… Over 5,000 Ondo women empowered by initiative
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC) Media Group have expressed their full support for the 5th Summit of The Foundation for Wives of Ondo State Officials and Female Political Appointees (FOWOSO). The summit, with the theme “Living A Life of Purpose,” is scheduled to take place on December 6th and 7th, 2023, in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
While receiving the Working Committee of the FOWOSO Summit in their respective offices, the management of the media houses expressed their commitment to the cause.
Mrs. Olubunmi Oke, the General Manager of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Ondo State, Akure, praised the positive impact FOWOSO has had on women in the state.
“As the theme suggests, I believe it is time for women to embrace a purposeful life. The FOWOSO Summit serves as a platform to unite women and empower them to live with purpose.”
She urged the organizers of the Summit to ensure that the event reaches women from all walks of life and encompasses every segment of society.
Mr. Kunle Adebayo, the Chairman of the Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC) media group, commended the relentless efforts, unwavering focus, and dedicated commitment of Ondo State’s First Lady, Chief Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, in driving positive change through her platform.
“I would like to sincerely commend Chief Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the visionary behind this foundation, for her remarkable commitment and unwavering focus towards a persistent aspiration. Blending a transformative dream with the realm of politics poses significant challenges.”
“ Politics is uncertain, full of ups and downs but a dream for change is constant, amidst all distractions, and words of discouragement, Chief Anyanwu-Akeredolu has remained focused and the evidence is clear.
“The First Lady of Ondo State has intervened in several ways that we the media can see, ” he said.
Adebayo extolled the achievements of the BEMORE Empowered Foundation and other projects of the First Lady including her tireless fight against breast cancer.
“Please extend our heartfelt congratulatory words for all these noble achievements that we have seen. The evidence is clearer. She has led the advocacy to change the lives of women,” the OSRC media group Chairman said.
In their remarks at the media houses, Mrs. Toyin Adegbenro, the Chairperson of the 5th FOWOSO Summit Working Committee, and the Spokesperson, Mrs Adebusoye provided a concise overview of the organization’s background.
The summit Chairperson shared that FOWOSO is a non-governmental organization established by the First Lady of Ondo State at the start of the tenure of the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration in 2017 and noted that FOWOSO has successfully trained and empowered about 5,000 women across the entire state over the years.
“The First Lady is a woman who has a lot of passion for anything that has to do with women and great passion as well for the girl child. In realizing this passion, she initiated FOWOSO.
“They have been given different skills and given start-up kits to begin to live a life of their own giving them room to understand who they are and imagine themselves getting to heights they never believed they could reach,” she said.
While seeking partnerships with the media houses, she emphasized that the Summit will encompass a wide range of activities. These activities include presentations on breast cancer awareness, a comprehensive discussion on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP), and a panel session addressing issues related to abusive marriages.
Further shedding light on one of the focal points for discussion at the Summit ‘ Does Womanhood Define Motherhood?’, Adegbenro explained that the panelists will engage in a thought-provoking conversation, questioning and challenging the societal expectations placed on women in Africa to assume the role of motherhood as an obligatory duty.
The Chairperson of the Summit Working Committee also disclosed that selected participants from the First Lady’s BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation, Nigeria’s largest girls-only Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and solar boot camp, will have their session at the Summit.
“We are honored to have some of the girls share their firsthand experiences from their time at BEMORE, highlighting the valuable lessons they have learned and the remarkable achievements they have accomplished through their involvement with BEMORE,” she expressed.
Story by Oluwatobi Omosalewa Fademi
