Women’s Contributions Must Be Celebrated – Benjamins-Laniyi

The director-general of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has said celebrating outstanding Nigerian women is essential to recognising their contributions to nation-building and preserving their legacies for future generations.

Benjamins-Laniyi made the remark during an introductory press briefing in Abuja, yesterday on the 66 Amazons of Nigeria 1.0 initiative, jointly organised by the centre and the National Gallery of Art to honour women whose achievements have shaped the country over the past 66 years.

She described the initiative as a deliberate effort to document the contributions of Nigerian women through art, culture and historical storytelling, noting that their roles in national development should not be overlooked.

“Today’s event is not just a celebration, but a very intentional commitment to repurposing and resetting, to retelling, but most importantly, to giving definition and curating that definition through art,” she said.

The director-general explained that the initiative would build on the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame, which has inducted about 99 women, while extending recognition to other accomplished women whose achievements deserve greater national attention.

According to her, an Amazon represents a woman of courage, strength, vision and exceptional achievement who has overcome challenges, created opportunities, inspired others and left a lasting legacy.

She said the selection process would be inclusive, with nominations expected from members of the public and assessed by a committee involving the collaborating institutions.

Benjamins-Laniyi also stressed that women with disabilities would be considered as part of efforts to ensure that the recognition reflected the diversity of Nigerian women and their contributions to society.

She said the initiative aligned with the centre’s renewed commitment to placing women at the heart of national development.

“Our new maxim is ‘Centering Women for National Development’. It is not just about investing in women for nation-building, but centering and celebrating women at the core of national development,” she said.

She added that documenting the achievements of exceptional women would provide younger generations, particularly girls, with role models to inspire their ambitions and demonstrate the possibilities available to them.

Benjamins-Laniyi commended the National Gallery of Art, the project coordinator, Dauda G. Bala, and other partners for their collaboration, describing inter-agency cooperation as important to advancing national development.

Speaking at the briefing, Bala said the project offered an opportunity to address historical imbalances in the documentation of Nigeria’s nation-building process.

He noted that women had made significant contributions to agriculture, business, public service, policymaking and the creative industries, despite often receiving less prominence than men in historical accounts.

“The 66 Amazons of Nigeria 1.0 project is a living timeline. By identifying and honouring exactly 66 exceptional women, we are stating boldly that Nigeria’s excellence over the last 66 years is directly proportional to the resilience of its women,” he said.

Bala explained that the project would go beyond the presentation of plaques and awards, with the partnership involving the National Gallery of Art expected to support visual artworks and documentaries documenting the stories and legacies of the selected women.

He said the objective was to establish a lasting national record that would enable future generations to understand the role of women in shaping modern Nigeria.

Activities planned for the first edition include lectures, photographic exhibitions, artistic performances, a special presentation on the women of Owu, dinners and an awards ceremony.

The organisers also proposed to recognise First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as the principal Amazon of the edition in connection with her 66th birthday year.