Erelu Bisi Fayemi Appeals To African Leaders

L-R: National Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and Executive Director, Female Leadership Forum, Mrs Comfort Idika-Ogunye, during the 10th anniversary of the forum, in Lagos, at the weekend

An appeal has gone to African governments to invest in women’s movements. Wife of Ekiti State governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, made this appeal in Lagos at the 10th anniversary of the Female Leadership Forum (FLF).
Erelu Fayemi, who is also the President of the African Women Development Fund, urged African women to prepare themselves for the next generation of African leadership.
She said that establishment of strong women movements would encourage more women to offer themselves for leadership positions in their various countries. She stressed the need to put policy framework in place that would provide women leaders with the wherewithal, which would assist to realise their dreams and rewrite the history of Africa.
Stressing the need for key institutions of government to realise that no nation could develop without the support and solidarity of women, Erelu Fayemi urged political parties to present more women for elective and appointive positions.
She acknowledged that the Beijing Conference had changed Africa’s political landscape with the presence of a minimum of 30 per cent of women in the political structure of most African countries. The governor’s wife charged women to keep company of only good people who would help to harness share their dreams and potential.
Back home, she disclosed that Ekiti was the first state to domesticate National Gender Policy, adding that the equal opportunities bill would soon be sent to the House of Assembly.

Earlier, in a lecture titled, “Empowering our next generation: moving ahead and walking the talk, the guest lecturer, Dr Keziah Awosika, stressed the need to appreciate women in their efforts to transform the society.
While commending the organization for its efforts aimed at transforming the society, she urged women to continue their clamour for equal opportunities and political participation.
She emphasised the need for women to always ask for their rights in terms of education, health, economy and political participation.
Dr Awosika advised women to have a rallying point to create a formidable voice.

The Executive Director of the forum, Mrs. Comfort Idika-Ogunye, said the forum has shown commitment to the pursuit and concrete realization of her vision through education, training, advocacy and enterprise development.
She added that various interventions by the forum had encouraged and stimulated the interest of women to participate in strategic decision-making process.
She promised to consolidate the achievements of the forum through continuous interventions that would put women in their rightful places.
Also at the ceremony were the National Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs. Funso Amosun.

Last modified: June 17, 2012