News
First Lady Tinubu, Female CEOs Demand End to Barriers Limiting Nigerian Girls
As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child today, some female Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in Nigeria have called for urgent and sustained action to eliminate gender-based barriers that continue to hinder the growth and empowerment of women and girls across sectors.
This comes as the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, charged Nigerians to give necessary support to girls in the bid to attain their maximum potential.
In a message on Friday, to mark the 2025 International Year of the Girl-Child, the First Lady also tasked Nigerian parents to remember the daily hustle of the girls.
Mrs Tinubu, in the four-paragraph message stated, “Today, on International Day of the Girl Child, with the theme: “The Girl I am, The Change I lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” let us remember the daily struggle of our girls.
“To every brave girl, striving to reach the classroom, walking miles for water, or carrying the quiet strength of displacement, you are seen, you are heard and valued. Your courage lights the way to a brighter future.
“Let us come together to support our girls to reach their maximum potential. Happy International Day of the Girl Child 2025.”
Meanwhile, the women that spoke with THISDAY, included the Director General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Chinyere Almona; Managing Director/CEO of Starzs Investments Company Limited and a Member of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Iroghama Ogbeifun; CEO of LemonLime Nigeria Limited, Abiola Yahaya; CEO of Kayque Global, Kemi Quadri; CEO of Tedell Global Resources Limited, Adegbenro Della Ade-Aduke; and Founder of EventzbyTeemah, Fatimah Mafe-Giwa, urged both government and private institutions to create systems that genuinely support women’s growth, rather than merely celebrating them once a year.
The theme for this year is “The Girl I am, the Change I Need, and Girls on the Front Lines of Crises.”
Speaking with THISDAY, Almona, stressed the need to remove financial barriers for women, especially female-owned businesses.
“That will mean that some of these schemes, like education loan should be implemented more broadly so that we can have real tangible results and it should also be inclusive.
“Sometimes when a household is faced with little finance, it begins to prioritise who should go to school and who should not go. I also think that we need to make the school environment conducive for women.
“It should be free from gender based violence. The environment should be safe. We should also have female-friendly sanitation facilities. Thirdly, we need to think about how to integrate digital education and vocational skills early enough at primary and secondary school levels so that people can grow with it. That is developing girls not just for work but giving them live skills.”
The LCCI boss also urged women aspiring to leadership positions in business, public service, or entrepreneurship to, “Dream big, dream, dream, and do not stop dreaming. Secondly, is that they should not be afraid of who they are.
“A lot of girls have the skills and power to do so much, but they are curtailed by culture and even religion. And I will like to say to girls: build your skills because you have to present something to the world. Let their passions drive skill development.”
Managing Director/CEO of Starzs Investments Company Limited and a Member of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Iroghama Ogbeifun, also urged policymakers to remove “mental biases that impede young girls from believing in their ability to lead and innovate.”
She also called for “more representation of women in leadership and innovation,” and “intentionally providing opportunities for young girls to take up leadership positions.”
Yahaya, pointed out that women continue to fight for space in industries where their talent and intellect are often underestimated.
“From the classroom to the corporate boardroom, the girl child is told to shrink; to wait her turn. It’s time to stop waiting. Empowerment means creating policies that allow women to grow on merit, not favours. We must dismantle old stereotypes that say women cannot lead, build, or innovate at scale.”
She stressed that organisations must go beyond symbolic gestures.
She added: “Many companies post about women’s empowerment online but don’t have women in their leadership teams,” she added. “If you say you believe in inclusion, then your hiring, pay structure, and mentorship systems should reflect that belief.”
For Kemi Quadri, gender inclusion must be deliberate and sustained.
“The real estate space remains largely male-dominated,” she said. “It’s not that women aren’t capable, it’s that we’re not given equal access to information, capital, or mentorship. Inclusion should be intentional, not accidental.”
Quadri emphasised the importance of visibility. “When girls see women leading projects, building empires, and breaking barriers, it tells them, ‘I can do it too.’ Visibility inspires possibility. That’s why we must celebrate women in all fields, science, construction, finance, and the arts, not just those who fit traditional moulds.”
Adegbenro Della Ade-Aduke, believes financial empowerment is the key that unlocks other forms of equality.
“We can talk about empowerment all day, but without access to education and finance, the girl child remains trapped,” she said. “A woman with her own income has her own voice. When women earn, families and communities thrive.”
She added that microfinance institutions and government programmes should prioritise women-led enterprises.
“Let’s make credit and funding accessible,” she urged. “Many women have business ideas that can transform their communities, but bureaucracy, collateral requirements, and lack of trust keep them shut out of the system.”
For Fatimah Mafe-Giwa, founder of EventzbyTeemah, empowerment must also address the unseen emotional and societal pressures women face.
“Women are expected to do it all; excel at work, raise families, and never complain,” she said. “Empowerment isn’t just about giving resources; it’s also about creating understanding, flexibility, and support. A mentally healthy woman is a more productive leader.”
She called for workplaces to adopt policies that promote work-life balance. “Flexible work structures, mentorship, and mental health support are not luxuries,” she said. “They are necessities if we truly want women to thrive.”
Across their remarks, the four CEOs agreed that mentorship, education, and representation are critical to building a future where girls can rise without apology.