Franca Ovadje, a Nigerian economist has been awarded the Harambee 2022 award for the promotion and equality of African women, her academic and professional merits, as well as for her great social works.
The executive committee of Harambee Spain gave Ovadje the award in recognition of her work for over 20 years in promoting female entrepreneurs and leadership skills development among female undergraduates which she has been doing voluntarily.
Ovadje while receiving the award in Madrid said she would use the prize money for the project, “Tech Power” which will empower secondary school girls in urban slums with the technical and leadership skills they require if they are not to be left behind by the 4th industrial revolution.
Franca Ovadje is co-founder of the pioneering women’s training a non-governmental organisation, Women’s Entrepreneurs Forum (NBWF), and has developed market opening projects for females in small and medium enterprises in Nigeria and training programmes such as the ‘Grow Your Business Programme,’ followed by nearly 5,000 women in his country.
For more than 15 years, she has designed and delivered leadership programmes for students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and among others.
Ovadje while receiving the award in Madrid said she never expected to receive an award for her work. According to her, it is indeed a privilege, a duty to reach out to others and encourage them to pay forward.
“Distinguished members of Harambee ONGD and Rene Furterer, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to the executive committee of Harambee Spain for awarding me the Harambee 2022 Prize for the promotion and equality of African women.
“It is an inspiration to work for African women, and I am happy to share that since my nomination, I have started another project, “Tech Power”, which will empower young girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in a practical and fun-filled way.
“I did not become proactively involved in advocacy for women in society. I simply saw challenges in my environment and decided to find the people and resources to provide some solutions. I never expected to be here receiving a prize.
I accept this prize for the promotion and equity of women in Africa with deep humility and a sense of responsibility on behalf of the Nigerian women and especially those I worked with to actualize our dreams. I thank you once again for this honour,” Ovadje said.
Some of the beneficiaries of the programmes include Nike Ogunlesi, founder & chief executive officer of ‘Ruff n Tumble’; Muni Shonibare, founder & chief executive officer of IO Furniture Limited, and Osemhen Okenyi.
The economist revealed that she would love to implement Tech Power in many secondary schools in poor neighbourhoods and help many young girls and their families out of poverty and inequality.
And her group is talking to several prospective partners who will provide mentoring for the girls, buy computers, and provide internet access for the schools among others.
Besides, her NGO already has a partner who is willing to provide education in STEM in a fun and practical way. This she strongly believes impacts participants and at the end of the programme, the lives of the beneficiaries will not be the same.
Read also: The importance of encouraging STEM among young women
Ovadje shared her early childhood experience as a female in Nigeria; “I was not discriminated against as a girl child. I was brought up by loving, God-fearing parents who believed in me.
“From early childhood, I wanted to make a difference in my country. My father gave me immense support. He even gave me an allowance to buy a business newspaper every day while I was at university.
“My parents believed I could be anything I wanted to be. They did not discriminate against their five daughters in favour of their five sons. I was privileged to have parents who considered education the key to opening doors to the future. I also learned social consciousness from my home.
“The situation with a large majority of women in Nigeria is not the same. The girl-child often grows up without many opportunities. If the family is poor, she may not get an education. Early marriage is still common, especially in northern Nigeria.”
She regretted that in many cultures in Nigeria, women do not inherit from their natural families or their matrimonial homes. The man is the head of the household and the woman is not seen as a helper of equal dignity and respect.
She said that without education and the ability to inherit property or wealth, the economic opportunities for Nigerian women are limited.
The award winner explained that experiencing discrimination at the early stages of childhood has an impact on the psyche of the woman in adulthood. She begins to lose her self-confidence very early in life.
