International speaker and human development consultant Mfon Ekpo delivered a powerful address at the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration held on 7 March 2026 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, speaking before an audience of approximately 50,000 people gathered to mark the global observance.
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno, hosted the event, with the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady Designate, Noble Lady Helen Eno Obareki, and the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, attending as Special Guests of Honour.
In a speech that combined history, policy, and a call to action, Ekpo reminded the audience that women’s leadership in the region has deep historical roots.
Drawing from the 1929 women’s uprising commonly referred to as the Aba Women’s Riot, she reframed the event not as a riot but as one of the earliest examples of organised political resistance led by women in West Africa. She highlighted the mobilisation of Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Eket, Ibeno, and Obolo women, whose collective action challenged colonial policies and protected the economic livelihoods of women across the region.
“History calls it a riot, but we know better. A riot is chaos. What those women organised was a strategy.”
Referencing the theme, “Rights”. Justice. Action.” Ekpo noted that women of the region embodied these principles long before the language of modern empowerment entered global discourse.
“That is our pedigree. When women rise together, they do not merely change their circumstances; they change the direction of history.”
Ekpo also emphasised the economic significance of women’s empowerment. Citing research from the McKinsey Global Institute, she noted that Nigeria’s economy could expand by 23 per cent, nearly $229 billion, if women participated fully in the economy.
“Empowering women is not charity. It is a strategy. It is economic intelligence.”
“If there is a future we want to see that has not yet been created, then we must create it.”
The International Women’s Day celebration formed part of a broader series of initiatives recognising the role of women in leadership, entrepreneurship, and community development across Akwa Ibom State.
Ekpo’s address follows several recent milestones in her work, including receiving the Outstanding Contribution Alumni Award from the University of Southampton, the first of its kind in the institution’s 163-year history, and the continued global expansion of The Blueprint of How, a leadership and enterprise development platform connecting participants across multiple cities and nations.
Together, these efforts reinforce Ekpo’s central message: that daring to pursue vision, even in the face of limitations, has the power to transform not only individual lives but also communities and nations.
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Written by Tobiloba Akanni
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