Africa’s future hinges on women securing true authority in legislative and executive roles to drive real change, a former Ethiopian president warned. Sahle-Work Zewde, who led Ethiopia from 2018 to 2024 after stints as a UN Under-Secretary-General and African diplomat, shared this view in a keynote speech. She spoke at the Inspiring Woman Africa Series 14 event in Lagos on Thursday, themed “Leadership Redefined: Charting New Paths to Excellence.”
Zewde stressed that mere quotas fall short without power to act. “In order to bring substantive change, women have to be in power,” she said. “If she doesn’t have the power to legislate, if she doesn’t have the power to execute, it will just remain ticking boxes.” Without such influence, she added, lasting progress stays out of reach.
The trailblazer urged women to claim their stories boldly. “For a woman, if a woman doesn’t talk about herself, doesn’t tell her story, nobody will,” Zewde noted. She recalled her own path, including as the first African woman to head a UN peacebuilding mission, where she embraced success as the only choice. At 37, she became an ambassador, earning the title “Your Excellency” ever since—a milestone she said proves the sky truly is the limit.
Zewde called for solidarity amid crises. “It will be a miss for me if I do not address the issue of supporting one another,” she said. She spotlighted suffering in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, insisting women must amplify silenced voices. She also puzzled over low female election wins despite women forming most voters: “How come when a woman is a candidate, she’s not elected? We have to support them.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, joined virtually to affirm government backing for women’s rise. “Women are not just participants in leadership. We are architects of new possibilities,” she declared. Her focus: building systems for gender equity, especially in economic spheres, through the Social Impact Intervention Programme 774 that reaches every local government with empowerment tools.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim promoted the ministry’s digital platform as a hub for verified resources on jobs, mental health, legal aid, safety, and networks. “Leadership is not merely about action. It’s about transformation, impact, and leaving every space better than we found it,” she urged. She called on women to expand circles and uplift one another.
Mrs Angela Emuwa, Chairman of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, advised harnessing inner strength for change. Women must know themselves, invest in growth, and lead with empathy, she said. “Don’t give up. As women, we must be persuasive and determined,” Emuwa added. “If you have a goal, stay focused and keep pushing to achieve it.”
Chinwe Iloghalu, Acting Managing Director and CEO of Nova Bank, unpacked leadership in finance. Success demands grasping power dynamics, team diversity, and an organisation’s growth phase, she explained. In banking’s shift to AI and machine learning, “efficiency rides on technology… speed and efficiency” now set the bar.
Iloghalu described her hands-on style as transactional coach and mentor. AI handles credit scoring and risks in seconds, while predictive tools tailor lifestyle products, she noted. The event, founded by media expert Kemi Ajumobi, empowers African women via conferences, publications, and training to spark resilience and inclusion.
