Founder of Ascent Club, Glory Edozien, has said true progress in Africa could only be achieved when governance structures reflect the demographic reality of the society, stressing the need for greater female representation in leadership and policymaking.

Speaking at the maiden Ascent’s Top 100 Career Women in Africa celebration, held yesterday at Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, Edozien said while women across the continent were making significant strides in business and corporate leadership, their influence must extend to governance and policy formulation.

According to her, women make up nearly half of the population in Nigeria, yet they remain underrepresented in political and decision-making spaces.

She stressed the need to increase visibility for female professionals, saying lasting change would only come when the achievements translate into systemic reforms that ensure equal representation.

Executive Director of Relationship and Stakeholder Management at the NNPC, Dr Oluwakemi Oyekan-Olumuyiwa, highlighted the need for women to actively position themselves for leadership by demonstrating excellence in their fields. She emphasised that women must support one another through networking and advocacy to ensure continued progress.

In her remarks, Cluster Director of Mondelēz International West Africa and Chairman of the Board of Cadbury Ghana Limited, Oyeyimika Adeboye, noted that while women had excelled in professional spaces, there remained a significant gap in political representation.

She expressed hope that platforms, like Ascent’s Top 100 Career Women in Africa, would encourage more women to enter governance and policymaking, where their influence could drive meaningful reforms.