The special adviser to the president on policy and coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, says Nigeria must recognise the value of women’s participation in leadership and nation-building.

Ms Bala-Usman spoke during a conference on Queen Amina, organised by the Nigerian Defence Academy, on Thursday in Kaduna.

Ms Bala-Usman said leadership was not the preserve of any particular gender and cited the contributions of women in Nigeria, as well as on the African continent, to leadership and nation-building.

She also urged policymakers at all levels to adopt the legacies of previous iconic figures in their quest for nation-building.

According to her, the seminar was particularly significant in the current security landscape of Nigeria, which was facing numerous challenges that require strategic leadership and innovative solutions.

She explained that for Nigeria to overcome the contemporary security challenges, policymakers must take a cue from history and use it as an avenue to learn from the successes and failures of previous leaders.

Ms Bala-Usman said, “I would like to encourage contemporary leaders to draw inspiration from Queen Amina’s leadership strategy and apply the lessons learned to their own contexts. Queen Amina’s story is a testament to the pivotal role women have played in shaping the course of history.

“From Queen Bilqis, also known as Sheba in the Bible, to Cleopatra in ancient Egypt, and the fearless Amazons of Dahomey, women have consistently demonstrated leadership acumen, strategic thinking, and bravery in the face of adversity.

“These women have shown us that leadership is not the preserve of any particular gender, but rather a quality that can be cultivated and honed.”

Ms Bala-Usman identified examples of women who had made significant contributions to leadership and nation-building in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, including Queen Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba, who resisted Portuguese colonisation in Angola.

She also mentioned Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of the Ejisu people in Ghana, who led the Ashanti rebellion against British colonial rule, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a Nigerian educator and women’s rights activist, who fought for women’s suffrage and education and Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate, who promoted sustainable development and environmental protection.

According to her, there is a need to draw lessons from history and the experiences of iconic figures like Queen Amina, as well as learn from the contributions of women like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

She listed others, including Amina Mohammed, among several others.
Ms Bala-Usman described the seminar as timely, which would add value in addressing the country’s security challenges.

(NAN)