As expected, the 2019 Arise Women Conference was held with record breaking success as A-List women of power and affluence graced the event to honour woman of substance and convener, Dr. Siju Iluyomade.
The icing on the cake of the august gathering was the honour of having Nigeria’s First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Buhari, ably represented by former First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajia Mairo Almakura who led other First Ladies like Lagos State’s Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State’s Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; Ekiti State’s Mrs. Bisi Fayemi; Kwara State’s Olufolake Abdulrasaq; Akwa-Ibom State’s Deaconess Martha Udom and their Edo State counterpart, Mrs Besty Obaseki, to the epoch-making event. Others in attendance were professionals, technocrats, icons of business, diplomatic corps, and hundreds other women regardless of status.
Arise Women Conference was berthed eleven years ago by renowned women’s rights activist and lawyer, Dr. (Mrs.) Siju Iluyomade. This year’s edition, which held on Saturday, 26th of October 2019 at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (City of David was attended by over 5,000 participants.
With free shuttle buses placed at strategic locations across the state, people trooped in in their hundreds while free medicals were made available for emergency cases.
Distinguished speakers at the event include the minister of women affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen; chairman of First Bank, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; Reverend Funke Adetuberu, and former First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs Omolara-Omolewa Ahmed.
Declaring the conference open, Dr. Iluyomade called on women to come together and develop villages across Nigeria. She said her organisation has started doing this by having its model Dafara adopt a village programme by building a hospital and provide qualitative health care delivery for the people in suburb of Abuja.
”I, Siju, am my neighbour’s keeper, passion propelled my compassion. I ensure it transcends creed, tribe and religion,” she submitted in her address.
Delivering Mrs. Buhari’s speech at the ocassion, Dr. Al-Makura commended the Siju Iluyomade-led Arise Women Initiative for empowering women, which according to her is in line with Mrs. Buhari’s ‘Future Assured’ programme, aimed to reach out to people at the grassroots level.
Mrs. Tallen, in her own speech, appealed to governors, especially the new governors, to encourage more women in governance by allocating more political positions to them at the state level. She hailed Dr. Iluyomade for the initiative and consistency in giving succour to many and championing the cause of women through Arise Women platform.
Tallen, a former Plateau State deputy governor, also assured the women that as minister for women affairs, she would continue to push for women’s interests across the country.
Wives of state governors also commended the Arise Women Initiative for supporting and empowering women through different philanthropic services. One of the speakers, Rev. Adetuberu, admonished women to always be confident wherever they find themselves using some of her own experiences to encourage the audience.
The chairperson of Committee Of Wives of Lagos State Government Officials (COWLSO), Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, also seized the opportunity to officially present Dr. Iluyomade with the award of ‘Woman of The Year in Recognition to Humanity’ she won at the just concluded 2019 COWLSO Conference.
The ambience of the event had earlier been literally disrupted when award-winning singer female singer, Teni, mounted the stage to dish out some of her hit tracks currently making waves within and outside the country.
-Ademola Alade