Iluyomade, Sanwo-Olu, Others Dazzle at 14th Arise Women Conference

HighLife

Guests who attended the 14th Arise Women Conference in Lagos which was held recently are still savouring the experience. This time, the convener of the conference, Siju Iluyomade, as well as her good friend, Lagos First Lady. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, went all out to get the best people to attend. Apart from the most distinguished guests, there were more than 20,000 people in attendance, so the conference had to be spread across different venues: the New Trinity Towers, City of David Sanctuary, Havilah, and The Incubator.

During the event, Iluyomade made sure to hammer in the facts of women’s role in national development. She explained that a society that discriminated against women’s leadership was a society that stayed at the bottom of modern civilization. She also noted that every kind of inequality, but especially gender inequality, was a sign that things are bad and getting worse. As such, she advised the women in attendance to stop folding their hands and rise to the challenge, contributing to the growth and development of Nigeria and securing the future of their children.

Among the distinguished guests at the event, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, was the most distinguished. During his address, he commended the awesome exploits of the women on stage and asked that they keep up the good work. He also enjoined them to help strengthen the pillars of the nation, that is, children and the elderly, so that the past is not lost and the future remains secure.

Several other distinguished individuals raised the cry for more women’s participation in politics. These include the former First Lady of Nasarawa State, Mairo Al-Makura; the Vice Chancellor-designate of the University of Lagos, Professor Folashade Ogunsola; Director General of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Pastor Abimbola Ekwueme; and the National Director/CEO of Sickle Cell Foundation, Annette Akinsete; to name a few.