The wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has tasked women to embrace leadership by empowering and training one another as a means of lifting women from potentials to possibilities. She made this known at the ongoing 3-day Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) national convention 2025 which is being held in Lagos. The Police officers wives’ convention gathering over 1000 women from various walks of life is themed ‘Unlocking POWA potentials and transformational leadership,’ National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report.
Dr. Mrs. Sanwo-Olu informed: ‘A lot of us women have potentials, hidden potentials that you don’t even know that you have. Some are very good academically, some are very good when it comes to dressing people up, some are very good at counseling, some of us are very good when it comes to empowering and training and lifting others, but we have to release these potentials as much as possible.’
‘Some are shy. They think that they can’t do it, but when you form them into smaller committees, you will discover that those hidden potentials will come out. But if you just leave them together in this flow as 1000 people, those potentials will not come out. When you put them in smaller groups, groups of 10, groups five, you see that all those hidden potentials will be discovered and that further will allow us to cause that transformation that we need in the nation, from our home to our families to the communities to the nation as a whole.’
She encouraged women to push the correct narrative, ‘We need to use our mouth constructively, use our mouth to pray, and use our mouth to praise, if we want to transform this country. A lot of negative things have been said about women. A lot of negative movies have been shown out there. We want us to change the narrative that we can do better. Women should be found in places of policy making, decision making and not just seen as in the other room. So transforming this leadership starts with you and I. It starts from everyone.’
Appreciating the police officers’ wives, Sanwo-Olu noted: ‘I am very proud of our Police officers wives. On many occasions when they interact with us, the Committee of wives or Lagos state officials, we always send them back home to please greet their spouses, because we know the wonderful work that they’re doing out there.’
The 3-day event opened with a ceremony and Inspirational talk on Wednesday, 30th July, 2025 at Eko Hotel, continues with Day 2 comprising Sport Segment and Empowerment Programs on Thursday, 31st July, 2025 at Onikan Stadium, and rounds up with Day 3 featuring Talent Hunt and Dinner on Friday 1st August, 2025 at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.
Dignitaries present at the event includes; Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin representing the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Honorable Commissioner of Women and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada representing the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in-charge of Zone 2, AIG Fayoade Adegoke representing IGP Kayode Egbetokun; Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Moshood Jimoh; White Caps Chiefs representing the Oba of Lagos, HRM Oba is Rilwan Akiolu; Executive Secretary/CEO, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, Dr Abdurrazaq Balogun; Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian, Brig. Gen. OM Oyelami; Commander, 651 Base Service Group, Air Commodore US Umar; Commander, NNS Beecroft, Commodore P.P Nimmyel; Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Hon. Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (Rtd); Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, DCP Fatai Tijani; LSSTF Secretary, Mrs. Ada Onyeka among others.
