...Osamaye, Adejuyigbe urge stronger collaboration, transformational leadership
Women occupying leadership positions across Ondo State have been urged to evaluate their contributions to the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and identify areas where they can improve their impact.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Bosede Osamaye, gave the charge during a one-day capacity-building workshop and retreat organised for female leaders across the state.
The programme, held at Nibanola Motherland and Resort in Ondo State, brought together female permanent secretaries, elected and appointed political office holders, heads of government agencies and parastatals, board chairmen and members, representatives of non-governmental organisations and political support groups.
Osamaye said the retreat, approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa, was designed to provide women in strategic positions with an opportunity to reflect on their responsibilities, share experiences and consider how they could contribute more effectively to the administration's development agenda.
She also appreciated Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, for creating an opportunity for the women leaders to learn, interact and improve their productivity in their various positions.
According to the commissioner, the gathering was particularly important because women in leadership needed to assess how effectively they had supported government efforts aimed at improving the welfare of women and advancing development in the state.
She said, “The objective of this capacity-building workshop is simple. First, it is to assess how far we have assisted the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to achieve his agenda towards our women.
“We are all occupying different positions that are strategic to the development and empowerment of women. How have we succeeded in achieving or actualising the responsibilities that have been given to us? That is the first objective.”
Osamaye said the retreat would also give participants the opportunity to examine challenges in their respective sectors and develop strategies for addressing them.
She stressed that the gathering was not intended merely as a social meeting, but as a platform for women leaders to learn from one another and strengthen their contributions to governance.
“As commissioner, I cannot do everything. I can only play my role as commissioner. Every one of you in this room has a great role and responsibility to assist the Governor of Ondo State to achieve his desire and his will for women in Ondo State,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, called on women leaders to embrace transformational leadership and use their positions to produce lasting improvements in institutions and society.
Speaking on “Transformational Leadership and Women’s Empowerment,” Adejuyigbe said occupying a leadership position should go beyond holding office, arguing that women leaders must use their influence to improve public services and create meaningful change.
She said effective leadership was not determined by gender, but by vision, courage, competence, integrity and the ability to bring people together around common objectives.
The Vice-Chancellor referenced prominent women including Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as examples of women who had broken barriers through purposeful leadership.
Adejuyigbe also encouraged women leaders to mentor and support one another, warning against seeing another woman's success as a threat.
She said women who attain positions of authority should create opportunities for others to grow, adding that the strength of leadership could also be measured by the people a leader helps to develop.
“Positions are not trophies; they are platforms to deliver results,” she said.
The don further urged the participants to combine empathy with firmness, humility with confidence and competence with integrity.
She cautioned against transactional leadership motivated primarily by personal interests, saying transformational leadership should be measured by the positive difference made in the lives of people and within institutions.
The guest lecturer, Prof. Bridget Awosika of Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, commended the state government for bringing women leaders from different sectors together for discussions on leadership and development.
Awosika recalled that an earlier workshop had focused on “Unity of Purpose”, noting that the latest retreat provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on the extent to which they had applied lessons from the previous programme and contributed to the administration's EASE Agenda.
She urged the women to work together, avoid unnecessary conflicts and support one another in their various workplaces.
According to her, the progress of an administration could not be credited to one person alone, as the contributions of women and other public servants were important to achieving government objectives.
She also advised women in positions of authority against oppressive leadership and encouraged them to mentor and empower younger colleagues.
Awosika challenged participants to identify both their achievements and shortcomings, particularly areas that required attention, which she described as “grey areas”.
The State President of the National Council for Women's Societies, Oluseyi Odusola, called on women and non-governmental organisations to take a more active role in mobilising resources for development initiatives.
Odusola said women should not depend entirely on government for solutions to societal challenges, stressing that the responsibilities of governance were too broad for government to handle alone.
She urged women across different professions and backgrounds to look beyond their immediate responsibilities and prepare for emerging challenges.
“As women, we must look beyond our immediate roles and understand what is happening around us. We must prepare for the future and not rely solely on the government. The government alone cannot do everything,” she said.
She also encouraged women's organisations to expand their reach and mobilise support for programmes aimed at improving society.
The owner of Nibanola Motherland and Resort, Hon. Jibayo Adeyeye, urged public servants and political office holders to explore opportunities in agriculture within the provisions of the law.
Adeyeye described agriculture as a sector with significant opportunities for investment and economic empowerment.
He thanked Governor Aiyedatiwa for selecting the resort as the venue for the programme and commended Osamaye for organising the retreat.
In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Kolawole Kayode, urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the programme to their workplaces, homes and communities.
He also appreciated the speakers, lecturers, planning committee and ministry staff for their roles in making the programme successful.
Among those present were female permanent secretaries, elected and appointed female officials, heads of government agencies and parastatals, representatives of NGOs and political support groups, as well as the President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Ondo State chapter, Mrs Bolanle Olafunmiloye.