More than 200 girls from primary and secondary schools across Cross River State have been empowered through leadership training at the “Catch Her Young Summit” held in Calabar.
The summit, organised by Girls In Power—a nonprofit organisation dedicated to empowering girls and women through leadership, mentorship, advocacy, and networking—took place at the Prof. Oyo Ita Building in Marian, Calabar, under the theme “The Leadership Seed.”
Participants from over 20 schools took part in the event, which featured panel discussions, mentorship sessions, and a leadership education roundtable. The programme aimed to instill leadership awareness, promote civic engagement, and equip the girls with the necessary skills to become future leaders.
Theresa Eja, Founder and Executive Director of Girls In Power, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the summit. “This summit is about planting the seeds of leadership early. These girls are the future leaders, and we are here to nurture their potential,” she stated.
The initiative is part of Girls In Power’s broader mission to foster female leadership across Africa. Previous projects by the organisation include the Leboku Girls Leadership Awareness Campaign and the Next Campus Female Leaders Fellowship, which attracted over 578 applicants and recorded a 60% impact rate.
Distinguished speakers at the summit included:
- Dr Mrs Virginia Ironbar, Acting Director of the Pre-Degree Programme and wife of the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Cross River State
- Amb. Hon. Nkoyo Toyo, Founder of Gender and Development Action
- Hon. Joseph-Kelvin Eyam, Special Assistant on Students’ Affairs to the Governor
- Hon. Utibe-Abasi Bassey Duke, Special Assistant on Gender Mainstreaming
- Surv. Prof. Gertrude Nnanjar Njar, Chairman, Governing Council, College of Agriculture, Obubra
- Mr Oyo Effiom, CEO of Guru Innovation Hub
- Ms Theresa Eja, Executive Director, Girls In Power
Girls In Power reaffirmed its commitment to promoting gender inclusion and grooming the next generation of female leaders in all sectors of society.