Descasio hosted an executive brunch in Lagos to celebrate International Women's Day, convening female leaders from major enterprises including Honeywell Group Limited, Finchglow Travels, NGCOM, and Eroton Exploration & Production Company. The event, aligned with the 2026 theme "Give to Gain," centered on leadership through mentorship, collaboration, and investment in people, fostering an open dialogue among women in senior roles. Mr. Dele Nedd, CEO of Descasio, personally welcomed each guest before stepping away to let the women lead the conversation, a move reflecting the company's commitment to empowering female leadership without performative oversight. Rather than a panel, the format encouraged peer-level exchange on real-world leadership challenges in complex industries. A key point raised was the necessity of execution and accountability, with Josephine Adebola of Finchglow Travels stressing that reliability defines effective leadership: "Get it done on time and in full." The discussion also emphasized continuous learning, with Tomi Otudeko, COO of Honeywell Group Limited, attributing her growth to curiosity: "Asking questions and continuously learning have always stood me in good stead as a leader." She added that seeing people in their full humanity strengthens leadership, not weakens it. Helen James-Eziashi, General Manager at NGCOM, named authenticity as vital: "Be yourself, keep learning, and stay curious." Ifeanyi Onyejekwe, IT Manager at Eroton, highlighted self-awareness as foundational, stating leaders must "know who you are and understand what supports and sustains your leadership journey." The event doubled as the launch platform for Descasio's 'Give to Gain' Leadership Insights Report, a compilation of themes from the dialogue aimed at advancing leadership discourse within its enterprise network. Descasio described the gathering as part of its ongoing effort to deepen partnerships and promote meaningful leadership conversations across its customer base.
When Tomi Otudeko says curiosity has "stood her in good stead," she isn't just praising lifelong learning—she's exposing a quiet truth: Nigerian corporate leadership still rewards the appearance of infallibility over the humility of asking questions. That Descasio stepped back and let women lead their own conversation signals a rare rejection of tokenism, treating these executives not as props for diversity optics but as architects of insight. In an ecosystem where women remain underrepresented in C-suites, this kind of deliberate space-sharing isn't symbolic—it's strategic. The real gain in "Give to Gain" isn't goodwill; it's the compound value of women leaders shaping the narrative on their own terms.
