Memorandum Of Understanding

Memorandum Of Understanding For ANWBN Members

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated this 2nd day of September, 2015 establishes a coalition of 18 professional and business women member organizations (PBWMOs) to work together within the umbrella name of ANWBN.

1. Mission

The Mission of ANWBN is to improve the capacity of members and encourage sustainable entrepreneurship development among women through advocacy in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

2. Responsibilities

2.1 Each party in the coalition will appoint a person to serve as the official contact and to coordinate the activities of each organization in carrying out the coalition’s activities as agreed hereto and in implementing this MOU. These appointees shall have alternates in case of their inability to be present at the coalition events. The initial appointees of each organization are:

  • Head of the Organization
  • Alternate, Secretary or any other Executive Officer the organization deems fit.

 

2.2 The duties and authorities are spelt out in the approved constitution of the coalition.

 

The parties hereto agree to the following tasks for the MOU:

  • The Leadership of this coalition shall comprise a National Coordinator, a National Deputy Coordinator, a National Secretary and a National Treasurer. There shall be a National Secretariat located in Lagos. The Leadership shall be by election and shall serve for a period of twenty-four (24) months non-consecutively renewable once, starting from the first General Assembly Meeting.

 

The National Coordinator shall be the Chairperson of this coalition for the term of this MOU and will be responsible for the following tasks:

  • Representing the Coalition at events as the face of the Coalition.
  • Delegating any other Member of the Coalition to represent her where she is unable to be in attendance.
  • Calling for and chairing the Coalition’s meetings
  • Maintaining the custody and control of coalition assets

 

2.3 The deputy Coordinator will act in the absence of the National Coordinator or carry out any other assignments as determined by the National Coordinator of ANWBN or the General Assembly.

The Secretary shall be the Scribe of this coalition for the term of this MOU and will be solely responsible for the following tasks :

  • Coordinating the Secretariat
  • Disseminating information on all available portals
  • Keeping records of all Minutes of the Meetings of the Coalition.
  • The Treasurer shall be the treasurer of this coalition for the term of this MOU and will be solely responsible for the following tasks :
  • Keep records of accounts of the Coalition,
  • Arrange audits of financial records,
  • Be in custody of the Coalition’s bank documents.
  • ANBWN shall have ad-hoc committees, as needed.

 

2.1.6 Lagos shall be the secretariat of this Coalition for the term of this MOU and shall be the venue for the following tasks:

  • To meet the day to day needs of the Coalition
  • To put out notices for the Coalition’s meetings
  • To receive and reply to the Coalition’s correspondences.

 

Coalition Members’ Duties and Responsibilities:

Purpose: to be an active participant of the ANWBN, a Member organization shall participate in the strategic planning and implementation of key activities to be handled by the Coalition in Nigeria. Each party to the Coalition shall be actively engaged in the development and implementation of the Coalition’s work plan.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Every Member organization of the Coalition shall have the duties of:

  1. Joining in forming ideas baskets on policy direction, advocacy themes and other activities.
  2. Supporting the Coalition financially and with human resources (by volunteering, paying dues, contributing to fundraising activities of the organization, etc.)
  3. Attending all Coalition meetings and activities.
  4. Attending and being active participant on committees of the coalition as assigned.
  5. Supporting the Coalition’s Chairperson with setting up meetings, preparing agendas, and sharing the specific tasks of the coalition in relation to the broad mission as required.
  6. Serving as a coalition representative providing information when requested by the coalition members, committee Chairs, and coalition Chair.
  7. Becoming knowledgeable about the coalition and the issues surrounding the business community in the nation.
  8. Attending all coalition meetings well prepared and well informed about the agenda.
  9. Contributing to coalition meetings by expressing the primary organization’s point of view on all issues.
  10. Considering others’ points of view, making constructive suggestions and helping the coalition make decisions that benefit members.
  11. Representing the coalition’s agenda/advocacy issues to the Government
  12. Serving as an ambassador of the State’s business community
  13. Assuming a leadership role as needed and serving as an ambassador of women business associations coalition in Nigeria.
  14. Supporting the ongoing process of recruiting new coalition members.

3. Funding

3.1 Each member organization hereto shall be responsible for its own expenses related to the execution of the tasks stipulated in this MOU.

3.2 For the coalition’s advocacy work that shall require expenses to be met, the coalition shall establish a bank account into which each member organization hereto shall contribute an agreed amount of money to take care of the said activities.

3.3 Records of the bank account in 3.2 and all expenses incurred therewith shall be documented by the treasurer and the records availed to all parties to this MOU as and when requested.

3.4 Any member organization of ANWBN is expected to pay a one-time registration fee of 20,000 Naira. In addition, all members shall pay annual dues of 10,000 Naira, as agreed at the AGM. The year starts in October each year and runs to September of the following year.

4. Quorum

The quorum for the annual general assembly is 50% + 1 of paid up member organizations.

5. Elections

Voting for Leadership positions is to be determined by ballot and based on the principle one organization one vote.

6. Qualification for elections

In order to qualify to vote or to be voted for in a Leadership position with ANBWN, member organizations are expected to have attended two consecutive AGMs. Each member organization must be financially up to date in order to vote or be voted for.

7. Integrity

The Parties to this MOU shall not undertake any task/work related to the coalition in a corrupt manner. No funds shall be advanced by any member of this coalition towards influencing the decisions of the Government/any agency in favour of the coalition. All activities/tasks of the coalition shall be undertaken in a transparent, documented and mutually agreed manner.

8. Terms of Understanding

8.1 This MOU is for a period of twenty four (24) months from the date of the date of first signature (Oct 6, 2016) and shall subsist as long as each signing party remains a member of the coalition; this MOU may be reviewed and amended as the need arises.

8.2 The term in 8.1 above may be extended upon written mutual agreement among the parties hereto.

8.3 Any of the parties hereto may opt out upon thirty (30) days written notice.

8.4 Such termination shall be without penalties and liabilities; except for any expenses agreed upon in 8.2 from which an exiting party has benefitted from.

9. Notices

For purposes of communication, the official contact of each party hereto is as follows;

(1). Association of Nigerian Women In Business (ANWIB)
Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(2). Association of Women Farmers of Nigeria (AWFN)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(3). Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(4). ECOWAS Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(5). International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW-Nigeria)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(6). International Women Society of Lagos (IWS)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(7). Name of Organization: Market Women Association

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(8). NACCIMA Women Wing (NAWOG)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(9). NASME Women Wing (NASME WOMEN)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(10). NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(11). Nigerian Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(12). Nigeria Network of Women Exporters of Services (NNWES)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(13). Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP Nigeria)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(14). Women in Business and Management (WIMBIZ)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(15). Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(16). Women’s Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(17). Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association of Nigeria (WISTA)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

(18). Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)

Postal Address:
Name of Representative:
Title:
Email:
Phone Number:
Social Media Info:

10. Dispute Resolution

In the event of any dispute between the Parties relating to this MOU, each Party shall nominate a person who shall be obliged to meet and endeavor to resolve such dispute through good faith negotiations. In the event of the dispute not being resolved within thirty (30) days of their first meeting, the dispute shall be referred to arbitration for resolution as follows:

  • Such dispute shall be referred to arbitration by a single arbitrator to be appointed by MOU between the Parties or in default of such MOU within fourteen (14) days of the notification of a dispute, upon the application of either Party, by the Chairman for the time being of the Nigerian branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators or the Director of the Multi-door Court in Lagos as the case may be.
  • The arbitration shall be held in Lagos, Nigeria and the procedural and substantive Rules of Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1990 or as may be amended shall apply;
  • To the extent permissible by law, the determination of the Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the Parties;
  • This clause shall be severable from the rest of this MOU and remains effective even if this MOU is terminated.

11. Execution

Signed, Sealed and Delivered by the within named parties: