It is with exceeding great joy that I
welcome you to Arise Women’s
Conference 2023 which marks 15 this
year.
Today, we are privileged and honoured to
see that ARISE is GLOBAL in every
ramification; from the Arise Walk For Life, Golf, Football, Tournament. Preventive Healthcare Delivery, Education etc.
Women around the world are making
their voices heard, breaking barriers and
occupying more leadership positions.
There is an urgent call to action.
Today, I welcome my Arise sisters from all over the world -Sweden, Italy, North America, Dubai, Ghana, Zambia, India, Finland, U.K., too many to mention.
The theme this year is Step Up it is a
rallying cry – a call to excellence, an anthem of empowerment and action.
Permit me to start with two quotes:
Fortune Befriends The Bold -Emily Dickinson; Success Is Survival -Leonard Cohen.
Today, women face the choice of either to
succumb to the stereotypical mold they
have been placed in or to challenge it. Step Up is a call to challenge it. Step Up speaks to self actualization. Step Up speaks to harnessing your economic; mental, physical, educational, strength.
We need to break free from the mold.
I choose to challenge it. At this
conference, we want to infuse ourselves
with resilience, courage, strength, persistence, tenacity, power, determination.
To effect the necessary change to believe
in our infinite potential to succeed.
Joshua 1:9 KJV – The Lord said: “Have
not I commanded thee? Be strong and of
a good courage; be not afraid, neither be
thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is
with thee whithersoever thou goest”.
We need to be positive, to aim higher
than we currently are doing. It is not only
about being better than your
contemporaries or predecessors, it is to be better than yourself.
As long as you have breath, you have
infinite potential. Deuteronomy 1:8
KJV: “Behold, I have set the land before
you: go in and possess the land which
the LORD sware unto your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto
them and to their seed after them”.
You are born to win but to be a
winner, you must plan to win and
expect to win. It is time to unlock our capabilities. The world over, including
Africa, women are the greatest untapped power. So at this conference, we will step up
To Step Up Means;
1) Break down barriers limiting our
progress
2) Challenge stereotypes, foster an
environment of equal opportunity
based on merit.
3) Empower more Women and others so
we can create a lasting legacy and
sustainability.
4) Mentor more Women, open more doors
as we are doing today by going
completely global.
5) Embrace Emotional Intelligence,
sensitivity to others and thereby
inculcating a decent strong value
system.
6) Embrace Innovation, Technology
Artificial Intelligence the sciences,
computer technology robotics. All these
are needed in today’s world.
The World Economic Forum’s future on
jobs report 2023 lists certain skills as tops
in demand by 2027. Analytical thinking, Creative thinking, Artificial intelligence, Big Data.
While six in ten workers will require
training before 2027, only half of those
workers are seen to have access to
adequate training opportunities,
according to the report. The implication is that half of today’s workforce may not have the skills they require to thrive in the very near future. We must step up.
Questions To Ask Yourself;
1) What am i capable of doing? do I have the mental capability, fortitude, willpower and courage?
Jeremiah 29:11 KJV “For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you an expected end”.
2) Will I be disillusioned by adversity or can I weather any storm or adversity.
Storms hit your weakness but invariably it
also unlocks your true strength. You must never give up. Dear Sister, you cannot change the directions of the wind but you
can adjust your sail to always reach your destination.
Arise steps up all the time. We are doers not complainants.
According to the National Primary
Healthcare Development Agency
(NPHCDA) up to six out of ten Nigerians lack access to quality primary Health care services. Lack of access to Healthcare is the
leading cause of maternal death in Africa. Nigeria is home to 20% of all maternal deaths according to Global citizen.
However, Arise stepped up and stepped in. We built a hospital in Dafara. We have taken delivery of many babies and we are happy to say no maternal death and no infant death. We provide good ante-natal and postpartum care. Arise keeps stepping up. Providing infrastructure to curb infrastructural deficits especially water by putting boreholes in many rural communities.
We can all do same and more.
3) Major on your strength. Tell yourself – I will major daily on my strength
4) learn skills to excel
5) define your goals
6) continually and consciously demonstrate character and leadership
7) maximise your potential by
treating time preciously like gold.
8) stay positive
9) learn to network, diversify, create wealth, build human capital
10) set milestones
11) play for sustainability and longevity
12) be super confident, don’t get
trapped in failure. when life gives you lemons, make lemonade
13) learn to celebrate yourself, your successes. celebrate always. STEP UP speaks to self-actualization, to our innate ability to perform in alignment to our highest self. Don’t ever let the memories of your past limit the potential of your future. Therefore we need to step up our advocacy and raise our voices in unison. To bring to light the many areas that need urgent interventions. Our collective voice can make a world of difference in our nations and to our succeeding generation.
Secondly, we need stronger partnership
and alliances between women, Government, Private Organisations and
men to tackle issues threatening our
existence. With partnership we STEP UP and we can achieve bigger interventions or
projects. The problems we face as a Nation is mega. we need to step up together. Thirdly, arise invites you to pool together investments. we need big tickets investment in our nation. Investment will go a long way in Education, Healthcare delivery, infrastructure. Pooling of resources by Government, private sector bodies like Arise will bring about sure and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The time to step up our game is now. Let the conversation and the strengthening of partnerships begin. Collectively let’s step up. There are no limits. There is only one you. You are super. Step up now.