Leadership Summit: WOW Africa Urges Youths to Drive Change in Nigeria

By Praise Chinecherem

The 2025 Leadership Programme of the Worldwide Organization for Women (WOW) Africa has ended in Awka, Anambra State capital with participants, mainly secondary school students urged to make lasting positive impacts in their respective spaces.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Organization, Chief Mrs. Carol Ugochukwu who gave the charge at the event described the teens as “future leaders.”

Represented by South-east Coordinator of WOW Africa, Mrs. Ethel Eruchalu Ugochukwu noted that the leadership programme, which began in 2022, has grown stronger with each edition.

“This is the fourth edition, and it is different from the previous three. The theme alone—From Potential to Purpose: Made to Impact—tells the whole story.

“Students that came yesterday have been transformed from what they used to be. We need change for the future so that our hope can be actualized,” she said.

Ugochukwu praised keynote speaker Daniel Fadumo, whose research and success formula she said deeply impacted the students.

She urged participants to live by the lessons they had learned and ensure their lives positively shape their generation.

South East Coordinator expressed gratitude to the CEO and to Executive Director Amaka Akudinobi for consistently prioritizing the next generation.

“They have proved that the future generation should be our top priority by ensuring that young ones are weaved into our programmes because the future belongs to them,” she added.

In a keynote speech, Dr Daniel Fadumo charged the teens to strive towards a deep self-awareness of their inherent abilities, hidden qualities and the capacity for future growth and success.

“You must also find a personally meaningful and significant contribution to the world guided by your values.

“You need passions and strength must ensure you have a noticeable, significant and powerful effects or influence on a situation, person or outcome.

In a presentation titled Green Skills for the Future, former board member of the Anambra State Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC), Dr. Ngozi Agbasimalo, stressed the urgency of sustainable living.

“Planet is running out of resources while population keeps increasing. We must be intentional about protecting the future.

“Green skills promote sustainability, reduce carbon footprint, ensure efficient resource use, and create green jobs that boost the economy,” she said.

Agbasimalo called on all to embrace the three Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle, while supporting organizations that promote sustainable lifestyles and shunning products that worsen climate change impacts.

Yohanna Rachel, Executive Director of Davina Care Foundation, addressed the theme Gender Equity Starts with Me, urging students, parents, and teachers to promote fairness and inclusiveness.

“All we are asking for is a level playing ground,” she said. “Gender equality doesn’t mean fight. It simply means allowing everyone to live and achieve their potential without discrimination.”

She warned against stereotypes that restrict opportunities for women and girls, leading to inequality, health challenges, and violence.

International film producer Christian Ohachu highlighted the power and risks of media use, urging participants to be mindful of harmful practices such as fake news, hate speech, and cyberbullying, all prohibited by Nigeria’s social media law.

“We are interconnected now more than ever. A single tweet can start a protest, a short TikTok video can inspire millions, a YouTube tutorial can change a life.

“Think before you post. A careless post can destroy reputations or even break the law. Always fact-check before sharing. Every post is a seed – plant seeds of hope, truth, and action.”

Speaking on the topic, “Think Like a Leader: Problem-Solving for Community Impact,” Ken Okoli listed qualities of transformational leadership to include: fear of God, patriotism, self-reliance, discipline, truth, justice, dignity of labour and love.

“I call on the parents, religious leaders, heads of schools, business leaders, community leaders, heads of government institutions, presidents of countries, etc, to adopt this template for raising a generation of leaders that will transform the society for common good.

Students expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn from the programme.

Chinasa Favour from Community Secondary School, Okpuno, said: “I have learnt that everybody should be treated equally—both male and female. That is under SDG No. 5, gender equality.”

Ifunanya from Community Secondary School, Awgbu, drew inspiration from SDG No. 9 on decent work and economic growth. “I learnt that there are many benefits you can get from social media, not only for dance, but also creativity that can fetch us so much,” she said.

The WOW Africa Leadership Programme has become a platform for equipping young people with the skills, values, and perspectives needed to transform their communities.

In her remarks, Secretary of WOW Africa, Mrs. Ngozi Chukwujekwu urged the participants to cascade insights from the annual programmes to their school mates once the next scenic session resumes, urging teachers to facilitate the process.

With lessons on sustainability, gender equality, media responsibility, and leadership, this year’s edition, anchored by WOW Africa Media Director, Mrs. Ify Aronu-Okafor, reaffirmed the organization’s mission of raising generation of purposeful leaders ready to impact Africa and beyond.