PRESIDENTIAL MANDATE FOR GENDER EMPOWERMENT
ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a decisive move aimed at accelerating gender development and institutional growth across the federation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the strategic appointment of Ms. Adedayo Benjamin Laniyi as the new Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development. The appointment, which marks a significant transition in the leadership of the apex women development agency, is for an initial tenure of four years.
Alongside the appointment of the new Director-General, the Commander-in-Chief also ratified the complete reconstitution of the Governing Council of the Centre. Princess Joan Jummai Idonije has been designated to head the governing board as its Chairman. Her leadership is expected to provide critical oversight and strategic direction for the agency as it enters a new phase of national engagement.
To ensure a robust, inclusive, and highly competent governance framework, the President carefully selected an array of accomplished women leaders from diverse backgrounds to serve as members of the reconstituted council. The newly appointed board members include Ms. Lois Auta, Hon. Jamila Sarki, Aisha Baiyee, Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, and Hon. Princess Anne Agom-Eze. These individuals bring a wealth of experience spanning public service, grassroots mobilization, disability advocacy, and corporate governance to the institution.
The formal notification of these appointments was conveyed in an official letter signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. The administrative processing and transmission of the executive order were coordinated through the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana.
Further clarification on the administrative details of the appointments was provided in a public statement issued on Thursday by Chris Ugwuegbulam, the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. According to the official press release, the executive appointments formally took effect on April 18, 2026. This timeline ensures that the new leadership team is fully empowered to assume administrative responsibilities immediately, eliminating any potential vacuum in the management of the federal establishment.
The statement from the presidency emphasized that the appointments were strictly executed in accordance with extant legislative frameworks. Specifically, the President exercised his executive powers in alignment with the provisions of Section 7, Sub-sections 1 and 3, of the National Centre for Women Development (Amendment) Act, 2023. This statutory compliance underscores the administration’s adherence to the rule of law and institutional guidelines in the repositioning of key federal parastatals.
While conveying the congratulations of the federal government, President Tinubu urged the newly minted Director-General and the board members to approach their responsibilities with utmost dedication, patriotism, and innovative zeal. He wished the entire leadership team tremendous success in their new national assignments, expressing confidence that their collective expertise would yield transformative results for Nigerian women.
The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, located in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, remains one of Nigeria's premier federal institutions. Originally established to honor the legacy of the late former First Lady, Dr. Maryam Babangida, who pioneered state-backed women empowerment programs in Nigeria, the Centre is legally mandated to promote holistic women development, advance gender mainstreaming, champion socio-economic empowerment, and drive comprehensive capacity-building initiatives across the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Political analysts view this major shake-up as a calculated attempt by the Tinubu administration to inject fresh perspectives into the nation's gender-responsive policies. The inclusion of figures like Ms. Lois Auta, a globally recognized advocate for persons living with disabilities, signals an intentional shift toward total inclusivity in the federal government’s developmental agenda. Similarly, veterans of public administration such as Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas are expected to leverage their extensive political networks to ensure that the programs of the Centre resonate at the grassroots level.
With the incoming Director-General, Ms. Adedayo Benjamin Laniyi, at the administrative helm and Princess Joan Jummai Idonije steering the policy-making Governing Council, expectations are remarkably high. Stakeholders in the gender advocacy sector have already begun calling on the new leadership to prioritize tech-driven skill acquisition for young women, tackle the rising challenges of economic inflation affecting female-led small businesses, and strengthen institutional research into gender-based issues within the country.
The four-year mandate gives this newly assembled team a clear runway to design, implement, and institutionalize sustainable programs that will bridge the gender gap, elevate women's participation in national development, and fulfill the core objectives outlined in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
