Conversations on healing from abuse, purposeful leadership and women’s economic empowerment took centre stage as survivors, professionals, faith leaders and entrepreneurs gathered in Ikeja for the 2026 Live Again Conference.
The conference, organised by the Live Again Foundation as part of activities marking its fifth anniversary, provided a platform for discussions on recovery after abuse, personal transformation and financial independence while connecting women with mentorship, business support and practical resources for rebuilding their lives.
Founded by Executive Director Enifome Ogbimi, the Live Again Foundation provides shelter, counselling, advocacy and empowerment programmes for women affected by abuse. Over the past five years, the organisation says it has supported more than 2,000 women through shelter services, counselling, legal referrals, skills development and business empowerment initiatives aimed at helping survivors regain confidence and achieve economic independence.
Reflecting the conference’s focus on moving from survival to restoration, the event featured the presentation of 20 business grants and 20 Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration grants to women launching or formalising their businesses. Participants also attended group coaching sessions, wellness activities, the premiere of a documentary on abuse recovery and a pop-up exhibition of Live Again merchandise. Media personality Presh Talker hosted the event.
Leadership coach Fela Durotoye challenged participants to view leadership as responding to problems rather than waiting for positions of influence.
“Leadership is about taking responsibility for problems you did not create,” he said. “As long as a problem tugs at your heart, it is calling you. It is an assignment of purpose.”
Using the Mushin Makeover project as an example, Durotoye described purpose as progressing through inspiration, instruction and initiative, stressing that ideas only become meaningful when translated into action.
Performance coach and transformational speaker Bankole Williams encouraged participants to remain open to opportunities, even during life’s most difficult seasons.
“Life will always present you with pockets of opportunities. The question is, would you recognise that it was an opportunity?” he said, adding that mentorship remains one of the fastest routes to personal and professional growth.
Leadership expert Ify Adizue-Chuks urged participants to pursue emotional healing rather than allowing past experiences to define their future.
“Everything you need to shine has been made available for you, but you only need to rise,” she said, encouraging attendees to let go of emotional burdens and embrace new possibilities.
A defining moment of the conference came when Ogbimi shared her personal experience of surviving domestic abuse, recounting how emotional manipulation and constant criticism gradually diminished her confidence before she recognised the abuse.
“I didn’t know I was being abused,” she said. “When I discovered I was being abused, that was when I started to lose myself.”
She told participants that leaving an abusive relationship was only the beginning of the healing process.
“Just because you left Egypt doesn’t mean Egypt has left you,” she said.
Drawing from both her personal journey and the foundation’s work, Ogbimi highlighted the challenges many survivors continue to face after leaving abusive relationships, including stigma, financial dependence and pressure to return to unsafe environments.
She also announced the premiere of a documentary she executive produced, featuring survivors, therapists, lawyers and
representatives of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. According to her, the film is intended to challenge misconceptions about abuse and encourage more survivors to seek help.
The audience was visibly moved when Ogbimi’s mother reflected on her daughter’s journey, recalling the period she lived in hiding after leaving her marriage and thanking those who offered shelter and support during one of the family’s most difficult moments.
Minister and leadership coach Debola Deji-Kurunmi later led participants in prayers for healing, restoration and renewed hope, while Pastor Precious encouraged attendees to prioritise genuine healing instead of masking emotional pain.
Responding to questions during the closing session, Ogbimi acknowledged that men also experience abuse but said the foundation’s current interventions remain focused on women and girls affected by abuse.
