Adeleye-Fayemi’s Books Take Centre Stage at 2024 Gender Conference 

Oluchi Chibuzor 

Gender advocate and the former first lady of Ekiti State, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi’s three books served as a prelude to the 2024 gender conference held in Lagos recently.

Adeleye-Fayemi was interrogated by university lecturers and students on the contextual relevance of the books in gender issues, leadership and accountability.

The former first lady, whose books titled ‘Loud Whispers’, ‘Where is Your Wrapper’, ‘A Tray of Locust Beans’, and ‘Demand and Supply’, set the tone for the conference, reflected on her personal experiences, struggles for women’s rights, views and contributions to gender advocacy.

She regretted that African women no longer have time when it comes to gender conversations, adding that no nation can make progress without the full equal participation of men and women in national development.

Delivering her keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, said if Nigerian women are to play in national development, the country must review its constitution. 

Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, she said that different models have been advanced on advancing issues surrounding women in Nigeria.

For the convener of Gender Conference 2024, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo, “the bottom line is that we have gender issues, and these issues cannot go away until all of us join hands together to see the role of the woman.”