The Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom, Olori Atuwatse III, has urged African countries to create greater opportunities for women to participate in leadership and decision-making.
She made the call while speaking at the Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum in Senegal, where she stressed that Africa could no longer afford to leave out a significant portion of its talent as the continent confronts economic, political and social challenges.
Olori Atuwatse III praised former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for serving as an inspiration to African women and described her as a transformational leader who broke barriers while also mentoring and creating opportunities for other women.
She observed that although significant progress has been made in the last two decades, women who have led African countries remain relatively few.
According to her, female leadership should become a normal feature of governance rather than something treated as an unusual achievement.
The Warri Queen also pointed to historical examples of influential African women, including Queen Amina of Zaria, the Omu of Ossomari in Delta State and Senegal’s Ndaté Yalla Mbodj.
She said these examples demonstrate that women have historically played important roles in governance, commerce and nation-building across the continent.
Olori Atuwatse III argued that Africa’s leadership, economic and climate challenges require the combined contributions of both men and women.
She maintained that empowering women should not be viewed merely as a gender-equality initiative but as a strategic requirement for Africa’s development and competitiveness globally.
Highlighting initiatives in the Warri Kingdom, she said her EstablishHER programme had supported thousands of women through mentorship, counselling and enterprise development.
She also highlighted the Women Allying Women (WAW) Network, which promotes intergenerational mentorship and helps prepare women for leadership positions across Africa.
The Queen Consort stressed that genuine empowerment goes beyond individual achievement, noting that successful women should also be willing to mentor and support others.
She called on African leaders to strengthen institutions and systems that recognise, support and invest in women leaders.
Olori Atuwatse III expressed optimism that Africa would experience faster and more sustainable development when women are treated not as exceptions in leadership but as equal partners in shaping the continent’s future.
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