Women Must Grow Strong To Flourish– Barr Akpabio

Women have been urged to build resilience, embrace collaboration and support one another to achieve lasting growth and fulfil their potential.

The charge was given yesterday by the Principal Partner of Sevann Chambers, Dame (Barr) Offon Akpabio.

She delivered a keynote address at the installation ceremony of the new leadership of Inner Wheel District 910 in Abuja.

Speaking on the theme, “Grow and Flourish,” Akpabio said true success goes beyond personal achievements, stressing that women must intentionally grow stronger to withstand life’s challenges and make meaningful contributions to society. “It is not enough to simply grow; we must grow strong. Weak plants grow too, but they do not survive. We must intentionally grow strong so that we can truly flourish,” she said.

She likened life to a seed buried beneath the soil, explaining that adversity should be viewed as an opportunity for growth rather than defeat. According to her, sustainable growth is built on resilience, meaningful relationships, continuous learning and a sense of purpose, rather than individual accomplishments alone.

Drawing from the PERMA model of well-being, Akpabio identified positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment as the five pillars of flourishing, noting that collaboration remains essential for personal and community development.

She encouraged women to support one another. “There is tremendous power in our collective voice. When women are represented where decisions are made, communities and nations benefit,” she said.

At the event, Dame (Dr) Fehintola Oluyemisi Adeseun was installed as Chairman of Inner Wheel District 910 for the 2026/2027 service year. In her acceptance speech, Adeseun unveiled plans to establish a Skills Acquisition Centre in Karshi, Abuja, to equip women and young people with vocational and entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance and economic empowerment.

She said the centre would provide practical training to promote sustainable livelihoods for women and youths in the Federal Capital Territory.