Empowered to Lead: Rewriting the Story of Female Leadership in Africa

Group Photograph of the Speakers at the Women Community in Africa (WCA) Town Hall Meeting which held in Abuja

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On July 31, 2025, I had the privilege of speaking at the Women Community in Africa (WCA) Town Hall Meeting, held under the theme: “Empowered to Lead – Changing Attitudes Towards Female Leadership.” This was hosted as a prelude to the 2025 Women’s Summit in Rwanda as a bold gathering and necessary conversation confronting how we perceive, portray, and position women in leadership across the continent.

Patching Things Up

Fixing Potholes.
Credit: City of Ekurhuleni

When I moved to my current neighborhood, one of the things that convinced me to take the house was the road. Oh! The road was bad, but I saw that the potholes were being filled up with sand, so I assumed the roads would be repaired in time.

I should never have assumed that.

Poor People Work Harder...For a Whole Lot Less

Men watching from a gate.
Image: The Daily Maverick

I live in one of the poorer communities in Nigeria's capital city, Abuja. Like most of the communities surrounding it, Jikwoyi is a densely populated area. Because most things – accommodation, food, clothing and transportation – is much cheaper than other areas in the Federal Capital Territory, it is not unexpected that there are more people who live around these areas and places like this.

What This Recession Means

Former President Muhammadu Buhari,
Nigeria's President
Credit: Nairametrics

There is a recession in Nigeria.