The Presidency and Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, have called for deliberate and inclusive policies to address structural barriers limiting women’s participation in leadership and national development.

This is as the governor called on public relations professionals to deliberately project women as leaders, saying that visibility and inclusion are key to national development.

The governor made the call yesterday at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) International Women’s Day celebration, held in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.

According to Kefas, no society rises above the value it places on its women, adding that when women are empowered, families are strengthened, communities stabilised, and nations prosper.

He said public relations professionals are not just storytellers but are nation shapers who determine whose voice is heard and whose story is told.

He stressed that equity must go beyond symbolic gestures, saying “In Taraba State, women occupy key leadership positions and contribute meaningfully to policy, development, and service delivery.

“These are performing leaders, not appointments for appearances. When young girls see women lead, they begin to believe leadership is possible. And belief is the beginning of destiny,” the governor said.

The governor challenged PR practitioners to “project women as leaders, tell stories of competence not just compassion, create platforms for women to speak, and normalize women in authority.”

Kefas stated that gender equity is not a women’s issue alone but a national development imperative.

His words: “We need institutions like NIPR. We need the media. We need the private sector. We need society. The Nigeria we seek to build cannot be built on imbalance. It must be built on inclusion. It must be built on fairness. It must be built on shared opportunity. And communication will play a defining role in that journey. So let us commit today to communicate with purpose, balance and with inclusion.

“Because when we get the narrative right we get the nation right.When women rise, nations rise. When women are empowered, the future is secured. Let us, therefore, not just celebrate women, let us create systems where they thrive. Let us not just speak about equity let us institutionalise it”.

Delivering the keynote address, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman urged society to recognize structural barriers that hinder women from reaching leadership positions.

While highlighting the difference between equality and equity, she said, “Equality gives every runner the same size shoe; equity ensures everyone has a shoe that fits.

According to her, women need tailored opportunities to overcome societal and cultural barriers that prevent them from thriving.

Usman called for inclusive policies in education, financial access, and workplace flexibility, noting that women continue to face systemic challenges such as the motherhood penalty, limited financial access, and digital literacy gaps.

“To achieve transformational change, we must communicate strategically, highlight women’s contributions, and dismantle every barrier that holds them back,” she said.

President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, called for a shift in societal narratives to empower women as leaders, saying the world must move beyond simply telling women “don’t cry” to actively encouraging them to lead.

He recalled the silent sacrifices of women throughout history and urged society to recognize and amplify their voices.

Neliaku stressed the paradox in society, where men honor and adore their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, yet remain hesitant about women in leadership roles.

He emphasised that when women are empowered to lead, societies flourish, institutions strengthen, and nations prosper.

Neliaku praised women in the institute for their transformative contributions in chapters and governance structures.