WISCAR champions gender equality across sectors

Women in Successful Careers

Kindly share this story:

Women in Successful Careers, at its just-concluded 2025 Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, rallied support for reforms aimed at securing greater female representation in federal and state cabinets, corporate boards, and labour policy frameworks.

At the conference held under the theme ‘Claiming Our Future: Women in Leadership and Policy Transformation’ in Lagos, speakers emphasised that Nigeria’s political stability, economic growth, and institutional effectiveness depend on embedding women’s leadership at all levels of national decision-making.

The PUNCH reports that the conference brought together policymakers, business leaders, development partners, civil society actors, and emerging professionals who engaged in insightful dialogues and engagement to push the boundaries of gender equity in the country.

In his opening remarks, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening gender-responsive governance and supporting institutions like WISCAR that are shaping the next generation of female leaders.

“Lagos State remains committed to building an inclusive and competitive economy where women’s leadership is recognised as a strategic national asset. We are proud to support platforms like WISCAR that are shaping the future of governance and professional excellence,” he said.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and 2025 Distinguished WISCAR Awardee, reflected on the transformative power of purposeful female leadership.

She emphasised that Nigeria’s progress depends on creating enabling systems where women can lead, influence, and innovate at scale, noting, “Nigeria’s future cannot be built without women at the decision-making table. When women lead, institutions become stronger, communities become safer, and societies become more prosperous. Our work and impact continue to demonstrate that women are essential to Nigeria’s progress.”

A key part of the event was the graduation of the first cohort of the Women in Law Mentoring Programme, an initiative implemented in collaboration with FIDA Nigeria to address the critical gaps in women’s representation and leadership within Nigeria’s legal and public sector ecosystem.

The programme equipped 105 mid-career legal professionals with a robust blend of structured mentorship, leadership training, and exposure to policy and justice sector reforms. This pilot graduation marks a significant step toward building a strong pipeline of female leaders who can help shape Nigeria’s judiciary, legislature, executive arm of government, and legal practice. Beyond its immediate impact, WILMP is said to establish a scalable model that WISCAR intends to expand to other sectors such as engineering, media, and finance, deepening its mission to accelerate gender equality and strengthen governance across Nigeria.

In her address, the founder and chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola, noted that gender inclusion is both a national and economic imperative.

“For 17 years, WISCAR has equipped women with the competence, confidence, and courage to lead. Beyond empowerment, we must claim our future through leadership, accountability, and collective action. Global evidence shows that closing gender gaps in labour participation could add $28tn to global GDP, and Africa could gain $316bn by 2030 by increasing women’s economic participation. Companies with gender-diverse leadership are also more profitable, more innovative, and better governed,” she said.

The conference further amplified the bold, collective agenda of the Nigeria Women in Leadership Coalition, comprising WISCAR, WIMBIZ, WILAN, and the Nigeria Governors Forum. United by a shared vision for systemic transformation, the coalition is advocating for three critical national reforms: 35 per cent female representation in federal and state cabinets, 35 per cent women on boards and in executive management of listed companies, and the adoption of a modern labour policy guaranteeing at least 16 weeks of paid maternity leave and 14 days of paid paternity leave by 2027.

Personalities present at the conference include Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman; Head of Programme Implementation, MTN Nigeria Foundation, Edward Fagbohun; Executive Director, WILAN, Abosede George-Ogan; Maupe Ogun-Yusuf of Channels TV; Minister of Trade & Industry, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, represented by Teju Abisoye, Special Adviser (Office of the Honourable Minister) and National Coordinator – National Talent Export Programme; Hauwa Haliru, Director of Gender Affairs, Nigeria Governor’s Forum; CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dr Tayo Aduloju; Deputy Head, Operations, Stanbic IBTC, Funke Amobi; Founder, WARIF, Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru; Founder & Partner Arcadia Advisory Africa, Folake Ani-Munney; Country Director PLAN International, Charles Usie; Women In Leadership Division, Gates Foundation, Alison Varco; WISCAR Mentors; and Members of the WISCAR Advisory Board.

The 2025 ALMC also celebrated excellence and allyship through two institutional recognitions. The Ambassador Abdullahi & Amina Atta HeForShe Award was established to honour a distinguished male ally annually who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to gender equity. The 2025 Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award was presented to WISCAR Alumni Oluwaseyi Kehinde-Peters, Founder, PAWEN, in recognition of her outstanding leadership, integrity, sector-wide transformative contributions, and paying forward the WISCAR ideals of mentorship.

With over 17,000 women empowered since inception, WISCAR continues to serve as a catalyst for national transformation.

Oluwakemi is a Senior Correspondent with The PUNCH. She has over 10 years experience across digital and traditional journalism spheres, and currently covers the Capital Market.

Kindly share this story:

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25Million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, 👉 click here to find out how it work (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.