Women at the Centre: Okekpolo Urges Investment to Reshape Africa’s Destiny
BY RITA OYIBOKA
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2026, UN Eminent Ambassador and Gender Priority Strategist, Dr (Mrs.) Ogochuku Okekpolo emphasised the power of the theme “Give to Gain”, urging governments, institutions, and individuals to strategically invest in women for societal transformation.
“Across the world, especially in Africa, the needs of women are not uniform.
Some require fundamental support, food security, clean water, safety, access to healthcare, and education. Others need opportunity, access to finance, enterprise platforms, leadership inclusion, and mentorship. But the principle remains the same: every intentional investment in women produces exponential returns,” Dr Okekpolo said.
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She highlighted the ripple effects of supporting women, explaining, “When a girl has access to quality education, she not only earns a certificate, she improves her health, her earning capacity, and her children’s chances of thriving.
A rural woman with clean water gains time for enterprise, family, and community leadership.
A female entrepreneur with capital creates jobs and strengthens local economies. Giving is not charity; giving is strategy.”
Dr Okekpolo, who is the first Regional Advisory Council Member (South South Nigeria) of the Club G100 SDG Wing, also called on women to support one another intentionally.
“The temptation is to wait for external validation or systemic change. But we hold transformative power within our hands. Women can give to women through trust, access, opportunity, mentorship, visibility, and grace. Strategic, relational, and emotional giving strengthens collective influence and shifts isolated success into multiplied impact,” she noted.
She stressed that nations prioritising women’s experience can achieve measurable gains. “Evidence shows that inclusion drives faster economic growth, social cohesion, and ethical leadership,” she said.
“The Africa we envision, prosperous, equitable, and globally competitive, will rise from empowered women uplifting each other consistently. Giving to women is the highest-yield investment a nation can make.”
She further outlined a multi-layered approach to “Give to Gain”: foundational giving (basic needs), economic giving (finance and market access), strategic giving (leadership and policy inclusion), generational giving (mentorship), and collective giving (women empowering women).
“When these layers align, the gain becomes intergenerational. Empowered women raise empowered children, strengthen households, transform institutions, and build nations. The gain is unstoppable,” she added.
