How women can break barriers, lead in businesses

Josephine Ehimen is the Managing Director of Nett Pharmacy, a chain pharmacy operator with 20 retail outlets across Nigeria.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Ehimen shares insights into her journey to becoming a CEO, the unique strengths of women in leadership, the challenges she has faced, and the importance of mentorship.

PT: Can you tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO?

Mrs Ehimen: I trained as a pharmacist at the University of Benin and had my first retail pharmacy experience during my one-year internship. That was where my passion for retail pharmacy was born.

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Nett Pharmacy is a retail pharmacy chain with a presence in eight states of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory. It was incorporated slightly over 20 years ago in 2004.

What started in a 30sqm store has now blossomed into a retail pharmacy chain with branches across the country.
Nett pharmacy has a sole mission to provide top-quality prescription and over-the-counter medicines and skincare products, aimed at promoting wellness and superior pharmaceutical service delivery in Nigeria.

As a CEO, I invest a lot in personal development and training to equip me with the necessary knowledge for success. Some of these trainings include a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Pan Atlantic University, a John Maxwell leadership Certification, a Certificate in Business Strategy from Harvard Business School and many others.

One of my mantras, as CEO, is to do good while doing business. Since inception, Nett Pharmacy has been actively involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives, advocating for responsible medication use and organise free community health outreaches to screen for chronic disease conditions like hypertension, diabetes, body fat composition, hepatitis B, and osteoporosis.

Every year, over 3,000 people benefit from these free health outreach programmes. Nett Pharmacy has been a WIMBIZ health partner at the annual conference since 2022.

PT: In your opinion, how do women leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women?

Mrs Ehimen: The first step is to lead by example, this is because, women in leadership positions serve as role models in the society, known for their ability to demonstrate resilience, intelligence, and the ability to break barriers of society expectations.

Many women are active mentors of other women, by sharing their knowledge, experiences and career advice.
Platforms like the WIMBIZ and WIMBOARD mentorship programmes are great avenues to do that, and this is very commendable. These often create the great networking opportunities for women to find guidance and support.

Women in leadership positions can also use their influence to promote gender equity such as equal pay for women, inclusion of women in leadership, politics, business and other sectors.
This can also encourage women to be ambitions and challenge stereotypes. Female leaders can also inspire others by sharing their success stories amidst their struggles, confirming to other women that success is attainable.

Women like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ibukun Awosika and many others serve as examples of how female leaders uplift, inspire, and empower others.

PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men?

Mrs Ehimen: Women are wired differently from their male counterparts and when in leadership positions, they often display unique strengths and perspectives.
Female leaders often excel as empathetic leaders, showing transformational leadership styles. Female leaders lead with the heart, focusing on inspiring their teams, rather being transactional leaders.

Women have the inherent ability to multitask and excel in crisis management, they are able to achieve this through their strong emotional intelligence and they often possess a sixth sense that guides their actions.

Female leaders often face more societal and professional barriers than their male counterparts. As a result of this, many successful female leaders are very resilient and resourceful, pushing and advocating for gender equity, making them unique and powerful agents of change in business and society.

PT: What challenges did you face as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them?

Mrs Ehimen: Being the CEO of a retail pharmacy chain can be very demanding of my time and one of the challenges I faced was trying to figure out how to juggle my professional success with family and societal expectations and avoid burnout.

Managing business and the home front is always a huge task for female entrepreneurs, and I had to learn how to ask for help and delegate effectively, to enable me focus on what truly matters. It was especially tough when my kids where younger and I had to make time out for school runs and PTA meetings. At that stage, I had to get all the domestic help I needed.

As a female leader, prioritising selfcare is also very important and to do that, it is important to set boundaries to help to promote a semblance of work-life balance. I use the word “semblance’ because, balance doesn’t really exist, only trade-offs.

PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments in your career that solidified your passion for leadership?

Mrs Ehimen: For me, my most defining moment isn’t just about business growth or profit—it’s about impact I have been blessed to have had several fulfilling moments as a leader and entrepreneur. The ones that stand out are when I create time to mentor younger women and pay it forward.

I mostly do this, either through my role as a WIMBIZ mentor or at other times, mentoring young female pharmacists and helping them build successful careers, or at other times, during my speaking engagements.

Being able to see the tangible impact of sharing my personal stories and experiences with other women, my team at Nett Pharmacy, and my community is more rewarding than any award I have ever won!

PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders in their fields?

Mrs Ehimen: For young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders, success in business, healthcare, tech, politics, or any field requires a combination of resilience, strategic thinking, continuous learning, and a strong network.

My advice to them will be the following five ways. One is to invest in personal development and never stop learning. Secondly, seek mentors and join Women’s leadership networks like WIMBIZ to build strong relationships and networks.

Thirdly, never underestimate your potential, believe in yourself. Also, Advocate for other women, don’t close the door after you. Access is greater when shared.

Lastly, be resilient, be ready to face gender bias, workplace discrimination, and societal expectations—but don’t let them stop you.

PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life?

Mrs Ehimen: Balancing the demands of being a CEO with personal life can be challenging, especially because I have to juggle multiple responsibilities.

Some of the strategies I have used include prioritising and creating boundaries with my time and sometimes saying “no” to prevent unnecessary commitments.

I also consciously prioritise my self-care and mental wellbeing, through proper nutrition, exercise and rest. Others are intentionally creating and spending quality time with my family, have a strong system of friends, family and peer groups and staying true to my Christian faith.

PT: This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.” What does this theme mean to you and how does it reflect your leadership approach?

Mrs Ehimen: Personally, this theme means moving beyond conversations and into impactful change. It’s about breaking barriers faster, challenging the status quo, and creating opportunities for the next generation of women leaders—not tomorrow, but today.

As a leader, accelerating action means empowering other women in business and leadership, by ensuring equal access to opportunities, training and funding for female-led businesses and advocating for inclusive-workplace polices.

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In addition, it means expanding healthcare to communities and prioritising maternal health and also challenging gender biases and workplace discrimination.

It also means inspiring the next generation of female leaders through mentorship and investing in education and training of women in STEM, business and healthcare.
We cannot afford to wait decades for gender equality, business equity, and leadership inclusivity.

The time for action is now!

This interview was conducted in partnership with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to advancing and empowering women in leadership. Mrs Ehimen is also a member of WIMBIZ.