By Angela Atabo
The Diamond Assembly, a platform established to strengthen women’s participation in governance and decision-making, has called for greater collaboration among women to promote national development.
Dr Victoria Ogwuche, Founder and Global President of the Connect Network Foundation, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the Diamond Assembly National Conference, themed “Catalyst of National Transformation”.
Ogwuche also urged women to leverage their influence, build meaningful collaborations and create opportunities for one another to enhance their participation in governance and national development.
She said the Diamond Assembly was established as a working institution to provide a platform for influential women to network, exercise governance, undertake projects and influence decision-making across sectors and states.
“In spite of increasing calls for greater participation of women in governance and policymaking, their actual involvement remained low.
“The assembly was created to enable women to build a formidable platform rather than continually cry to be a part of the table.
“The assembly was also designed to promote continuity and build a legacy beyond conferences, awards and social gatherings,” she said.
Ogwuche said women on the platform would focus on leadership, mentorship, collaboration, decision-making and creating opportunities for others.
She said the assembly would work across Nigeria to address gaps in education and mentorship while strengthening connections among women.
She stressed the need to replace competition among women with genuine collaboration, saying collective efforts would make it easier to achieve meaningful impact.
“We are not competing with one another; it is about connecting and collaborating,” she said.
Ogwuche also announced plans to ensure equitable representation of women from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as the assembly expands and undertakes projects.
She said members would identify opportunities, connect women with partners, act on ideas, document results and measure the impact of their interventions.
According to her, the assembly’s constitution, vetted by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, would guide members and provide a structured framework for its operations.
She said members were selected based on their understanding of the vision, influence and ability to open doors for others, stressing that they would be expected to mentor other women and use their networks for collective advancement.
Also speaking, Princess Margaret Elayo, Commissioner, Ministry of Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Nasarawa State, said women should not see one another as competitors.
Elayo said the world was large enough to accommodate everyone, urging women to open doors for one another and encourage participation irrespective of age or status.
“We are enough. We are enough, we are sufficient to do what is good for our people, with our people, in our community, and above all, in Nigeria,” she said.
She urged women to touch the lives of other women and contribute to the development of society.
Mr Jamil Abdulkarim, Founder and CEO of Strange Nomad Group, said women’s participation in leadership should be accompanied by knowledge, experience and perseverance.
Abdulkarim said being invited to a decision-making table was not enough, stressing that women must participate actively and ensure that their voices influence decisions.
He said inclusion opened doors, opportunities created participation, trust created leadership, while influence created legacy.
The panel session also challenged women to pursue economic independence, saying financial capacity could strengthen their ability to meet personal needs and make difficult choices, particularly in abusive relationships.
Speaking on gender-based violence, they said laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act alone could not eliminate abuse without changes in societal attitudes and practical support for victims.
The panelists called for an end to victim-blaming and stigma against survivors of abuse and also urged women to take their mental health and self-esteem seriously.(NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
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