Women’s leadership, policy reform takes centre stage at WISCAR Confab

Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) has stressed its commitment to strengthening women’s leadership, driving policy reform, and accelerating ..

Written By : Ijeoma Thomas-Odia

Published On : 13 Dec 2025

Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) has stressed its commitment to strengthening women’s leadership, driving policy reform, and accelerating national transformation. This was the thrust at its 2025 Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference (ALMC), held recently at The Civic Centre in Lagos.

The conference brought together policymakers, business leaders, development partners, civil society actors, business management organisations and emerging professionals who engaged in insightful dialogues and engagement under the theme, “Claiming Our Future: Women in Leadership and Policy Transformation.”

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo Olu who was represented by Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the state is commited to strengthening gender-responsive governance and support 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.”

In her keynote address, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, 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.

“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.”

Prof. Ogunsola advocated for bold policy reforms that expand opportunities for women. She referenced the impact of key legislation from child rights to gender-responsive budgeting driven by women’s advocacy, emphasising that policy remains the most powerful lever for sustainable change. “Policy is where transformation becomes real. If women are absent at the policy table, the future will be designed without us.”

She further stressed that Nigeria’s development outcomes cannot improve without women’s full participation, citing global data that links women’s leadership to stronger institutions, better governance, and more inclusive economic growth.

In her address, Founder and Chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola, said that gender inclusion is both a national and economic imperative. “For seventeen 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 USD 28 trillion to global GDP, and Africa could gain USD 316 billion by 2030 by increasing women’s economic participation. Companies with gender-diverse leadership are also more profitable, more innovative, and better governed.”

She called for urgent corrections to Nigeria’s leadership imbalance, stating: “Women occupy less than 10 percent of elective offices nationwide. Nigeria has never had a female Governor, Vice President, or President. The giant of Africa is lagging.” She noted that while the private sector is making progress with 31.1 percent female board representation, only 10 percent of these boards are chaired by women.”

The event also witnessed the graduation of the first cohort of the Women in Law Mentoring Programme (WILMP), a transformative initiative funded by the Gates Foundation and implemented in collaboration with FIDA Nigeria and the NBA. Developed 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.

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 percent female representation in federal and state cabinets, 35 percent women on boards and in executive management of listed companies, and the adoption of a modern labour policy guaranteeing at least 16 weeks paid maternity leave and 14 days paid paternity leave by 2027. These reforms which have been endorsed and embraced by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Dr. Nkiruka Onyejeocha are essential to building institutions that reflect Nigeria’s talent, diversity, and governance aspirations.

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

With over 17,000 women empowered since inception, WISCAR continues to serve as a catalyst for national transformation. The insights and recommendations emerging from the 2025 conference will feed directly into its advocacy engagements ensuring that the momentum generated at the conference and through public sector engagements by the WIL coalition translate into sustained institutional impact.

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