Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party of Nigeria, Senator Nenadi Usman, has called on women across the globe to step into leadership roles and break historical barriers that have limited their participation in governance and decision-making.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Lois DeBerry Leadership Institute, held on Saturday at the Signia by Hilton, Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center, Senator Usman hailed the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative (NOBEL) Women for marking 40 years of impactful service.
Addressing the gathering on the theme *“A Legacy of Leadership Across Continents: Reflecting on the Past, Conquering the Future,”* the Nigerian politician highlighted her own journey from humble beginnings in northern Nigeria to becoming Minister of Finance at 40, a Senator, and now the first woman to lead a major political party in Nigeria’s 65-year history.
“I share this journey to inspire our graduating women today: your certificates are not an end, but a beginning. The world needs your leadership,” she said.
Usman lamented what she described as a troubling global decline in women occupying apex positions in politics and business, contrasting it with historical eras when women such as Cleopatra of Egypt, Queen Elizabeth I of England, and Nigeria’s Queen Amina of Zazzau shaped nations and empires. She also cited modern examples, from Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan to Margaret Thatcher in the UK, to stress that women have always demonstrated capacity for transformative leadership.
“The paradox of our time should compel us to act. The past proves what women can achieve; the present demands that we do even more,” she said, urging graduates to see leadership not just as an aspiration but a duty.
Bringing greetings from the Labour Party of Nigeria, Usman affirmed the party’s position as a “credible alternative” to what she described as a faltering ruling establishment, while pledging continued advocacy for women and the vulnerable in society.
She concluded with a call for global solidarity: “As we celebrate your achievements and the 40-year legacy of NOBEL Women, let us recommit to building bridges of justice, prosperity, and empowerment across continents. For when women lead, our world is stronger, more just, and more hopeful.”
