By Abubakar Rabilu
The Women-Led Organisations Network, Yobe State (WOLNY), has inaugurated its newly elected executive members, marking a historic transition in the network’s leadership and reaffirming its commitment to women’s empowerment and community development across the state.
The inauguration ceremony its first-ever democratic election conducted on November 8, 2025.
Speaking earlier during the electoral process, the Chairperson of the Electoral Committee (ELCOM), Dr. Fatsuma Dada Mohammed, described the election as a milestone achieved through perseverance, transparency, and collective sacrifice.
She said the decision to conduct elections was driven not by failure of past leadership but by the need for growth and renewal.
“Change is the law of life,” she noted, quoting John F. Kennedy and George Bernard Shaw, while commending past leaders for laying a solid foundation and welcoming the new executive as leaders of the future.
Dr. Mohammed revealed that the election process spanned four months of intense work, including constitution drafting, stakeholder consultations, screening of contestants, and engagement of security agencies and observers.
She urged members to demonstrate that women are capable of leading themselves and others, especially at a time when advocacy for reserved seats for women at state and federal levels is gaining momentum.
In her handing-over speech, the outgoing Chairperson of WOLNY, Barr. Altine Ibrahim, described the occasion as a moment of reflection, gratitude, and renewed commitment.
She paid tribute to the founders of the network, particularly Hajiya Hauwa Bah Abubakar and Madam Lilian Ngurso, for their vision and courage.
Barr. Ibrahim highlighted achievements recorded under her leadership, including strengthened coordination among women-led organisations, increased advocacy, support for vulnerable populations, peace building initiatives, and collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and other MDAs.
She acknowledged existing challenges such as limited funding, lack of a permanent secretariat, and insecurity, but expressed confidence that they are surmountable through unity and partnership.
Delivering her acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairperson, Dr. Zara Yusuf, pledged inclusive, collaborative, and people-centred leadership.
She described women-led organisations as the “heartbeat of Yobe,” often working at the grassroots with minimal resources.
“No woman-led CSO in Yobe should ever feel alone again,” she declared, promising to lead with integrity, advocacy, and shared responsibility.
Dr. Yusuf called on members to unite, stressing that collective strength remains the key to advancing the welfare, dignity, and opportunities of women and girls across the state.
The event attracted government representatives, development partners, civil society leaders, traditional institutions, and the media, underscoring the growing influence of women-led organisations in Yobe State.
