Boundless Hands Africa Initiative for Women and Children had her first Women in Leadership Conference for Young Female Leaders on the 2019 International Women’s Day. The conference themed Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change in partnership with IHS Towers was held in commemoration of the 2019 international women’s day. The event held on March 8, 2019 at Four Points by Sheraton.
Delivering her keynote speech titled “Balance for Better”, Professor (Mrs.) Mbang Nyomg Femi-Oyewo, the Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University said that as nations around the world celebrate IWD, the number of counties that have had a female leader is less and there is a need for more gender balance in all fields.
“Although there has been a progress in Women in Leadership in Nigeria, it is important that there is a gender balance in all fields. Study conducted by INEC states Nigeria women have the lowest representation of 5.9% in National Assembly when compared to other African countries. The fight for gender equality & gender balancing in all filed in Nigeria is not just a fight for women; but for all people in the society” she said.
Prof. Nyomg Femi-Oyewo also encouraged women to discover who they are and step up to be a solution provider they were created to be. “Have vision, be intentional and stay focused – create actionable steps to making your vision a reality. Ensure you have a direction you are going to – take charge of the driver’s sit, or else life will take you where you don’t want”.
Other invited speakers in the panel session at the Women in Leadership Conference were; Clare Omatseye, Founder and Managing Director of JNC International; Dr. Jumoke Akiode, Executive Director Center for Ethics and Sustainable Development; Professor (Mrs.) Mbang Nyomg Femi-Oyewo and Jane Egerton-Idehen, Country Director, Avanti Communications Group Plc. spoke on Women in the Board Room during the corporate panel sessions. While the Entrepreneurship/ Social Enterprise panel session moderated by Oluwaseyi Ramon was graced by Adepeju Jaiyeoba, Founder, Brown Button Foundation; Dolapo Badmus, Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO); Omonike Fowowe, Founder/President, EMR Marketing Group; Adeyemi Adeshola and Dr. Ijeoma Nwagne
Another key highlight of the conference was the business presentation pitch. The winner Esther Ochuwa Founder, Sit & Learn was awarded N500,000 seed fund for her business. Sit & Learn is a social enterprise that manufactures multipurpose furniture which facilitates easy learning of alphabets, numbers, shapes, spelling and simple arithmetic.
Mrs Titilayo Ogungbambi, convener of the Women in Leadership Conference for Young Female Leaders and CEO of Boundless Hands Africa gave her closing remarks by thanking her sponsors HIS Towers for supporting the cause, the keynote speaker and all the guest panelists for sharing their wealth of knowledge with the young leaders.
The Women in Leadership Conference was a free and with over 400 women from different works of life in attendance.