The Adunni Save A Girl Foundation has held its first Girl Child Summit, aiming to equip young women with the skills and confidence to assume leadership roles. The summit, themed ‘The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead’, convened students, educators, and advocates to discuss strategies for personal development and social impact.

Comfort Olafare, founder of the foundation, said the initiative seeks to move beyond aspiration to tangible empowerment.

“The essence of Adunni Save A Girl Foundation is to nurture girls for self-actualisation, help them get better at what they do and identify their strengths, knowing that their gender is not a limitation but a need for them to do better and get better,” she stated.

She further stressed hygiene education, including menstrual hygiene, citing recent research conducted by the foundation in Ikorodu schools.

Corporate partners contributed to the summit, with Soft Care providing support and delivering training in life-saving skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Guest speaker Olufemi Ojo emphasised the role of self-perception in personal development.

“Self-perception is how you see yourself; when you understand, you go far in life. How you see yourself shapes your life,” he said, adding that perceived flaws can inform purpose and urging increased investment in girl-child initiatives by government and community stakeholders.

Executive Secretary Taiwo Ojo advised the attendees to balance cognitive learning with the development of innate talents, encouraging mentorship and study of prominent Nigerian women.

“Don’t forget your dream, your leadership attitude starts from here,” he said, citing figures such as Dora Akunyili, Professor Grace Alele Williams, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as examples.

Speaker Ifeoluwa Johnson underscored the importance of self-actualisation and community involvement in child development, commending the foundation’s role in providing mentorship.

“I have seen the importance of external people helping you train the children. I’m grateful this great thing is happening,” she remarked.

The summit represents the foundation’s first major effort to cultivate leadership, self-awareness, and practical skills among young Nigerian women.