Abdulazeez Ruquoyah, Correspondent, LASU Conscience
The first edition of the S.H.E Leadership summit, organized by Beulah Youngster Advancement Initiatives, was held on the 31st of October, 2025, at the Three-in-One Conference Room, Faculty of Education. The program hosted students from various Secondary schools, LASuites, and other stakeholders of the initiative.
Themed, “SHE leads, SHE builds, SHE rises,” the event commenced with a speech from Nwanze Felix Uzorchukwu, Executive Director of BYAI, who summarized the purpose of the event. He explained that the program is aimed at building a generation of confident women in leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, health, safety, and empowering them to stand out, “we are here because we believe in you, your dreams, voice, ideas, and future,” he added.
Following his speech, Mrs. Gift Ukoddie, a representative of Keystone Bank, addressed the attendees on financial literacy, advising them to “prioritize spending on needs over wants.”
The panel session, themed “Empowerment Talk,” featured a group of accomplished women, including Okoh Dorcas Ene, Anuoluwapo Adedeji, Hamzat Ameenat Aderayo and Oriola Bukola Esther, from different walks of life. One of the speakers, Hamzat Aminat Aderayo, advised the students to be “visionary, educated, relentless, and as much as they can be.” She added that readers are leaders. The other speakers charged the students to remain focused, and determined to achieve results.
The program also included a workshop session led by Sumayyah Adegbite, titled “From Curious to Code.” She emphasized the importance of critical thinking and inquisitiveness. She said, “ask questions, ask the why, and think of the what-ifs.”
The event ended with a speech rendered by Mrs. Jolaosho Bukola, a representative from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who emphasized that leadership deals with determination, purpose, and empathy. She reiterated her point, stating that “a girl lives with empathy, courage, and vision for a better world.”
The Maiden edition of the S.H.E leadership summit proved to be more than just a gathering, but a movement of Inspiration, empowerment and awakening. The event successfully achieved its aim of equipping young women with knowledge, confidence and the drive to take up leadership roles across diverse fields.
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