Build Leadership Consciousness, Skills – Don Urges Young Girls

The Director of Pre-Degree Programme, University of Calabar (Unical), Dr. Virginia Ironbar, has urged young girls to strive to build leadership consciousness and skills, stressing that they can be what they want to be if they put their minds to it.

She stated this at the ‘Catch Her Young’ Summit held at Prof. Eyo Ita House, where she was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Ironbar, who spoke on the topic “Leadership Seed,” addressed young girls from primary to secondary school in the state, describing them as the great women of tomorrow.

She encouraged them to aim high, saying they can be President’s wives, Governor’s wives, Senator’s wives, and even Presidents themselves.

According to her, the future of Nigeria depends on inclusive leadership, and empowering young girls is crucial to shaping a more balanced, just, and prosperous nation.

Dr. Ironbar, who is also the Chief of Staff to the Wife of the Cross River State Governor, lamented that despite making up nearly half of Nigeria’s population, girls and women are underrepresented in leadership spaces, from politics to business, which remain male-dominated.

This is even as she identified cultural and societal expectations, limited access to quality education, gender-based violence, early marriage, and lack of mentorship and role models as some of the barriers facing girls today.

The keynote speaker emphasized the need to start leadership young, saying confidence is built over time and early leadership experiences lay the foundation for future influence.

 She noted that encouraging young girls to lead teaches them critical thinking, resilience, and responsibility.

By empowering young girls to lead, Dr. Ironbar stressed that Nigeria can build a brighter future, where women play a more significant role in shaping the nation’s destiny.  

The Pre-degree Director cited examples of Nigerian women who started young and rose to prominence, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Obiageli Ezekwesili, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, among others.