Bamidele Abiodun is the first lady of Ogun state and founder of Ajose Foundation, established with the mission to actively pursue initiatives for ensuring the health and welfare of the people of Ogun State. Passionate about women and children, in 2019, she was appointed the United Nations Sustainable Development Champion by the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD). In this interview, she speaks on addressing concerns of women and girls in Ogun state.
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Your passion and interests lies on social welfare, education and poverty reduction in Ogun state, what informed this drive?
I have always been interested in helping people, it is one of my chief passions, so when my husband became governor nearly six years ago, I saw it as a bigger platform to help more people. The three areas of social welfare, education and poverty reduction have to do with the less privileged and people who are most vulnerable in our society. For many of such people, they have no one else to help them except people like you and me. That’s why I am passionate about these areas.

⁠⁠What has been the impact for you since embarked on this journey and what project do you hold dear?
To tell you the truth, the impact has been very humbling for me, especially when I think about the opportunities that God has given me. The specific projects I hold dear are quite many, but I will mention a few. First, with the help of strategic partners, we established two sexual assault referral centres in Ogun State, this is along with the fact that we passed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, which specifically addresses issues of domestic violence, along with cases of rape and sexual assault. The centres have really been a haven for women and girls whom, before they were built, did not have an alternative. The second thing I am very proud of, is an ongoing project, the Ajose Foundation Connected Classrooms Project, which is a simple concept, where we equip schools with computer labs and internet access. Again, this was made possible by private sector partners. The third is our yearly medical mission, where we partner with a team of doctors from the US, who come to Ogun State to provide free surgery and medical checks for hundreds of less privileged individuals in our State. These and more of our projects, make me so proud and fulfilled.

Women and children usually lie at the receiving end of vulnerability and poverty, how are you ensuring that these strata of society are equipped to drive growth in Ogun state?
Most experts agree that women and children face the brunt of many of the issues we have in society. So, any policy or programme, really must cater to them. Partnerships are the key to making any kind of progress in addressing poverty. In terms of vulnerable groups, they are very diverse. Among people living with disabilities for instance, you have the visually impaired and those with other physical disabilities and are confined to wheel chairs, and so on. Among vulnerable women, you have widows, those facing domestic violence, young girls exposed to abuse and those facing economic uncertainty and even food insecurity, which causes them to be exposed to being trafficked for prostitution. Then among children you have orphans, street children and so on. These are diverse groups of vulnerable people who all need our help and our protection. Government cannot do it alone, so it’s important to look for organisations working in this area and individuals who are able to help, with financial resources, housing, food, employment, training and so on. The need is great, but so is the opportunity to do a world of good.

What is your take on women empowerment and how much are you involved in creating initiatives targeted at this cause?
I am happy that the idea of women empowerment is evolving, as our society becomes more advanced. I think of it on different strata. At the level of the grassroots, many of the women just want to support their families. They do a lot through subsistence farming and trade. In the bigger towns, where the women have some form of education, empowerment means something different. They may want to learn a trade and even further their education. Then in the big cities, the women are looking at getting better jobs, maybe a master’s degree and securing loans for entrepreneurship. Women empowerment programmes are no longer one size fits all, but no one is more important than the other. A sack of corn to a woman in the rural area is just as important as a 200, 000 naira small business loan to another woman in town to start her tailoring business. Understanding the need and reaching out to meet it is what is most important.
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Have you experienced any major challenges advocating this cause?
Challenges are many, but they are to be expected in any endeavour. Most projects that have to do with people involve a lot of stakeholders. Some are traditional, others religious, others are political. For any initiative you are implementing at the grassroots, you have to carry people along, and you must understand their needs. A particular challenge we encountered was with regards to domestic violence and abuse. At the beginning, we noted that many of the underage girls did not want to come forward, obviously they were afraid, since they often still lived with the person abusing them. We had to sensitise people in the communities so that teachers, neighbours and religious leaders will also be in the position to report on issues of abuse. In very traditional settings, a women may not be able to go to the police station to report that she was beaten by her husband. She might think, “what will the community say, if he is arrested and sent to jail?” In a same way, a young girl may not be able to tell her parents that she is facing abuse from a guardian or some other adult, but with proper sensitisation, making them feel safe, we are able to get the information and take action. Over the years, things have gotten much better as people have gotten more informed. There is still a lot of work to do, but we are making progress.

What advice would you give to other women who are looking to make a positive impact in their communities?
Start from where you are. You don’t have to set up an NGO. Also, it is better to make impact in groups than on your own, as we can all encourage one another. The women groups and cooperatives of the old days are still relevant today, so as a woman, you can look for other women of like minds and passions for any particular area and build from there. You will be surprised where you will find help and how far you can go.

Share with us a bit about the impact of your growing and how it prepared you for your work today especially having a father who is an academia?
I grew up in a university community, so I have always been exposed to reading. For me reading is a lifelong process and I continue to learn things every day. I take courses that help me understand social change, public policy and even NGO management. The world is changing so fast, and our minds must be nimble enough to catch up. I think my background has really helped me in my continual thirst for knowledge.

What is your life mantra?
Treat everyone you meet with dignity and respect. I believe so much in this.
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