Wife of Enugu State, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, on Saturday, August 8,2026, declared open the 2026 Enugu state Women’s August meeting, warns against celebrating women’s resilience while ignoring the conditions that force them to bear avoidable burdens.
Speaking at the event held at the Michael Okpara Square,Enugu, Mrs Mbah declared that “resilience should never become a substitute for opportunity.”
She called for greater opportunities for women in healthcare, education, finance, technology, entrepreneurship and leadership.
The Governor’s wife said women should not merely be admired for their ability to survive difficult circumstances but should be empowered to live with dignity, work productively, lead confidently and fulfil their potential.
Mrs Mbah on Saturday , August 8,2026, warned against substituting resilience for opportunity
“But even as we celebrate the resilience of women, we must never romanticise their struggles. Women should not be expected to carry endless burden simply because they have always demonstrated their strength,” she said.
“Resilience should never become a substitute for opportunity.”
She described resilience as more than the ability to endure hardship, saying it involves the courage to recover from setbacks without abandoning one’s purpose.
“True resilience is the courage to rise after a setback without surrendering one’s purpose. It is the wisdom to adapt when circumstances change, the faith to keep hoping when the road ahead is uncertain, and the compassion to reach back and help another woman rise,” she said.
According to her, resilient women could be found in farms, businesses, schools, hospitals, homes and communities, where they continue to nurture families, provide for loved ones, innovate, teach and serve despite challenges.
“These women remind us that resilience is often found in the quiet decisions we make every day — to keep going, to keep believing and to keep building,” she said.
Mrs. Mbah, however, cautioned against romanticising women’s struggles simply because they had demonstrated strength over the years.
She called for expanded access to quality healthcare, including maternal and preventive healthcare, while urging stronger protection for women and girls against gender-based violence.
She also advocated improved access to finance, markets, technology, skills and other opportunities for women-owned businesses.
The First Lady particularly stressed the importance of educating girls, describing education as one of the greatest investments any society could make.
“When we educate a girl, we expand her opportunities. When we expand her opportunities, communities prosper, families prosper,” she said.
She added that every girl deserved not only access to school but also the opportunity to discover and fulfil her potential.
Mrs. Mbah said the administration of Governor Peter Mbah remained committed to empowering women socially, economically and politically.
She said the Office of the First Lady and the Christos Care Foundation were committed to initiatives covering maternal and child healthcare, education, women’s economic empowerment, agricultural development, healthcare access and protection of the dignity and wellbeing of women and children.
“Empowering women is not merely social responsibility. It is a development strategy,” she said.
“Because every woman deserves more than admiration for her resilience. She deserves the opportunity to fulfil her potential.”
The First Lady stressed that government could not achieve sustainable transformation alone, calling for collaboration among families, communities, traditional rulers, faith leaders, the private sector, civil society organisations, development partners and women themselves.
“Parents must educate daughters. Communities must protect their women. Businesses must create opportunities. Mentors must guide the next generation and leaders must serve with integrity. That is why partnership matters,” she said.
Mrs. Mbah urged participants to ensure that the August Women’s Meeting went beyond inspiring speeches and became a platform for practical solutions, meaningful partnerships and decisive action.
She encouraged women to share knowledge, mentor younger women, support women-owned enterprises, protect vulnerable persons and build networks that would remain active after the meeting.
“The true measure of today’s meeting will not be what we say here. It will be what we do when we leave here,” she said.
“It will be measured in the lives we improve, the opportunities we create, the women we empower and the hope we restore.”
She also urged women to reject unhealthy rivalry, stressing that another woman’s success should not diminish their own prospects.
“Another woman’s success does not diminish our own. There is room for every woman to thrive,” she said
Nkanu East women after a match past on Saturday , August 8,2026.
Addressing women facing different challenges, Mrs. Mbah urged them never to underestimate their strength, voice or value.
“Never underestimate your strength. Never underestimate your voice. Never underestimate your value,” she said.
“Your health matters. Your education matters. Your ideas matter. Your aspirations matter. Your leadership matters. Because you matter.”
She encouraged women to acquire new knowledge and relevant skills, build businesses with integrity, support one another, raise children with strong values, mentor younger women, speak against injustice and promote peac
A cross-section of women at the event
She further urged women to lead wherever they found themselves with competence, compassion and courage.
“Leadership is not defined by position alone. Leadership is defined by service, integrity, influence and the lives we choose to uplift,” she said.
Mrs. Mbah said the progress of Enugu State should not be measured only by roads and buildings but also by the women empowered, children educated, families strengthened and communities transformed.
“That is the legacy worth building,” she said.
Celebrating women across the state, she said: “You are not merely beneficiaries of development. You are builders of development. And you are not merely witnesses to progress. You are partners in progress.”
She thanked the organising committee, sponsors, development partners, volunteers, security agencies, healthcare personnel, media organisations and participants for contributing to the success of the 2026 August Women’s Meeting.
She prayed for continued strength and blessings for the women of Enugu State, their families and communities, as well as the state and Nigeria.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Children and Gender Affairs, Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, said women had continued to rise, lead, nurture and innovate despite the numerous challenges confronting them.
Speaking on the theme of the event, “The Resilient Woman,” Enih said a resilient woman does not surrender to adversity but turns obstacles into opportunities.
She said the strength of women had implications beyond individual success, stressing that the progress of women was directly connected to the development of families and communities.
“When a woman rises, the community rises. Your resilience is not only a personal triumph. It is a foundation upon which stronger families, peaceful communities and a prosperous Enugu State are built,” Enih said.
The commissioner commended the First Lady, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, for her commitment, compassion, humility and dedication to women and children in the state.
According to her, the virtues demonstrated by the First Lady showed that genuine leadership was measured by the lives touched and transformed.
She urged women to inspire and support one another, stressing that there was strength in unity.
Enih called on women to build a strong network of resilient women capable of contributing meaningfully to the growth and development of Enugu State
Highlight of the event was a match past by various groups cutting across local government, NGOs, professional bodies, religious organisations amongst others.
