The United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) and the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) have called for diplomacy education for girls to develop leadership skills.
The organisations made the call during the inauguration of the maiden Female Legislative Mentorship and ECOFEPA Masterclass Programme focused on diplomacy and parliamentary affairs on Thursday in Abuja.
The event, themed “Building the next generation of statesmen and stateswomen for legislative and executive excellence,” was organised by ECOFEPA in collaboration with UN-WCD.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General of UN-WCD, Amb. Tunji Asaolu, commended ECOFEPA for strengthening the role of women parliamentarians, saying the future of West African democratic institutions depends on equipping them.
According to him, UN-WCD remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at advancing the girl child’s skills in diplomacy, peace-building, gender inclusivity, promotion of regional integration, and democratic governance to achieve targets.
“We believe that empowering women and young leaders is one of the most effective investments any society can make toward sustainable peace, prosperity, and development. Therefore, we remain firmly dedicated to equipping our women with the diplomatic and legislative skills required for achieving true excellence in leadership.
“Let us work together to build a future where men and women live side by side as true equals; we need mentorship to realise this and ensure a stronger, more inclusive, and prosperous West Africa,” he said.
He urged the mentees to invest their time in imbibing values that could help build their leadership skills effectively through integrity, accountability, excellence, diplomacy, and policy innovation as future leaders.
Speaking, the First Vice-President of ECOFEPA, Zainab Gimba, said the event reflected the collective aspiration for a more inclusive, responsive, and representative system of government across the sub-region.
She explained that the programme affirmed ECOFEPA’s shared determination to empower women, strengthen leadership capacities, and inspire opportunities that will uplift future generations.
“It is our prayer that this programme will nurture young leaders, diplomats, legislators, executives, and dedicated public servants to contribute meaningfully to peace, progress, and sustainable development within the region.
“The rationale for building the next generation of statewomen for legislative and executive excellence is strongly grounded in the persistent reality of the under-representation of women in political leadership across West Africa and beyond,” she said.
On her part, Amb. Pascaline Yakivu, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nigeria, advised the aspiring diplomats to uphold lessons derived from the programme as tools for achieving leadership growth.
According to her, such lessons will help them direct their steps towards a more defined future, where women’s voices can shape foreign policy and legislative decisions.
The event featured remarks by Joseph Nwaobasi, Chairman of the Tenth National Assembly Nigeria-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group Committee, and a presentation by ECOFEPA member Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on a leadership mindset for public service.
The occasion also included a session on pathways into political office by Gimba, strategies for constituency service and community engagement by Moima Mensah, Public Relations Officer of ECOFEPA, and an interactive segment by Sarah Traore, an ECOFEPA member. (NAN)
