AWB Report Offers ‘Balanced Prescription’ for Nigerian Health Leadership Gap
A new report into gender equity in Nigeria’s health sector has highlighted key disparities in leadership positions. ‘A Balanced Prescription: Leadership & Innovation in Nigeria’s Health Sector’, was previewed at a recent roundtable in Lagos, attended by senior level professionals working in and around the field.
Published by non-profit organisation, African Women in Board (AWB), the report calls for a fundamental restructuring to empower women as leaders, framing these changes not only as advancements for social good, but as a pragmatic imperative for strategic steps forward in overall national health.
The launch event, organized by AWB in collaboration with eHealth Africa, Avon HMO, Capital Club, BellaNaija and The Macallan, saw health leaders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders discuss the report’s key findings and recommendations, charting a course of actionable strategies to advance women’s leadership and the sector at large.
Pathways to progress
The preview of the report comes ahead of its launch at the third annual Remarkable Women’s Leadership Conference (RAW), which will take place at the Africa Soft Power Summit taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from May 21st – 25th2025 and analyse the state of women’s leadership beyond the health sector and across a range of different industries.
Commenting on the upcoming event, Founder of African Women (AWB) on Board and Africa Soft Power (ASP), Nkiru Balonwu, said: “RAW provides not only a stage for African female leaders, but a spotlight under which to scrutinise and study the vast array of new ideas and approaches that this often still neglected section of the business community can bring. Our public and private sectors face huge collective challenges – and opportunities – right now. In order to meet them in the right way and maximise our outcomes, we need to hear from the full spectrum of today’s leaders, and potential leaders, and use these learnings to create a more robust economic future for all.”
To further support organizational and behavioural change, AWB has developed a Gender Equity Commitment Toolkit, which has been specifically designed to align with and promote global best practices, led by African insight. The GEC Toolkit assists organizations in enhancing their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards by promoting gender inclusivity, ethical practices, and sustainable growth. A pilot program for the GEC is currently underway in West Africa.
Bridging the gender data gap
Further discussion from the ‘Balanced Prescription’ report launch event highlighted the importance of data in understanding and implementing change. “Gender equity is rooted in data. Without data, we can’t make informed decisions,” said Audrey Odogu – Senior Manager at eHealth Africa.
Other participants echoed the necessity of robust data collection and accompanying analysis, viewing a data-driven approach as essential for tracking progress and in particular helping to ensure that AI platforms – as they become more integrated – are trained on diverse and representative datasets that accurately reflect African women’s healthcare experiences, preventing the reinforcement of existing biases.
Additionally, Dr. Olayemi Dawodu, Managing Director of Cerba Lancet Nigeria, emphasised the importance of training through executive programs and university integration, to build a strong leadership pipeline. She also highlighted the importance of representation and mentorship, advocating for formalized mentorship initiatives within medical schools, and emphasized the need for economic empowerment to address inequality: “If a woman can achieve financial independence, she can escape situations like violence or other challenges.”
Speaking to one of the report’s specific recommendations, Dr. Dawodu also addressed the need to break the culture of shame around women’s health issues like perimenopause and menopause, advocating for more experts to help acknowledge and understand these changes.
Dr. Mories Atoki, CEO of the African Business Coalition for Health (ABC Health), challenged younger generations to recognize their unique role in shaping the future: “You are not the generation of victims. You are the generation of the loudest advocates for women that has ever existed.”
Nnenna Onyewuchi, Executive Director of Strategy and Innovation at Yellow Brick Road, pointed to the systemic nature of gender inequities. “We operate within legacy systems and structures designed for Victorian men who are long gone. We must ask ourselves if these structures still serve us. Those in policy and education must rethink whether our systems are truly fit for purpose.”
Mary Edoro, Chief of Staff & Head of Strategy at BellaNaija, acknowledged the wide-reaching effects of media framing and highlighted the distinction between women’s economic empowerment and true power. “Let’s move beyond ‘empowering women,’ which often implies permission, to placing women in actual positions of power,” she urged, emphasizing the need for greater representation in decision-making roles, including elected office.
The next step, called for by many key stakeholders present at the event, is ensuring that the momentum from this discussion translates into pragmatic policies and processes on the ground, that break down systemic barriers and allow women to lead and thrive in Nigeria’s health sector.
