrs. Oluwatoyin Odobo, Chairperson of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women, Rivers State and Dr. Orowhuo A. W. Okocha, who served as moderator.
Organizers emphasize that mentorship not only shapes individual careers but also fortifies communities and paves the way for a stronger future, making this gathering a meaningful way to honor the occasion through insightful dialogue and shared experiences.
Adding weight to the celebration, Dr. Chinyere Nwoga, the pioneering first female President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) since its founding in 1957, delivered a powerful goodwill message.
In her address, Dr. Nwoga extended warm greetings from PHCCIMA, which she described as Nigeria’s second-largest and most active chamber, a stalwart advocate for the organized private sector in the Niger Delta for nearly seven decades. She praised the timeliness of the “Give to Gain” theme, noting that in a world often focused on extraction, true progress—particularly for women—stems from deliberate acts of giving: opportunities, mentorship, resources, voice, and platforms.
“When we give women the tools to thrive, we do not merely empower individuals; we multiply prosperity for families, businesses, communities, and the entire nation,” she said.
Highlighting her historic leadership role, Dr. Nwoga pointed to PHCCIMA’s commitment to women’s economic empowerment through its Women’s Wing, the recent launch of the Rivers State Chapter of the Women Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WCCIMA), and initiatives offering grants, financial literacy, capacity-building workshops, mentorship circles, and advocacy for greater female involvement in commerce, industry, and agriculture.
She urged women attendees—trailblazers, rising stars, quiet forces, and bold visionaries—to continue sharing their brilliance, resilience, and dreams, assuring that the resulting gains will reverberate across generations. She also thanked men and institutions committed to this cause for prioritizing progress.
Hear her: “May the conversations, resolutions, and networks formed here today translate into tangible gains for every woman and girl in our beloved city and beyond.”
The summit was open to inspiring actionable steps toward gender equity and collective advancement in Rivers State and Nigeria at large. Interested participants were encouraged to attend and contribute to the dialogue.
Also in attendance was the PHCCIMA – WCCIMA Coordinator for Rivers and Bayelsa state, HM Dr Patricia Ogbonnaya.