WISCAR Sounds Alarm on Nigeria's Women Leadership Deficit
The organization Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) has declared an urgent need for action to close the significant gap between gender equity promises and their actual implementation across Nigeria's public and private sectors. This call to action will form the central focus of their upcoming 2025 Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference.
Conference Details and Ambitious Goals
Scheduled for Saturday, November 29, 2025, at The Civic Centre in Lagos, this 17th edition will operate under the powerful theme "Claiming Our Future: Women in Leadership and Policy Transformation." The event aims to gather influential figures from government, corporate Nigeria, and civil society to develop concrete strategies for boosting women's participation in governance and high-level decision-making.
At a press briefing held in Ikoyi, Lagos, WISCAR's Founder and Chairperson, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, framed the conference as a critical juncture for turning national commitments on gender equity into tangible results. She emphasized the timing, noting it coincides with the global commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
"At WISCAR, we believe women are not just participants in nation-building; they are architects of transformation," Oyagbola stated. "The future we seek will not be handed to us; we must claim it through leadership, mentorship, and collective action."
The Stark Reality of Women's Representation
Oyagbola expressed deep concern over the persistent underrepresentation of women in key leadership positions, despite the federal government's pledge to reach 35 per cent female representation in political and public offices by 2027. Data presented reveals the current disappointing state of affairs.
Women currently occupy only 16.7 per cent of federal cabinet positions and hold fewer than 10 per cent of elective offices across the country. At the state level, only Kwara and Kaduna have managed to achieve gender-balanced executive councils. The situation is even more dire at the local government level, where women hold a mere 3.7 per cent of chairmanship positions, a significant drop from the 10 per cent recorded before local government autonomy reforms were implemented.
In contrast, the private sector provides a glimmer of hope. Women now account for 31.1 per cent of board seats within the NGX30 index, with every one of the top 30 listed companies featuring at least one woman on their board. A landmark achievement sees five of these companies being led by female chief executives, a first in Nigeria's corporate history.
"These milestones demonstrate that when policy frameworks are coupled with accountability and leadership intent, tangible progress becomes inevitable," Oyagbola remarked.
Mentorship as a National Development Strategy
A key feature of the 2025 conference will be the graduation of 105 mentees from the first group of the Women in Law Mentoring Programme (WILMP), an initiative backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Oyagbola announced plans to replicate the successful WILMP model in other vital sectors like engineering, finance, and media, describing mentorship as "not just a career tool but a national development strategy."
Ekemini Akpakpan, WISCAR's Executive Secretary, reported that the organization has now graduated over 600 women through its various mentoring tracks, highlighting its expanding influence on professional advancement for women in Nigeria.
The conference will feature a keynote address from Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, whom Oyagbola praised as a living example of the conference theme.
Other notable speakers confirmed for the event include:
- Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
- Dr. Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, Founder of WARIF
- Dr. Tayo Aduloju, CEO of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)
A high-level panel discussion will include contributions from Abubakar Suleiman (CEO of Sterling Bank), Funke Amobi (Deputy Head of Operations, Stanbic IBTC), Odunayo Sanya (Executive Director, MTN Foundation), Abosede George-Ogan (Executive Director, WILAN), and Hauwa Haliru-Hassan (CEO, Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum Secretariat).
Tokunboh George-Taylor, the Conference Organising Chair, shared that this year's agenda includes intimate fireside chats with the keynote speaker, offering attendees a deeper look into her leadership journey. Networking sessions are also designed to encourage meaningful dialogue and mentorship connections. "Having that personal story being told is one of the things we get out of the conference. It's a day of learning, networking, and shared experiences," she explained.
Awards and Coalition for Concrete Reforms
WISCAR will introduce two new awards at the conference: the Ambassador and Mrs. A.I. Atta HeForShe Award for Integrity, Leadership and Allyship, which honors men who actively promote gender inclusion, and the Prof. Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award, celebrating exceptional WISCAR alumni making a difference in their fields.
Oyagbola stated that these awards underscore the vital message that "advancing women's leadership is not a women's cause alone but a shared mission that demands partnership between men and women."
In a significant move for collective action, WISCAR has allied with the Women in Leadership Coalition—comprising WILAN, WIMBIZ, and the Nigeria Governors' Forum—to push a unified agenda centered on three critical policy reforms:
- Modern labour reform guaranteeing 16 weeks of paid maternity leave and 14 days of paid paternity leave.
- A minimum of 35 percent women on boards and in executive management of listed companies.
- 35 percent female representation in both federal and state cabinets.
"These reforms are essential to achieving genuine gender balance and building institutions that reflect the diversity, competence, and leadership potential of our nation," Oyagbola asserted.
Pre-conference activities will feature the Annual Leadership and Mentoring Awards, alongside a wellness-focused networking session for mentors and mentees. This segment will include talks on wellness and skin care from medical professionals, creating what Ekemini described as "a very safe space" for community building. George-Taylor noted that WISCAR partners with hospitals every year to provide these relevant wellness discussions, reflecting the organization's comprehensive approach to empowering women.
