Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has urged young Nigerian women to embrace courage, self-awareness, and purposeful leadership, declaring that the time has come for women to “be bold, audacious, and fearless.”
She made the call on Saturday during an inspiring mentorship and interactive session themed “An Evening with Senator Natasha”, held to mark the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child. The event drew over fifty young women from across the country under the global theme, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis.”
Senator Natasha, in her keynote message, emphasised that true leadership begins with self-discovery.
“It’s important to identify the girl that I am,” she said. “Many of us grow up without truly knowing who we are because society defines and shapes us from childhood. Before you figure out your career or the change you want to make, you must first know yourself.”
The senator challenged participants to reject societal norms that silence women and hinder their ambitions.
“Women have been raised to take the shame, wear the blame, and zip their mouths shut,” she declared. “But that ends with us. We must find the courage to be bold, audacious, and fearless, to break barriers and climb higher mountains.”
She reaffirmed her commitment to championing causes that empower women and uplift deprived communities, saying she would not feel fulfilled until her work translates into real transformation in people’s lives.
The event also featured powerful personal stories from guest speakers, including Yakubu Oyiza Hope, a survivor of human trafficking and violence, who recounted her journey from abduction and hardship to becoming a leading advocate for victims’ rights.
Participants described the session as “eye-opening and life-changing,” commending Senator Natasha for her mentorship and calling for a structured mentorship program to sustain the dialogue and drive for empowerment.
Media figures, including Sadiyat Inoh Abah of AIT, attended the event, which ended on a high note with renewed optimism as the young women pledged to become change agents in their communities.
