Vibrant Teen Girls Academy (VITGA) – an NGO in Lagos concludes Empower Her Project as part of 16 Days of Activism

Empower Her Project, a brain-child of Vibrant Teen Girls Academy (VITGA) – an NGO laser focused on programmes that aid development and empowerment of females, concludes with a conference aimed at reorienting and reshaping thoughts about empowerment of the female gender at Onikan Youth Centre, Lagos on Saturday, 2nd of December, 2017.

The Empower Her Conference 2.0 which was themed “Breaking Barriers to Female Empowerment – towards 2030” had in attendance over 100 attendees from far and near. The conference also hosted top notch gender quality advocates, feminists and women empowerment advocates such as Olaoluwa Abagun, Temitope Globalwonder Olatimehin, Gusi Tobby LordWiliams, Banjo Damilola, Moyosore Faith Agboola and Mutiat Olagoke who took turns to paint an indelible picture about female empowerment in the minds of the attendees.

Welcoming speeches from the Chairperson for the Conference and the Executive Director of the Organization, Mrs Sidiquat Olabisi Akindele and Miss Qaozara Adepeju Adebanke respectively gave assurances for a thrilling event and kept the attendees glued to their seats.

Via the opening keynote, Olaoluwa Abagun, an incandescent gender quality advocate, lawyer and founder at Girl Pride Circle made vehement submissions requesting for more female inclusion in decision making. She submitted that, if only we can have more girls and women at the helms of power can we allow for more gender equal society. She finalized saying that “Gender Equality isn’t a fight for supremacy; it’s simply a fight for inclusion”.

Temitope Olatimehin did justice to the topic: “Is feminism overrated in Nigeria”. She pinpointed some of the biggest misconception to the word feminism and concluded with strong words why quality education for the girl child must be on a highest hierarchy for Nigeria amidst these several misconceptions.

The concluding keynote couldn’t have been more enlightening when Gusi Tobby LordWilliams introduced the attendees to the innumerable opportunities that lie abounds for selfless volunteers. In her words, “Volunteerism helps you to build new skills, increase your interpersonal skills and increase your people bank”.

The plenary that followed the keynotes helped discuss more elaborately the topic: “Girls building 21st century skills and breaking barriers to sustainable development”. One important skill the three panellists agreed to as a 21st century skill every girl and woman should have is the effective communication skill.

Mutiat Olagoke evidently demystified the reason why every girl must be equipped with Public Speaking Skill.

Banjo Damilola, a Journalist emphasized the need for skills such as writing and others in line with technology as she believes that there are no barriers to the effective usage of these platforms.

Moyosore Agboola spoke into the mind of the participants by making them realize the need to uphold a high self esteem always and to always stay motivated in times that are required.

After a thoughtful plenary, awards were presented to sponsors, speakers and to best students that participated in the Pen Power Contest, a poetry contest aimed at unleashing the creative prowess of teenage girls. The Pen Power Contest saw Fazzilet Afolayan Kehinde, a 16-year-old girl rewarded with 30,000 Naira cash prize, a travel box and other packages for emerging the best poet in the poetry contest. Sherifat Abiade and Bello Sawburat clinched the first and second runner up positions respectively.

The Conference wrapped up with short speeches from the Director of programmes, Vibrant Teen Girls Academy – Mr Abdulsamod Balogun, Speakers and attendees advocating for a Nigeria where gender-based violence, gender inequality and other social vices are fully surmounted as part of the realization of goals for the 16 days of activism.

Empower Her Conference 2.0 held in partnership with Women FM 91.7HZ, OmoSavage Photography, Graciella Foundation, Lagos Divisional Ambassadors, Vurnt, Waxwell Arts, Wakanewz, Support Bridges Initiative, Parliament of Poets, UNILAG and Explicit Pr.