Experts and speakers at the 13th edition of the Inspiring Woman Series, themed: ‘Audacity to dare’ charged women to take bold career steps and break gender barriers and stereotypes.
Kemi Ajumobi, editor, Women’s Hub and convener, Inspiring Woman Series conference shared her story on how and why the conference began. She spoke about her interaction with the women she had interviewed and how it was something she enjoyed but knew she had to take it a notch higher hence the birth of the conference. “It has been an interesting journey. It is thirteen years, I am glad we are here.” She said.
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, minister of Women Affairs and Social Development called on women to embrace bold leadership, mentorship, and collaboration as indispensable tools for empowerment and progress.
The minister reflected on the need for women to take proactive steps to realise their potential and drive societal transformation.
She said, “Daring to dream has never been a solitary pursuit. It is rooted in mentorship, collaboration, and human support systems.”
Drawing from her personal experiences, Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted how mentorship had been pivotal in her journey through uncharted territories.
She encouraged women to approach mentorship as both a means of gaining insight and an opportunity to empower others, saying, “Embrace mentorship, not only as a mentee seeking guidance but also as mentors creating opportunities for others.”
Temitayo Dada, trade commissioner of Global Affairs, Canada, advised women to take up space and make their voices heard regardless of their industry.
“Punch above your weight class, because you just may win.” She shared the example of a fight in a ring between a heavyweight champion and a skinny opponent.
Dada noted that the skinny opponent had a chance to win if armed with the right strategies.
The minister further cited key policy initiatives under her stewardship, including the revised National Gender Policy and the United Nations Resolution 1325, which ensures women’s full participation in peace building and decision-making processes.
“I want those years to come for Nigeria where women are empowered to try to flourish, translated into actionable steps that bring tangible benefits to every segment of society.
She added, “For me, my journey has never been a free pursuit. It is rooted in mentorship, collaboration and building support systems,” she said.
Acknowledging the importance of collective action, the Minister stressed the need for collaboration between governmental and non-governmental bodies.
She encouraged stakeholders to align efforts with the Ministry to avoid silos and track the collective impact effectively, asserting, “When we align our efforts, we get concerted efforts. We can report better. We can even do better. We can amplify whatever we’re doing.”
Dada further stated that supporting women is not only for the private sector. She called on countries to institutionalise programmes that empower vulnerable communities like women, and children, like the Canadian government.
“We are fostering avenues to put women in powerful rooms, when you’re in a room, make sure that your presence and voice is felt and that you impact the room,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim also challenged women to lead with humility, determination, and faith, “Leadership is not just about taking our time. It’s about building the way for others to thrive. When you are humble, you allow God to rise in you. He will raise you beyond your dreams.”
Margaret Olele, chief executive officer of the American Business Council, stated that the first step to achieving success as a woman is to be self-aware.
“You have to be self-aware and also love yourself, or else you won’t understand who you are and where you want to be,” she said.
Olele noted that there’s a misconception that those who are the loudest are usually the boldest. However, she argued, that “if you understand yourself better, you’ll have the audacity to dare.”
She further stated that the need to create equal opportunities doesn’t imply creating separate standards for women.
“We give opportunities based on the highest standards possible. However, we should create equity in the opportunities and ensure that the standards are still held up,” she stated.
In response to taking over uncharted territories, Olele said that women should strive to understand the industry, build relationships and have a 360-degree understanding of the people in the space including the policies in the space.
She added, “Mentoring is critical, and it’s not mentoring for mentoring sake.”
“Go for mentors who can give you the right support systems. Understand what you need in a mentoring space. It’s not just for the show of it, there’s a calling that women should pass on the torch,” she said.
Isi Igenegba, co-founder, Strom Global Services Ltd, shared that audacity isn’t only what we do because when more people do it, it becomes a movement.
She said, “When more women do it, it inspires more women to take action.”
She added that audacity will shape the next generation when we begin to teach the women of this generation how to dare.
“Teach them to arrive at a place where audacity can bear results,” Igenegba noted.
She said that through the power of education, more women will step out of cultural limitations and restrictions.
“That’s how audacity works, by women empowering younger women more women who speak and rise.”
“It’s not about saying let’s give women more opportunities because we’re seeking to fill a gap, but because they’re able to pull their weight. Women should get into the space, gain the necessary knowledge and skills, and get mentors who can help them navigate and of course, do not shy away from the deals when they come.”
“Tie yourself to mentorship and tutors and do not shy away from the table. Do not run away from being at the right tables,” Igenegba added.
Adenike Ogunlesi, founder of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, in another panel themed, ‘Audacity Made Me Do It’, emphasised the impact of women rising above stereotypes.
“As a woman, you need to first find your story and define it the way you want,” she said.
Sharing her first experience with audaciousness, Ogunlesi said she drew inspiration from her parent’s journey.
“My childhood journey taught me that there was nothing that could stop me from being what I want. So, the biggest risk I ever took was to leave the university where I was studying law at the Ahmadu Bello University because I did not like the course,” she noted.
She went further to encourage women that when faced with fears and doubts, belief in oneself is important.
According to her, despite initial opposition to her promotion, she not only succeeded in her role but was later asked to oversee two positions simultaneously, a testament to her remarkable performance.
She added that to overcome fear you must ask yourself questions. “When you take out whatever is causing fear or doubt, it allows you to think freely. Take out the fear and ask questions that empower you.”
On her part, Oluwayemisi Olorunshola, chairman of the board of directors at Wema Bank, reflected on her journey of defying societal expectations and carving her path.
“As women, we often face stories told on our behalf, limitations imposed by others because of our roles as wives, mothers, or simply women,” she said. “But the truth is, we must define our own stories and push boundaries with audacity and courage.”
Olorunshola said capacity is about boldness, and facing challenges head-on, no matter how small or significant they seem.
Similarly, Patrick Akinwuntan, Adjunct Faculty of the Lagos Business School, highlighted that a good leader inspires people to believe in the leader, however, a great leader inspires people to believe in themselves.
“We should look for substance, not the form,” he said. “When you look from within, you will see your true ability.”
Akinwuntan who is also the former regional executive of Ecobank noted that, “Leadership is not about taking charge, rather it is about taking charge of the people you are in charge of.”
Seun Suleiman, managing director of Siemens Energy West Africa said the consciousness of self-awareness and purpose is the first step in taking audacious steps.
“My desire for impact helped me become audacious to leave the United Nations and return to Nigeria where today I am one of the youngest chief executive officers among others,” he shared.
Speaking on the third panel themed, ‘Corporately Speaking, She Dared’, Kari Tukur, regional vice president & head of Customer Solutions for the Indian Ocean Islands, East, and West Africa at Mastercard stated that the corporate world will thrive better with professionals showing vulnerability.
“The professionals I look up to always seemed perfect and unattainable to us. This is why seminars, workshops, forums, and conversations inspire women’s stories,” she said.
Odiri Oginni, CEO of United Capital Asset Management Limited shared how taking her CFA exam as a young professional changed the trajectory of her career.
“It was a bold decision for me because I wasn’t in the deal-making space. If I look back today, it is one of the best decisions to get a CFA, it changed my career trajectory, and when I look back, accepting the decision to lead, was a bold decision,” she said.
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, Founding Partner & CEO, Aruwa Capital said that her first audacious moves were driven by the need to create more opportunities for women-led businesses.
“I saw clear gaps for women. There were less than 10 firms run by women and only 2 percent of capital was going to women. Now, we’ve been able to support 175 direct jobs for women and we’ll continue to support women-led businesses,” she said.
Ayodele Olojede, divisional head, of Retail SME, Wema Bank Plc, urged women to take bold steps and prepare adequately for uncertainties.
“For me, it’s been about preparation and having people who are cheering you on even when you fail,” she said.
Oginni further added that one of the reasons why women hold back is because they take failure personally.
“Women find a way to replay it in their minds so much that it weighs them down,” she said.
“When I realised that the sadness from failure was weighing me down, I became very particular about not failing at things I do,” she added.
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