Yesterday, I was pleased to attend and address the Women in Business Luncheon convened by the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with Zenith Bank and the Africa Women CEOs Network, in Lagos.

Held on the occasion of International Women’s Day, under the theme Accelerating Action for Sustainability, I was welcomed by Mr Laurent Favier, Consul General of France in Lagos, with remarks by the representative of Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Adaibi Nwapa, representative of Dr Adaora Umeoji, GMD/CEO Zenith Bank, Guillaume Niarfeix, President & Chairman of CCIFN, and Engr. Noimot Oyedele FNSE, Deputy Governor of Ogun State, whom I was delighted to present an award to during the luncheon.

In my remarks, I spoke to the importance of coherence in the systems that govern opportunity, as inclusion must go beyond performance, toward equity, structure, and shared value, as women in business reshape economic frameworks, proving that true growth is measured not only by profit, but by its impact on people, communities, and the planet.

Furthering insights as the impromptu High-Level Lighting Reflections Lead, featuring Their Excellencies Former Ambassadors Modupe Irele and Opunimi Akinkugbe, and Iyadunni Gbadebo of Eko Hotel & Suites. Kelechi Okparaocha (WTS Blackstone), Belema Koleoso (Schneider Electric), Annabelle Escarpit (SPIE Global Services Energy), eminently moderated by Lehlé Baldé, I was reminded of how dynamic and intergenerational leadership spaces can and should be.

At the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, these convictions are embedded in practice, as we champion and implement the four foundational pillars of sustainability each day: clarity in policy, capital in finance, capacity in people, and collaboration in delivery, through our ongoing commitment to systems strengthening and human-centred development.

Mesdames et Messieurs, nous sommes les alliées du progrès, les vectrices du changement, et les artisanes de l’avenir. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are the allies of progress, agents of change, and architects of the future. I appreciate the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zenith Bank, and the Africa Women CEOs Network for their attention, their leadership, and their unwavering commitments to a future that is more equitable, more inclusive, and more resilient.

Merci beaucoup.