Encomium
What began as a series of informal conversations has now evolved into a structured platform aimed at influencing leadership and institutional design in Nigeria. At the Women in Leadership Summit 2026 held in Lagos on March 27, 2026, women experts emphasised the need to move beyond dialogue into actionable frameworks that can drive inclusion across sectors.
According to the 2025 Gender Diversity Report, women now hold 31.1% of board seats across Nigeria’s top 30 listed companies, the highest level recorded, signalling gradual progress in corporate leadership representation. However, speakers at the event noted that representation alone is insufficient without systemic change.
Mrs. Funmi Omotosho, wife of the Commissioner for Information, who represented the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu) noted that: “Inclusion is no longer a concept we aspire to, it is a responsibility we must deliberately implement and sustain”.
The summit highlighted the growing recognition of inclusion as a strategic imperative rather than a symbolic gesture. Organisations that have embedded inclusive leadership into their structures were acknowledged, including MTN Nigeria, which received a leadership award during the event.
Receiving the recognition, the Company Secretary of MTN Nigeria’s Uto Ukpanah noted that the company’s progress in gender inclusion has been driven by deliberate institutional decisions and leadership commitment. She explained that beyond policies, the organisation has prioritised building a sustainable pipeline for women through continuous development and inclusive decision-making structures.
She added that initiatives such as enhanced maternity policies and structured development opportunities have helped create confident female leaders within the organisation. She said: “There were several engagement sessions led by our CEO. I recall a defining moment when a key decision was being considered, and one of the female directors spoke up, questioning why the approach was only halfway. She emphasized the need to fully open the pipeline for women.
“Since then, many deliberate decisions have been made to create opportunities for women within the workplace. Through what we call Y’ello Care, women have been supported to rise and grow, with access to continuous development opportunities. Our journey toward diversity has been intentional every step of the way.”
Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, pointed to the sharp drop in female representation at senior academic levels, despite near gender parity at entry and mid-level positions. “At academic level, the numbers are almost balanced, but by the time you get to Professors, it drops significantly. By the time you get to Vice Chancellor level, it is about 10%. This is not because there are no competent women”, she explained.
She emphasised that purpose-driven leadership, anchored on values and ethical decision-making, becomes even more critical in complex environments where institutional trust is declining.
Funmi Onajide, Co-convener of the summit, said the conference was designed to translate conversations into action. She traced the origin of the initiative to a simple but defining question: what more can be done beyond conversations? “What began as a dialogue soon became a shared conviction that these conversations must lead to something larger with tangible outcomes. Real progress happens when voices are not just heard, but connected,” she said.
She stated that while women are increasingly visible across industries, the focus must now shift from individual advancement to systemic change in how institutions are structured, how decisions are made, and how leadership is defined.
Other voices at the event stressed that inclusion must be deliberately built into governance systems, talent pipelines, and policy frameworks to sustain progress.
The platform, according to organisers, is expected to evolve into an annual forum shaping national conversations on diversity, leadership, and economic participation.
