Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji are expected to feature prominently at the 26th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), scheduled for October 26 to 28 in Lagos.
The governors have been invited as Special Guests of Honour for the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively, at the three-day event expected to bring together women from across Nigeria and beyond to discuss leadership, empowerment, purpose and legacy.
The First Lady of Lagos State and COWLSO Chairperson, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, announced their expected participation during a press conference in Lagos on Thursday.
The conference, themed “Anchored for Purpose: Be the Blueprint,” will hold at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, with both physical and virtual attendance available.
Sanwo-Olu said the involvement of the two governors reflected the conference’s expanding national reach and highlighted the need for collaboration in addressing issues affecting women, families and communities.
Now in its 26th edition, the conference is the eighth to be organised under the administration of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. According to the chairperson, the gathering has grown beyond an annual meeting into a platform for knowledge exchange, networking and discussions on issues affecting women and society.
She said this year’s theme challenges women to recognise the responsibilities that come with influence, opportunity and leadership. Being a blueprint, she explained, means setting examples and building values and structures capable of positively shaping families, workplaces, communities and future generations.
The event is expected to attract policymakers, government officials, professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, development practitioners, diplomats, traditional rulers, civil society groups, community leaders and young women.
Activities will begin with an opening ceremony and keynote lectures on October 26, followed by further lectures and presentations on the second day, alongside the traditional COWLSO Gala Night. The closing ceremony on October 28 will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on lessons and commitments from the conference.
Ahead of the main event, COWLSO has scheduled a pre-conference walk, themed “Blueprint in Motion: From Vision to Action.” The route will include Tafawa Balewa Square, the National Museum, Tinubu Square, MUSON Centre, Eko Atlantic and the Palace of the Oba of Lagos. Sanwo-Olu said the walk would connect the conference’s message of purpose and legacy with Lagos’s history, culture and development.
The committee will also pay courtesy visits to prominent senior women in Lagos, including Mrs A.Y. Oyediran Kakawa, Erelu Dosumu and Mrs Bintu Tinubu. An awareness walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 10.
Physical participation costs N150,000, with capacity for 3,000 attendees, while virtual registration costs N50,000 and has no attendance limit. Registration opened on September 15 and closes on October 15. Late physical registration will attract an additional N15,000.
Sanwo-Olu said only five participants from each ministry, department and agency would be accommodated physically, while virtual participation would remain open.
She urged women to attend, stressing that the conference’s real value would depend on how participants applied the knowledge, relationships and ideas gained to move from vision to action and leave their communities better than they found them.
