Twenty-nine women leaders across Nigeria’s health sector have completed the 2025 Nigeria Leadership Journey(NLJ), a 12 month leadership development programme delivered through a partnership between WomenLift Health and Women in Leadership Advancement Network.
The programme culminated in a two day event that brought together key stakeholders from government, development, and the wider health ecosystem to mark the participants’ transition into a new phase of strengthened leadership, influence, and impact.
Speaking at the ‘Lift Off’ opening ceremony, Muhammad Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare , ably represented by Daju Kachollom, noted that “Nigeria’s health system cannot reach its full potential without inclusive and representative leadership. When women lead, maternal mortality becomes more than a statistic. It becomes a mission.”
“ When women lead, primary healthcare is not just infrastructure. It becomes a lifeline. And when women lead, communities do not just receive services. They receive dignity,” he added.
The Nigeria Leadership Journey is designed to support mid-career women already working within the health system by deepening their leadership capacity, strengthening their voice, and expanding their networks. This enables them to contribute more effectively to decision making and improved health outcomes.
Amie Batson,president of WomenLift Health noted that “Across countries, we see the same pattern where women are central to healthcare delivery but underrepresented in leadership.”
“This partnership reflects a shared conviction that the future of health in Nigeria and across Africa will be shaped by women leaders who are supported to step fully into their influence,” she added.
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Although women make up a significant proportion of Nigeria’s health workforce, particularly in frontline roles, leadership positions remain largely dominated by men.
This disparity is especially concerning in a country that accounts for nearly 20 percent of global maternal deaths, highlighting the urgent need for more inclusive and representative leadership to improve maternal and broader health outcomes. The programme addresses this gap by building a pipeline of women leaders equipped to influence health systems at scale.
Abosede George-Ogan, founder and executive director of Women in Leadership Advancement Network noted that “This is not just about developing leaders. It is about amplifying the impact of women who are already shaping the system.”
“We are building a pipeline of confident, connected leaders who are ready to influence decisions and drive change where it matters most,” she added.
Over the course of the year, participants engaged in in-person residencies, virtual learning sessions, coaching, mentorship, and leadership projects. These experiences helped them strengthen their leadership identity and clarity, build confidence to influence decision making, develop impactful initiatives, and form strong peer networks across the sector.
This model reflects a growing recognition that leadership development must extend beyond technical training to include influence, systems thinking, and sustained peer support.
Building on the success of the 2025 cohort, Women in Leadership Advancement Network and WomenLift Health plan to expand the Leadership Journey in 2026, with a thematic focus on midwifery leadership, recognising the critical role of frontline health workers in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
