Global Skills Hub, UK, LION Outreach UK & USA, and partners presented Rev’d Dr. Adenike Victor-Tade, popularly known as “Mama Empowerment,” with the Africa Outstanding Leadership Award on Tuesday.
The award ceremony, which took place in Lagos, Nigeria, honored Dr. Victor-Tade for her remarkable contributions to youth and women’s development.
Reacting to this recognition during a press briefing, Dr. Victor-Tade shared her thoughts on the award, the current state of the country, and the upcoming August 1 protest in Nigeria.
Her words: “The award given to me by the US-based NGO came as a surprise because it was based on recommendations. I heard that I was recommended by a UK-based NGO as they have been following my activities among the youths and women.
“When I was called upon, the one thing that came to my mind is that there’s nothing that one does in life that one will not reap. It is the dividends of my secret / public work which is getting a better life for our youths and women through empowerment and nurturing. So, I’m grateful to God and thankful to the organizers. Again, I learn that I have to do more and give to society without having motives.”
Dr. Victor-Tade reflected on the state of leadership in Nigeria, saying, “To be a leader in Nigeria, where the law is not followed and the judiciary is failing daily, makes leadership difficult. There is nobody who punishes you when you don’t follow the law.”
She expressed her views on President Tinubu’s leadership, saying, “The leadership we have today under President Tinubu…I look at him as a person who has good intentions. Since he came, I have noticed that he has been acting like a responsible father who really wants to have a dialogue with the citizens. He used to come out and say he is feeling the pain of the people, and of course, we are seeing him doing something to ease the pain. Unfortunately, he is not the only one ruling the country; he has ministers and others who can perform and others who cannot.”
Dr. Victor-Tade also touched on the broader challenges facing Nigerian leadership. “In a nation like Nigeria, our selfish interests are number one, unlike in America where they say ‘God bless America’ and mean well for the nation. In our case, we only mean well for individuals, which makes leadership difficult to do unless one becomes a radical leader.”
On the importance of strong leadership, she stated, “This award makes me sit back and say we can have distinguished leaders. We have some that are distinguished; they only need to put in more strength, more effort, and speak out. For instance, the approach the Ooni of Ife made by banning the pepper sellers’ association from Ife. If he had made consultations with some people, they wouldn’t allow the decision to work. Sometimes we need to become radical leaders so long as the majority is going to benefit from it.”
Addressing the current issues in Nigeria, Dr. Victor-Tade highlighted the need for collective effort. “From security to economic to political crises and even the youth matter, there are crises. Unemployment and the struggle to make it business-wise are prevalent. As a leader, I want to encourage people not to shift blame. Let us all be ready for a new Nigeria; it is not going to be the effort of one person, not only the federal government or state. We should all be ready for a new Nigeria.”
Concerning the upcoming August 1 protest, she advised caution and more time for the President, saying: “We should give the President more time, like six months time, for him to see what to do while we shelve the protest because it will lead to violence and the property that belongs to all of us will be destroyed. We cannot remove the impact of the touts from the protest. The touts are definitely going to hijack the protest, which will make it bloody. We should learn from Kenya.”
Regarding the economy, she said, “We should be patient with the economic challenges like the rising dollar and inflation. The government needs to reduce the fuel price, which will definitely help our economy. All the prices of food and other things will come down. Instead of the rice palliatives, the government should work on reducing the fuel price, which is what both the rich and the poor will benefit from.”
She also emphasized the need for a stable dollar value and self-reliance. “Dollar value should be stabilized. If we decide to say it would be one naira to one dollar, who will arrest us? Sometimes I like how China handles their economic decisions; they don’t allow all those international organizations like the IMF and World Bank to interfere. We too should come to that level. The government should encourage entrepreneurs to be productive, and there’s no way we can be productive without electricity.”
On security, Dr. Victor-Tade shared a personal experience, “Most of our farmers are not convenient on their farms due to different attacks. Last year, my two acres of farmland were eaten up by cows here in Ibadan. If I had borrowed money to do that, it means I’m grounded. The government and every one of us should encourage security; we should be watchful.”
She further addressed the issues of unemployment and food scarcity, saying,
“We all need to start farming so that each household can contribute to the nation”
