•Hon. Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi presenting an award to HRH Queen Hauwa Kulu Adamu Ibrahim during the Abuja Accelerator event in New York
DR. FLORENCE AKANO reporting
On March 19, 2024, the Abuja Accelerator event titled “Unifying Women for Global Impact” was held as a significant effort to enhance women’s voices and influence worldwide.
At the event, Hon. Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary for Women Affairs Secretariat of the FCT Administration supported by Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkure, Honourable Minister of State FCT; Ayodeji Megbope, CEO of No Left Overs Nig. Ltd; Ms Inimfon Etuk, Founder of She Forum Africa and Facilitator; Mama Africa (Mrs. Grace Adayilo); Hansatu Adegbite, Executive Director of WIMBIZ; Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS; and Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe who is the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health and Environment Secretariat (FCT-HES); all pledged to accelerate economic development specifically for women in the region.
The Abuja Accelerator conference was a side event co-organised by the Office of the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, and UN Women. Held in New York City, the event was a microcosm of the larger FCT-hosted conference, bringing together influential speakers and stakeholders to tackle critical women’s empowerment and advancement issues.
The distinguished figure leading the Abuja Accelerator is Hon. Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, in her capacity as the Mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat who always leveraged her multifaceted career cutting across media practice, politics, environment advocacy, and entrepreneurship to champion women empowerment relies extensively on supports from Ms Inimfon Etuk as Facilitator, Beatrice Eyong and Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, among others.
The summit opened with a remark delivered by Chief (Dcn.) Linda Middleton and this set the tone for the programme as served as an inspiration for the subsequent proceedings. Following after, Hon. Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, the visionary leader behind the Women Affairs Secretariat, delivered a heartfelt welcome address, emphasizing the importance of unity and collective action in advancing the rights and opportunities of women, worldwide.
According to Hon. Dr. Benjamins-Laniyi, the Abuja Accelerator Programme will empower women in the FCT through innovation, inspiration, collaboration and cooperation. Stating that the purpose of the gathering in New York was to rally everyone towards advancing ongoing initiatives aimed at amplifying the voice of women in the FCT and champion their cause.
She equally stated that the program served as a means for promoting and increasing awareness of women’s successes and challenges, which led to her becoming an advocate. She expressed optimism about the program’s potential to boost women’s status in the society and lobby for legislations that promotes gender equality. The Abuja Accelerator program is a noteworthy instance of how women can unite to bring about positive change in the world. Importantly, she noted that the accelerator is transforming more than just the lives of individual women by equipping them for global influence. It also provides avenue for moulding a profitable and acceptable future for everyone, including children who represent the future.
Hon. Dr. Benjamins-Laniyi pledged to empower women in the FCT using every available creative programmes and resources in cooperation with the Abuja Accelerator Programme.
Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkure on her part reaffirmed the support of the Honourable Minister for the FCT, His Excellency Nyesom Wike saying the Minister is totally committed to the advancement of women’s economic progress, deploying their potential for national and global influence.
The Honourable Minister of State emphasised that the theme of the event is emphatic in highlighting the potentials of women around the world, the need for collaboration and their coming together in solidarity to accomplish more for the society.
According to Hon. Dr. Bunkure, the Abuja Accelerator programme will serve as a guiding light for “renewed hope,” providing women with an opportunity to unite, share experiences and enhance their voices in order to bring about significant transformation. She emphasised that the programme encompasses a sense of empowerment and advancement for women in all spheres of life from the FCT.
“The space will allow women from diverse backgrounds to come together, share ideas and collaborate on ways to tackle urgent challenges affecting women worldwide,” she stated. Furthermore, the programme would provide the necessary skills and knowledge for participants to initiate positive changes in their communities and elsewhere.
Expressing a positive belief that the programme would enhance women’s standing in the society, she advocated for policies that will advance gender equality.
In her message of encouragement, HRH Queen Hauwa Kulu Adamu Ibrahim, the widely respected matriarch of the FCT, gave thought provoking talk on the theme “Challenges that face Rural Women of the 6 Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory – The Abuja Accelerator.” She explained what unity meant, and how important it is for women to embrace it. She then delved into the numerous obstacles encountered by rural women in the FCT, emphasising the immediate requirement for specific measures. Subsequently, Ambassador Dr. Jacqueline Mohair delved into the crucial need to enhance female empowerment worldwide, ensuring a unified growth that doesn’t leave out some women. She spoke mainly on how important it is to have women embrace the online platforms as a way of showcasing their brilliant abilities for the world to see.
The Dean, Commissioners of Women Affairs in Nigeria, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, who was also in attendance gave an impassioned speech, starting from her own mother’s story to highlight the strength of women in groups. She encouraged women of Africa to form partnerships and groups to grow even better. She also talked about the importance of bridging generation gaps, teaching children the right knowledge in other to leave
During the afternoon, participants bonded through interactions, interviews, photos sessions and high profile engagements, facilitating a platform for enhancing women’s empowerment by building networks. An award-giving ceremony followed during lunch to celebrate and acknowledge exceptional female development pioneers.
Attendees left feeling revitalized, purposefully committed to using collaboration as reinforcement to empower future generations of women. The Abuja Accelerator acted as a catalyst towards driving dynamic change, sparking movements that go above and beyond borders through the empowerment of women towards achieving their maximum potential. Indeed, as the name indicates, the Abuja Accelerator summit has set the tone for the future of women in the FCT as it addressed multi-facet tools to empower them.
