. What Lagos first lady, Deputy governor’s wife, Tinubu-Ojo, Alile-Idele, Okoya-Thomas, Others said about Adebule and her achievements
In a remarkable show of advocacy for gender empowerment and community development, the Senator representing Lagos-West, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has convened the First Lagos-West Women Assembly, where Lagos first Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, hailed her leadership describing the initiative as “a testament to her enduring passion for women development and grassroots impact.”
Platforms Africa reports that the event brought together a wide spectrum of women across Lagos-West to inspire their potential and strengthen their roles as key agents of societal development.
Platforms Africa reports that the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-olu; the Wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Remi Hamzat; the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief (Dr.) Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the National Woman Leader of APC, Dr. Mrs. Mary Alile-Idele; Former member, House of Representatives and the Lagos State APC Woman Leader, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas; former Deputy Speaker of Lagos State and Lagos-West APC Woman Leader, Rt. Hon. Bola Badmus; the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, were among the dignitaries that graced the well-attended event.
The event was themed, “Building a Stronger Community.”
The event also featured the empowerment of 250 women and raffle draws, with participants winning prizes including two mini-buses to support their businesses.
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In her address, Senator Adebule expressed deep appreciation to invited dignitaries and participants for their presence.
She highlighted the assembly as a milestone in the ongoing efforts to empower women intellectually, economically, and politically.
She pointed out the indispensable role women play in building balanced and compassionate communities.
She emphasized that the Assembly aims to confront challenges limiting women’s advancement, including socio-economic inequalities and negative customary practices.
She said: “I thank the distinguished guests and participants for spending your precious time with us on this all-important forum which has been organised to bring women of Lagos-West together to inspire them to realise their potential and give them the impetus to play their naturally endowed role as builders of great, strong and resilient communities as a catalyst for nation building.
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“We are here today in recognition and celebration of the strength and resilience of women as well as the powerful force they represent in shaping the future of our communities, our state, and our nation.
“As women, we are the heart and backbone of our society. From our homes to our workplaces, from our local markets to our schools, our influence on every facet of life can not be ignored because without women, the world will be a boring and dangerous place to live. Wherever there are women, there is focus, balance, love, compassion, happiness, nourishment and purposefulness. It presupposes that the inherent qualities and virtues of women are indispensable and can not be outsourced because they come with nature.
“However, we must acknowledge the struggles that women go through to get things done in our communities or society in particular and indeed, globally due to socio-economic inequalities and negative customary practices that tends to limit women’s ability to fairly engage the society and get to the pinnacle of their career path especially with the proverbial glass ceiling being difficult to break. These and some other considerations inspired me to facilitate this first Lagos-West Women Assembly to contribute to the effort being made around the world to motivate women to aspire for greater inclusion in the socio-economic and political space.
“The theme of today’s assembly calls upon women to recognize that collaborative engagement is the key to breaking all barriers limiting their ability to excel and be counted among the leading lights of our communities. If indeed we must build resilient communities with women being indispensable in the matrix, then empowering them intellectually, economically and politically to improve their capacity to engage at the community level is of utmost importance. These are the issues that are at the heart of this assembly.
“Distinguished guests, our journey towards building stronger communities begins with providing women and the youths relevant social, economic and political education; functional soft skills and financial empowerment which are the ingredients needed to energise them to leadership in all sectors including political leadership. Therefore, the participating women at this assembly have been carefully selected as fair representation of the good and beautiful women of Lagos-West and our intention is to enlighten, inspire, and motivate them with the required tools to enhance their capacity to live up to their naturally assigned roles of builders of stronger and resilient communities.”
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The Senator urged all stakeholders, elites, privileged individuals, and organisations to join in dismantling barriers against women’s participation in leadership and community building.
“It is pertinent for all stakeholders, elites, privileged individuals and organisations to join hands in promoting the socio-economic wellbeing and upliftment of women as well as removing the cultural and political barriers limiting the participation of women in the building of stronger and resilient communities. If we invest in women and girls, it will become easier to meet the target of sustainable development goals (SDG), overcome other global challenges of conflicts, climate change and economic downturn.
“Meanwhile, education, enlightenment, empowerment, motivation and feedback as envisioned in this women assembly, is paramount to unlocking the inherent potentials of women as a precursor to inclusivity in building vibrant, stronger and resilient communities and nation as a whole,” she said.
Deleivering her speech on the topic, “Leading with Purpose: Women at the Heart of Community Development,” Founder and Chairperson of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), Amina Oyagbola, explored the essence of leadership, highlighting that it is defined not by title but by impact and intention.
She challenged women to reflect on the kind of leaders and legacies they wish to build, stressing that purposeful leadership, especially by women, has the capacity to uplift communities and transform lives.
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She said, “Leadership is not defined by the title or position you hold, but by the influence you wield and the impact you make. It is about being intentional, about leading with clarity, compassion, and purpose and making a difference in peoples lives.
“We must ask ourselves: What kind of leader do I want to be? What kind of community do I want to help build? What legacy do I want to leave behind?
“Every action we take no matter how small must be guided by purpose. Leadership without purpose is directionless. But purposeful leadership especially from women has the power to transform lives, uplift generations, and build stronger, more resilient communities.
“Some people by their deeds and actions harm their communities, not necessarily out of malice, but out of ignorance. That is why the ability to reflect, analyze, and foresee the consequences of our actions before we act is fundamental to leadership.”
Oyagbola called attention to grassroots leadership as the foundation for national transformation.
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She said: “To lead with purpose, you must start where you are—with your family, your workplace, your community. Every home is a microcosm of the nation. The values we instil in our children, the decisions we make in our daily lives—all contribute to shaping society.
“The truth is, you cannot lead from the mountaintop if you’ve never walked through the valley. The most effective and successful leaders are those who have lived among the people, understood their struggles, and led them from the heart.
“Leadership starts at the grassroots. If we want to build stronger communities, we must empower women to lead locally and support them as they rise.”
Also speaking, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, hailed the leadership of Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, describing the initiative as “a testament to her enduring passion for women development and grassroots impact.”
She drew parallels between the Assembly and the annual National Women’s Conference organized by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), emphasizing both platforms’ commitment to dialogue, mentorship, and empowerment.
Platforms Africa
