Hon. Rinsola Abiola, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, delivered a powerful welcome address at the Beyond Boundaries Young Women’s Leadership Conference (YWLC) 2025 , emphasizing the critical role of young women in shaping society through both advocacy and action.
Speaking at the conference themed “The Power of Young Women’s Leadership: From Advocacy to Action,” Ms. Abiola reflected on the journey of the event, recalling its beginnings in 2024.
“This journey began with the maiden edition in 2024, as we sought to explore the convergence between gender mainstreaming and leadership development for young people,” she stated. Although originally planned for March to coincide with International Women’s Day, she expressed satisfaction that the additional time taken to plan this year’s conference led to a more robust event.
Hon. Abiola extended sincere appreciation to the headline sponsor, Beyond Boundaries, founded by Ms. Olu Olufemi-White, for the “immense effort that has gone into organizing today’s event.” She also thanked other sponsors, including the MacArthur Foundation, WRAPA, NEXIM Bank, Jaiz Bank, and NIPOST. Special recognition was given to the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for his “immense contributions to the success of this engagement.”
In her address, Ms. Abiola highlighted the transformative power of young women’s leadership, citing examples like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg.
“Young women’s advocacy is rooted in passion, clarity, and courage,” she said. “Their courage highlights advocacy’s power to challenge systems, shatter stereotypes, and inspire collective action.”
However, she emphasized that advocacy must go beyond raising voices.
“True power emerges when advocacy evolves into tangible, effective action,” Ms. Abiola stressed. She noted that young women worldwide are actively creating solutions—initiating literacy programs, launching health campaigns, and leading technological innovations.
Critically, Hon. Abiola acknowledged the importance of young women having real influence:
“True power emerges when young women occupy a seat at the table – whether we are offered the seats or we take them – and effect meaningful change.”
She expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to young women’s inclusion in governance:
“I would want to sincerely appreciate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for being that leader who has prioritized not only women’s inclusion in governance from a general perspective, but young women’s inclusion specifically,” she said.
Hon. Abiola highlighted that under the Tinubu administration, many young women, including herself and even younger appointees, serve in various leadership capacities. She acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly regarding access to resources, cultural stereotypes, and systemic inequalities, but affirmed the administration’s resolve:
“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is resolute in its commitment to dismantling these barriers through education, mentorship, policies, and genuine community support,” she noted.
She assured participants that the government is dedicated to “moving beyond token support by providing opportunities, resources, and platforms for young women to not just advocate, but to act, to lead, and to thrive.”
In her concluding remarks, Hon. Abiola issued a passionate call to action:
“Support young women’s voices by amplifying them. Mentor young leaders by sharing knowledge. Invest in their initiatives with time, resources, and faith.”
Encouraging young women to consider public service careers, she reminded them:
“Your voices matter deeply, your ideas hold power, and your actions can, and will, change the world.”
She ended her address with an inspirational charge:
“Together, let us move beyond advocacy to meaningful, impactful action. Let us not just dream of a better world; let us build it, step by step, action by action, led by our collective commitment to changing the world.”
