The Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom, Olori Atuwatse III, has called on women leaders in Nigeria and the African continent to intensify advocacy for empowerment and positive change in women’s fortunes.
The UK-trained lawyer and entrepreneur on Tuesday bagged the LEADERSHIP Social Impact 2024 award at the Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, and spoke on a sideline interview with newsmen.
She noted that women in positions of authority must sustain efforts in mentorship and knowledge sharing to groom the next generation of women.
Olori noted that the Elevate Africa project, which she founded last year, is a platform for amplifying and giving voices to the work of African women leaders across the continent.
While expressing her gratitude to the organisers for the award, Her Majesty noted that it was in recognition of her work and contributions, and she thanked the people of Warri Kingdom for their support.
She said, “I think women should continue to do what they are doing, especially Nigerian women leaders who are doing incredibly well in creating change. It is not easy being a woman; you have to work twice as hard. I think the only take-home message for me and other women is to be intentional about transferring knowledge, intentional about mentoring, and intentional about grooming the next generation.
“African women are exceptional, so Elevate Africa is looking at amplifying the work of African female leaders across the board without being political. We are change-makers, breaking concrete ceilings. I am hoping that the work Elevate Africa is doing, by amplifying the work women are doing and creating a platform for discussion, will gravitate towards better change.”
Earlier, at the award ceremony, the queen consort expressed her gratitude to the organisers and noted that it was in recognition of her work and contributions to society, just as she thanked the people of Warri Kingdom for all their support.
“I am truly honoured to be named the Social Impact Person of the Year by LEADERSHIP. I know that the recognition of my work is laudable and beyond me. I am standing on behalf of the Warri people to say thank you.”
