By Samuel Torlumun
The Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Dawn for Women and Community Intervention Initiative (NEWOMCII), Alhaji Bolaji Raji, has urged Nigerian men, particularly political leaders, to emulate Liberia’s example by creating greater opportunities for women to occupy the highest positions of leadership in government.
Raji made the call during a visit to leaders of NEWOMCII, where he highlighted Liberia’s strides in women’s political participation, noting that the country has produced both a female President and a female President of the Senate.
According to him, Liberia’s experience demonstrates that women can effectively lead at the highest levels of governance and should serve as a model for other African nations, including Nigeria.
He also commended the growing partnership between NEWOMCII and the Liberia-based Nyonblee Cares Foundation (NCF), describing the collaboration as a significant step toward advancing humanitarian and community development initiatives across the continent.
Raji acknowledged the support of Her Excellency, Barrister Tupee Enid Taylor, wife of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, for her role in strengthening the relationship between the two organisations.
Drawing lessons from the Nyonblee Cares Foundation, he said NEWOMCII is benefitting immensely from the experience, networks and humanitarian interventions championed by the Foundation’s leadership, particularly in programmes targeting women, children and vulnerable populations.
He identified several innovative initiatives implemented by NCF, including accelerated learning programmes for out-of-school children, mobile healthcare services with referral systems for surgeries, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education projects, as key factors that inspired the partnership.
“These and other innovative interventions informed our decision to establish a collaborative partnership aimed at addressing social challenges affecting women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups while promoting community empowerment,” he said.
Reflecting on Liberia’s political history, Raji noted that the election of a female president was initially seen as a product of unique circumstances, but the emergence of another woman as head of the country’s legislature underscores a broader commitment to gender inclusion.
“The first time Liberia elected a woman as President, many believed it was due to prevailing circumstances. Today, a woman is again occupying one of the highest political offices in the country as President of the Senate. Nigerian men should learn from this experience and give women greater opportunities to lead,” he said.
Although he described himself as non-partisan, Raji revealed plans to engage political stakeholders and encourage greater exposure to successful models of women’s participation in governance.
“I have many friends who are politicians, and I intend to encourage them to visit Liberia to see firsthand how women are contributing to leadership and national development. We also hope to invite leading female political figures from Liberia to Nigeria to inspire our women,” he added.
Speaking on the objectives of the partnership, Raji said both organisations share a common vision of complementing government efforts through humanitarian interventions, promotion of arts and culture, agribusiness development, women and youth empowerment, educational support, skills acquisition and STEM advancement in collaboration with relevant government agencies.
He noted that the long-term benefits of the collaboration would include tackling the root causes of poverty, reducing unemployment, strengthening community resilience and empowering women to take on more leadership responsibilities within their families and society.
On NEWOMCII’s achievements, Raji disclosed that since its official launch, the organisation has recorded significant milestones and is already exploring plans to establish a broader regional network.
He explained that several programmes and interventions are underway across the organisation’s thematic focus areas, including agriculture, education, health, mobility and safety, advocacy, community empowerment, and partnerships with humanitarian and corporate organisations under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) frameworks.
Looking ahead, he said NEWOMCII plans to support youth participation in the democratic process through advocacy and assistance with voter registration initiatives.
He also revealed that the organisation has conducted medical outreach programmes in several communities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and intends to intensify public health awareness campaigns in collaboration with relevant authorities and civil society organisations.
