The Convener, Pride Women Conference, Mrs. Ijeoma Anyiam-Osigwe,

All our Guest Speakers,

My Team from African Alliance Insurance, led by my amiable Executive Director, Finance, Mrs. Olabisi Adekola,

Members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm,

Guests and Friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to chair this year’s Pride Women Conference. I thank the organizing committee and my sister, Mrs Ijeoma Anyiam-Osigwe, for finding me fit for this esteemed role. As most relentless advocate for women empowerment, when I got the invitation, I was never going to say no. For me, women need better, should be better, deserve better and should be driven to get better. Indeed, the overall wellbeing and betterment of the female folk should be non-negotiable for every one of us. After all, we are the pivot upon which life rotates.

The theme of this year’s conference is very topical considering what the entire world has been through: “Thriving Emotionally, Economically and Physically in the Post Covid-19 World”. That covid-19 has devastated the world is not an understatement. Typically, especially in our part of the world, the women folk tend to bear a huge burden when things keel over. Covid-19 is not an exception. The pandemic has imposed on us a new normal and therefore we need new strategies to thrive and grow in this new normal. No old ideas will work, old things must become new. Our line-up of speakers is an impressive one and I am certain they will do justice to this theme.

In his famous book, The Purpose and Power of Woman, Bahamian minister, Dr Myles Munroe of blessed memory, asked the valid question: What is the purpose of a woman? He goes ahead to break down the place of woman in God’s original plan which has, of course, been distorted by culture and tradition. By nature, we women are multipliers; we have a natural knack for maximizing little and making more from less. But our issue has always been us conceding our God-given assets to others.  It is time we stood up for ourselves.

First, the older ones should make themselves available to guide and mentor the younger ones. There is very little they will go through that we have not. Indeed, like I like to say, we have gone through so much so they don’t have to go through the same. Therefore, we need to take the act of mentorship more seriously as this is the fastest and easiest way to help the womenfolk thrive and scale in this world of ours.

Ladies and gentlemen, second, it is not enough to know, it is much better to do. Doing is better than knowing. But many times, the strength to do is not there and so we need people, we need each other. In my professional career and in my personal life, I have never been shy to ask for help or ride on buddy supports to get ahead. Today, I advocate collaborations at all levels for us to scale. In my position as the President of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA), I always push the narrative that no woman should be an island. Collaboration multiplies efforts and accelerates results. Now than ever, the need to collaborate has never been more palpable.

This conference promises to be a game-changer. I look forward to the robust engagements and discussion that will happen here; I am open to learning, open to getting better, open to leave here accomplished. You should too. Let’s collaborate.

Thank you and God bless.