WIMBIZ At 25: Ighodalo Urges Women Leaders To Mentor Successors

The co- founder of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, has called on women in leadership to prioritise mentorship, succession planning and sponsorship for younger women, warning that individual success would have limited lasting impact unless it created opportunities for others to rise.

The call formed part of discussions at a press conference held at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, to unveil the organisation’s 25th anniversary logo and announce plans for its forthcoming annual conference.

Ighodalo, observed that although many women had worked hard to attain professional success, they continued to face limitations arising from inadequate capacity development, mentorship and sponsorship.

She challenged women who had attained management and leadership positions to consider who would succeed them, stressing the need to deliberately prepare the next generation of female leaders.

Her remarks highlighted a persistent challenge in women’s advancement: gaining a seat at the table is important, but ensuring that other capable women can occupy those seats is equally critical.

Ighodalo emphasised that networking remained essential to women’s growth, particularly in business, policymaking and nation-building. She called for stronger platforms where entrepreneurs could exchange ideas, learn from experienced professionals, access role models and establish relationships that could help them scale their businesses.

She described WIMBIZ as a tribe united by a common mission, where women support one another, leverage collective strength and expand their networks to achieve greater impact.

The organisation’s philosophy, she noted, goes beyond personal achievement to creating pathways for others through mentorship, sponsorship and deliberate efforts to open doors.

Her message comes as WIMBIZ prepares to mark 25 years of promoting women’s participation in management, business and public service, with renewed emphasis on building an enduring institution capable of influencing generations of women.

She said the forthcoming 25th WIMBIZ annual Conference, scheduled for November 5 and 6, 2026 in Lagos, will be held under the theme, “Rooted, Rising, Ready: Born in Africa, Built for the World.”

In her remarks, the chairperson of the 2026 Conference Planning Group, Mrs. Ronke Onadeko, challenged women to think beyond conventional business growth and build enterprises capable of competing in international markets.

She questioned why women remained underrepresented among the founders of large-scale companies despite their participation in entrepreneurship and professional leadership.

Drawing attention to the opportunities available in Africa’s rapidly evolving business environment, she urged women to develop the ambition, strategic relationships and commercial capacity required to build globally competitive enterprises.