Four Nigerian women were among a select group of females from various African countries honoured for their excellent contributions to the soceity at the eighth Impactful Women Award/Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative, held recently in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.
They honourees are Adebola Aramide Olawaye (IT/Cybersecurity expert), Dr. Gloria Diri (Founder TWOT International/First Lady of Bayelsa State), Okaibe Beatrice Ogochukwu (CEO, Bsharps Collections), and Barrister Justina Chioma Ohaa (Founder, Tynachyomaa Charitable Foundation).
Similarly awarded were Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey; the Adonten Osompahemea, Nana Abena Affumua I, who is a cultural leader in Ghana; Director-General in charge of the CID at the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor; Ghana’s deputy presidential spokesperson, Shamima Muslim; and Founder of the British International University, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, Banassa Kone, among others.
They were recognised for their positive and impactful contributions to society.
The Impactful Women Awards, which started in 2018, aims at acknowledging and rewarding the effort of women who are making positive impact globally.
This year’s theme was, “Celebrating the Impact of Female Global Pacesetters”.
While welcoming guests to the occasion, the Convener of the Impactful Women Awards, Comrade Barry Ndu said that, as today’s women globally, are breaking barriers and spearheading positive initiatives that bring growth and progress to the contemporary world, now is the time to channel sincere efforts towards appreciating the significant and undeniable impact they are making to society.
He also announced his organisation’s plans to set up a youth entrepreneurship and skills acquisition center to train women who do not requisite academic qualifications to acquire the necessary skills that would help them not to depend on the government for jobs.
Ndu said; ‘Our organisation is aware of the deprivation and economic challenges some young women go through to survive daily. Many women are becoming bread winners in families. In view of our desire to be a support system, we have concluded plans to set up the Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition Centre to train some of these women who possibly have not gone through the four walls of a university to acquire the necessary skills that would help them not to depend on the government for jobs.
‘We celebrate those who would be honored today. This is a clear indication and testament of your impact. Your consistent commitment towards a better society is highly appreciated. Please never stop. The world is watching. As an Ethiopian proverb succinctly puts it, “a home without a woman is like a barn without cattle”.
‘Sometimes I wonder what the world would have been without the female gender. We appreciate all the great women in Ghana and other parts of the world who have remained a shining light and role models to others’.
More than 150 women form around Africa have been accorded the honour of the award in the last seven years. They included an Executive Director of United Bank for Africa, Madam Abiola Bawuah; Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority, Dr. Delese Mimi Darko; former South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Lulu Xingwana; Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala; Chief Executive Officer of Standpoint, a Ghanaian media outlet, Oheneyere Gifty Anti; and Chief Executive Officer of Candid Issues, Oheneyere Franca Ani, among others.
