A Nigerian
civil rights and democracy activist, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, has been appointed
executive president of Women in Africa (WIA) initiative.
WIA is a network of women across Africa
and around the world that has strong relationships with companies and organizations,
especially in Europe.
It is dedicated to economic development
and supporting women, mostly in Africa; but has always been headed by
non-Africans.
The organization described Abiola-Costello’s
appointment as a key step for the initiative.
“This is the stage of maturity. Since
the beginning of WIA initiative, I have always said that I would give my place
to an African woman, because it is in the logic of WIA to have an African
president,” Aude de Thuin, her predecessor, said.
”It is with women that Africa will
develop in trust and in complementarity with men.”
According to her, Abiola-Costello was
chosen “first because of her personality; she was one of the first WIA ambassadors,
and joined WIA council a year ago.”
“Secondly, because of her career as an
activist for human rights, civil rights and democracy, and values so close to
ours made her the ideal candidate.
“Finally, for her analysis and her
vision of the role of women in the economy. All this combined made it obvious
that she is the right person at the right place.”
The new president said she accepted the
post because she believes in the vision of the organisation.
“Women
are the greatest untapped resource the continent has; so I want to help lead
the organisation that is working to harness their potential,” Abiola-Costello
said.
”It could very well be the game-changer
that unleashes the long-anticipated rise of the continent.”
She added that her primary goal is to
learn in the first year of her tenure.
“My goals for 2018 are understandably
modest; it is primarily to learn,” she said.
”To learn how the organization
currently operates, to meet our partners and listen to their vision and
interests, to engage with our members across the continent and learn what they
see as the biggest opportunities and the toughest challenges.
”In the coming year, my focus will be
on building out the structure for the future and beginning to tie that
structure to performance.
“I’ll be focusing on ensuring that we
have ambassadors in all the countries of Africa, that we have active councils
in at least a third of these, and that we expand the network of partners that
we engage on behalf of our members.”
Abiola-Costello is the daughter of
Nigeria’s democracy icon, Moshood and Kudirat Abiola, who died in the struggle
to restore civil rule in Nigeria.
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