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 Ami