Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, Professor Ummu Ahmed Jalingo & Princess Layo Okeowo Bakare At the just-concluded Abuja Investment and Company Limited (AICL) Expo, themed “Empowering Sustainable Growth, Unlocking Potentials in Emerging Markets,” three remarkable Nigerian women, Professor Ummu Ahmed Jalingo, Princess Layo Okeowo-Bakare, and Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, shared stories that proved life’s setbacks can be stepping stones to greatness
At the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, the air was filled with emotion as the women spoke not from theory, but from the depth of lived experience. Their words were not merely speeches; they were soul-stirring confessions woven with grace, grit, and God’s guidance.
Professor Ummu Ahmed Jalingo, the first female Professor of Economics from Northern Nigeria, captivated the audience with her story of resilience and resolve. Married at sixteen, she defied the odds stacked against her by culture and circumstance. “I got married at sixteen,” she said softly, “and when I first shared it, it went viral. But I still stand by my story. I want young girls to know that age does not stop you from becoming who you are or what you want to be in life.”
Her father, a Fulani scholar, had made sure her husband would allow her to pursue her education, a promise that changed her destiny. “He kept his word,” she said. “And today, my daughter, who is here with me, is a commissioner in her state.”
Her voice carried both pride and humility as she reflected on her journey. “My boardroom is my classroom,” she added. “Academia is gender-blind. You don’t have to be a man or woman to excel. It’s what you put in that matters.”
If Jalingo’s story was one of calm courage, Princess Layo Okeowo-Bakare’s was a tale of fire and forgiveness. The Vice President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry spoke from a place of pain that had been transformed into purpose. “I’m a daughter of a teacher,” she began, her tone trembling slightly. “I’m a daughter of a woman who was abused almost every day by my late father. There was a day I told her, ‘Mummy, why don’t we just leave?’ But she said, ‘I have nowhere to go.’”
She paused for a moment, gathering strength. “It takes the grace of God to forgive my father,” she said. “But I did, because holding on would only hold me back.”
Her life took another unexpected turn when she became pregnant as a teenager. “I got pregnant very young,” she recalled. “But that did not stop me. Today, I am the largest envelope manufacturer in Western Europe.”
Her message to mothers was both heartfelt and urgent. “When your children go astray, it’s not the end of the world. Support them, guide them, love them. Sometimes, that’s all they need to find their way back.”
As the hall grew still, the microphone passed to Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, whose story was equally inspiring. At eighteen, she had her first child, and life thrust upon her the dual burden of motherhood and survival. “I raised my children as a single mother,” she began, her voice steady. “My first daughter is an architect, my second is a barrister in the United States, and my son is in the university. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t let that determine me.”
Many knew her as a successful entrepreneur and diplomat, but few knew the struggles that shaped her. “I used to make pomade in the morning and send it to the market,” she recalled. “In the evening, I did hairdressing. People see success, but they don’t see the sleepless nights.”
By twenty-three, she was already breaking barriers in business. “At 23, I struck my first business deal with Orbitron Satellites,” she said proudly. “We brought them to Nigeria. I didn’t have much, but I had vision, and vision is greater than capital.”
Her story was not one of luck but of relentless perseverance. “When people say they want to be like me,” she smiled, “I tell them to first hear my story. It’s not to scare you, it’s to strengthen you.”
Together, these women created a powerful symphony of strength, three different notes harmonizing into one anthem of hope. Their stories reminded everyone that dreams delayed are not dreams denied. They called for bridging gender gaps in education, promoting mentorship, and nurturing digital literacy and leadership among young women.
Professor Jalingo summarized it best: “We must not just make women beneficiaries of development. We must make them drivers of innovation and national transformation.”
From the Fulani plains of Jalingo to the factory floors of Western Europe, and from Kaduna’s dusty roads to Abuja’s corporate towers, these women have proven that destiny is not defined by difficulty. As the Yoruba say, “Àkúnlèyàn kò ní àkúnlégbà”, what is destined for you cannot be denied you.
The 2025 Abuja Business and Investment Expo will be remembered not only for its discussions on markets and investment but for the powerful reminder it offered: that no circumstance is strong enough to cage a woman determined to fly.
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