On Thursday, March 6th, 2025, the Fashioned and Made for Excellence Foundation (The FAME Foundation), a youth development-focused education nonprofit dedicated to developing the kind of leaders we wish we had in Nigeria starting from our secondary schools, hosted its much-anticipated Ibadan Head Girl Conference 2025. Held at the Ibadan Business School in Ibadan, Nigeria, this transformative event was not only a celebration of International Women’s Day but also a mind-shifting mentorship initiative to educate and empower 100 Head Girls with the resources and right knowledge they need to succeed as aspiring leaders in their current roles and become better leaders.
The conference’s theme, “Fund Girls Education; Accelerate Her Future.”, perfectly captured the essence of the event. It underscored how increasing investments in girls’ education can shift their mindsets, build a future where every girl can learn, earn, lead, thrive and accelerate a more inclusive future.
The conference served as a strategic platform for aspiring and accomplished women leaders to connect, explore, discuss, and learn from one another.
“At FAME, we recognize everything rises and falls on leadership, and we have made an audacious commitment to developing 1,000,000 leaders through secondary education by 2030. The Head Girl Conference is a strategic part of that journey. Together we have equipped over 20,000 girls through our successful leadership programmes with leadership values and skills in nearly a decade in nearly 300 secondary schools across Nigeria. With increased funding for Girl’s education, we can support the leadership and skills development of more girls which can transform lives and communities.” said Raphael Stephen, Founder, and Executive Director of The FAME Foundation.
The Ibadan Head Girl Conference 2025 featured an impressive lineup of speakers, each sharing their invaluable insights and experiences from their leadership journeys. From accomplished educators, communications and media leaders to influential girl child and mental health advocates, the speakers left an indelible impact on the attendees, inspiring them to break glass ceilings and dare to aspire to greater heights in their leadership roles.
Some of the distinguished guests and speakers included the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed Adelabu, the Founder of the Vale College, Mrs Funso Adegbola; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Oyo State, Mrs. Bamidele Oyinloye, General Manager of Dominion Television, Mrs. Ronke Giwa-Onafuwa, The Principal Medical Officer, University Health Service, University of Ibadan, the Principal of St Anne’s School, Dr. Olasunmbo Savage and Eden Ologure, Senior Analyst, Partnership & Treasury Coverage, Starks Associate.
The conference also covered several activities including inspiring talk sessions, spark sessions, impromptu speeches, and a theme focused panel conversation. Cash prizes were given to the winning participants, sponsored by Starks Associate.
Commenting, Ore Adeyemo, Executive Director, Partnership & Growth, Starks Associate: “Starks has greatly enjoyed collaborating with FAME Foundation. As a firm, we firmly believe in actively participating to accelerate the advancement of girls and their education across Africa. We recognize that women and girls are key drivers of a more prosperous and thriving continent.”
The 2025 edition of the Ibadan Head Girl Conference is sponsored by The FAME Foundation, Starks Associate, and Hermes Advisory with support from the Oyo State Ministry of Education, and friends of the organization.
