Ascent Club seeks amplification of women in leadership stories

Ascent Club, organiser of the top 100 career women in Africa programme, has called for amplification of stories of women in leadership to drive Africa’s development.

Speaking at the 5th edition of the project in commemoration of International Women’s Month, Glory Edozien, the convener, said the initiative was established to recognise women breaking barriers in business, leadership, and innovation.

Edozien noted that while women across the continent are “driving billion-dollar deals, transforming industries, and shaping culture”, their achievements often go unrecognised due to societal conditioning.

She also spoke about the need for political and judicial structures to reflect Africa’s demographics, particularly in countries like Nigeria, where women constitute 50 percent of the population.

“All across Africa, women are doing exceptionally well, but nobody knows. We are just in our silos because women are conditioned to simply work hard and remain quiet,” she said.

“But who is telling their stories? Who is narrating the achievements of African women across the continent — women who are negotiating billion-dollar deals, transforming industries, and shaping spaces and cultures?

“I really want the Ascent Top 100 Career Women in Africa to be a representation of that story.”

Edozien further stated that governance structures should reflect the true demographics of society to ensure more inclusive policies.

“When our political spaces start to look more like our societies — especially in countries like Nigeria, where women make up 50% of the population — then we will have policies that work for both men and women,” she added.

“The progress made in the corporate sector, with more women in leadership, should be sustained.”

Oluwakemi Oyekan-Olumuyiwa, executive director of relationship and stakeholder management at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, urged women to leverage competence and networking for visibility.

“Women can achieve so much, but we need to make our presence known through the quality of our work. Your work will speak for you when you are not there. Women must empower themselves and build strong networks,” she said.