Advocacy Keynote Address:

Distinguished guests, advocates, valued partners, and dedicated changemakers,

It is an honour to stand with you today as we conclude this momentous Stride for HER Rights Walkathon, led by Global Citizen Africa. Every step we have taken across the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge has not just moved us forward in distance—it has propelled us forward with momentum and purpose. This morning we have marched for justice, for dignity and for the health of women and newborns across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

At the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we have long upheld a simple but unwavering truth: access to quality maternal, newborn, and child healthcare is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. Through our decades of work with midwives, community health workers, and frontline programming such as our flagship Mamacare360 Antenatal and Postnatal Classes, we have witnessed firsthand the life-changing power of investing in maternal and child health. Yet, the challenges remain. Every day, women in our communities face barriers, not just to safe childbirth, not just to essential reproductive healthcare, but to something even more fundamental: the chance to survive pregnancy and experience empowered motherhood.

That is why today’s walk is more than symbolic. It is a call to action. It is a demand—for increased health financing, for stronger community health systems, for policies that ensure no woman dies while giving life. We know that when women have access to quality healthcare, societies thrive. Healthy women drive economies, strengthen families, and build resilient communities. Investing in women’s health is not just a moral duty—it is an economic imperative, with the force to unlock prosperity and opportunity across our continent.

I extend my deepest appreciation to Global Citizen, the Lagos State Government, our invaluable partners, and most importantly, each and every one of you who has taken a stand, step by step, towards a better future. Let today ignite relentless advocacy, bold policy reforms, and lasting change so that every woman and every child in Nigeria receives the care they need and deserve.

May we keep striding for HER rights, as sustainable change happens when we walk together. 

Thank you.