The Women Leaders Assembly of Nigeria (WLAN) is an umbrella body of women groups and female youths across the country, who are mainly youthful professionals, both in Nigeria and Diaspora. They are making the nation proud on daily basis as a result of their global exploits. The various groups under its umbrella have called for inclusivity, professionalism and the immense impact of youthful population in the new composition of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new administration. This, according to the group, is part of the efforts to bridge the skills gap amongst the present generation of Nigerians and the sixties politicians and jobbers who have persistently held the Nigerian state by the jugular politically.

WLAN, recently in a programme organized within the Southeast geopolitical zone, called for a trans-generational leadership “that will take the country to the promised land of our forefathers after the continuous failure of the present crop of politicians and leaders at our various organs of government.”

The organization said it has become a reoccurring decimal and antecedence of the present crop of leaders to line their pockets, thinking of self rather than the public good and the collective aspirations of Nigerians.”

As a woman pressure group worldwide, we call on the present administration under President Tinubu as he is about constituting his cabinet to be wary of these group of people, politicians and self-centred, so-called leaders who are daily hobnobbing and ambushing the President at every forum or event. That Tinubu should work assiduously with the women and youth population of Nigeria, not forgetting the 35 per cent Affirmative Action on Women in governance to which Nigeria is a signatory. They gave an example of Kogi State that has domiciled this affirmative action by Governor Yahaya Bello which, they described as indeed unique and worthy of emulation.

In a press release issued by the Convener, Dr Chichi Esther Ukamadu and Secretary, Hajia Maimuna Tahir, the duo said it is very important to bring to the fore the strategic importance of equipping both the female and youthful population with the required skills of knowledge, governance for employment and entrepreneurship, so that the old politicians can easily hand over the rein of power to the young generation seamlessly for productivity, so as to place the country in the pedestal of comity of nations, where nations that have been on the same pedestal over decades, can be found.

Accordingly, the group noted, the President’s renewed Hope Agenda has genuinely motivated, improved and renewed the hopes of Nigerians, including the less privileged and “anything short of using the women and youthful population with renewed energy, will be seen as a betrayal of the trust of Nigerians by the Tinubu administration.”

They also observed that a lot of the politicians seeking office once again are people with a lot of moral burden hanging on their necks, including graft issues with the various anti-graft agencies, bordering on corruption and official maladministration on their previous positions.

WLAN also noted that the critical component of Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration should be women and youth employability and the change of baton from the old generation to the new who are daily poised and ready to deliver the country from doldrums.

The group emphasized that Nigeria, as a member of the United Nations, signed and ratified the various relevant international instruments, treaties and conventions without reservation for the full implementation of the 35 per cent Affirmative Action and, as such, “it must be domiciled in the country as majority of women and the youth groups with the largest demographic population are the ones that voted the President in to office and, as such, they should be at the forefront of leadership positions.”

They affirmed that presently, a lot of women, and youths are doing very well in their various positions, including those that worked with previous administrations, that if not elevated to high offices, they should be retained to achieve their mandate so as to be an impetus to the highest youthful population and make Nigerian attain its desired greatness.

Also, as part of WLAN’s strategic partnerships and collaboration with multi-stakeholders and ICT professionals in the sub-region and Africa, especially blue-chip firms, agencies and organizations that are impacting humanity and have carved a niche for themselves in their chosen endeavours and have remained role models in the country. It is pertinent to state that WLAN is consistently looking at new ways, innovations, and initiatives to propel the needed change that will make the country a global hub for information and exchange of ideas for the betterment of humanity and overall socio-economic development of Nigeria.

The organization further noted that “as the world undergoes rapid technological, economic and social transformations, such organizations in the country like the Ministry of Youths and Sports, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and few others who are daily basking in the euphoria as change agents should be encouraged to do more. WLAN therefore reiterates that the women and youthful population need the right skills, experience, network and must be at the forefront of Nigeria’s and global efforts needed to reposition not only this administration, but the entire continent, must be adequately captured as the current President is a change agent and needs change champions that are motivated and highly skilled.”