.As WOWICAN inaugurates new Executives
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has urged women in leadership positions both in the church and community levels to uphold the nation’s reputation and integrity and inculcate the virtues of honesty, discipline, hardwork and entrepreneurship in their children for a better society.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new executives of the Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) in Abuja, Mrs Tinubu who appealed to women to promote unity and peaceful coexistence in the country, observed that women must see themselves as agents of healing for the nation, serving not only as nurturers but also as healers of divisions.
She said, ‘As women, our mandate is to strive for equality, ensuring that our righteousness leads to equitable rights. Women are encouraged to see themselves first as unifiers and instill hope, comfort, and love, bringing smiles and laughter, and to remain undistracted by inevitable challenges. In leadership, challenges will arise, but our focus should remain on our mission, which is to uplift others and provide them with hope and joy. We must remember that women are beacons of light. My prayer is that we always shine brightly, standing firm in our faith and our commitments.”
The First Lady who was represented by the FCT Mandate Secretary of Women Affairs Mrs. Dayo Benjamin-Olaniyi, stressed the need for women to nurture the youth with truth and love and eschew division, hatred, and sectarian strife.
She sais that our priorities as women should be to provide strong shoulders for future generations to stand upon and reach even greater heights.”
Tinubu stated that the present administration is launching series of initiatives aimed at providing solace and creating a humanitarian link to the elderly, women, the broader community, and, particularly, the girl child and wants to transform despair into hope, to mitigate hunger, anger, and division, and to reinforce our identity as a nation under God’s guidance.”
She said, ‘It is evident that Her Excellency’s initiative underscores the importance of women supporting each other. Empowerment requires reaching every community, not necessarily through activism but through humanitarian advocacy.
Also speaking, the National Director for Education, Youth, and Women Development of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Ozumba Nicodemus noted that women are nation builders and urged them to unite and expand the space so that many opportunities can continue to work for Christians in Nigeria.
He called on Nigerian women to be engaged in entrepreneurship and venture into the various aspects of the economy such as agriculture, business, arts and crafts in order to support the economy so that we have food on our table.
Ozumba urged the new WOWICAN executives to bring new changes, new visions, and inspiration that would advance the work of God among women in Nigeria, and especially since this occasion is also planned to mark the 24th International Women’s Day, which we started celebrating yesterday. We have seen the grace of God in the life of women.
On her part, the new WOWICAN Chairperson, Dr Elizabeth Ayobami Akinadewo said that the new executives have designed programmes that will empower the women by giving them training, helping them to acquire skills and giving tool they would need to work with in order to be self-reliant.
She urged Nigerian women to keep hope alive even in the midst of difficulties bearing in mind that God will soften anything that is hard.
“I know it’s a lot of work, but it makes me happy that the Lord is going to use me to touch women’s lives because we are called to give succor to those who are oppressed, helping them out of their misery, giving voice to the voiceless, and empowering women by making them have good skills to work with. So that they will not depend on anybody, but they can sustain themselves. That is what we stand for.”
If we are waiting for the government, the government alone cannot do it. So we also must be part of the movement. We are aware that the tasks ahead are monumental’, she added.
