Leadership Experts on Friday, 27Th June,2026, gathered for a Three- Days summit , titled, “She Speaks Summit 2026”, convened by Prof. Joy Onyesoh in Enugu, to equip women with the knowledge needed for effective leadership and economic growth.
Delivering a Keynote address at the summit, the Founder of the Global Female Civility Leadership Institute, USA, Prof. Ona Miller, urged African women to embrace self evaluation , self-reliance as the foundation for effective leadership and personal development.
The three-day summit, with the theme, “Unlocking Potential, Achieving Excellence – A Transformational Leadership, Business and Personal Growth Experience for Women,” attracted participants from across Nigeria and featured speakers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the United States.
Speaking on the topic, “Leveraging Leadership in Turbulent Times,” Miller identified five leadership anchors that were essential for women to remain resilient, effective and grounded amid challenges.
Participants at the “She Speaks Summit 2026” held on Friday 27Th June,2026 in Enugu
The anchors are identity, intuition, resilience, community and purpose.
She explained that identity is the foundation of a woman’s life; intuition, a unique strength women possess; resilience, the ability to bend without breaking; Community, which emphasises collaboration and mentorship; and purpose, the stabilising force that sustains leadership.
“African women must first learn to lead themselves through self-evaluation and self-reliance before they can effectively lead others,” she said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Scientia Partners Innovation Hub (a lead venture studio that supports enterprises), Dr Helen Emore,
stressed the importance of mastering personal and business finances for sustainable enterprise growth.
She said entrepreneurs should understand their personal financial needs before designing business models, noting that personal financial stability supports sound business decisions.
Emore advised participants to set clear financial goals, understand business cycles and pricing strategies, and align their businesses with their personal vision.
Speaking on legal business setup and compliance, the Managing Director of Dmessage Limited, an advertising agents network, Shola Odeja, urged entrepreneurs to establish businesses with long-term plans and comply with relevant legal requirements.
Odeja said participants were guided on business registration procedures, compliance obligations under the Corporate and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), the Tax Act 2025 and sector-specific regulations.
He warned that failure to comply with statutory obligations, including filing required returns after the moratorium period, could attract penalties.
Earlier, the convener of the summit and Chief Executive Officer of Joy Onyesoh Coaching Consult, Prof. Joy Onyesoh, described the programme as a platform designed to equip women with the knowledge, strategies and networks needed to thrive.
She said the summit was created to help women build personal capacity, strengthen their organisations and businesses, and engage in conversations that inspired transformation.
“The She Speaks Summit is a safe space where women come to reignite, refuel, build their personal capacity, acquire strategies and tools to grow their organisations or businesses, and engage in frank conversations,” she said.
According to Onyesoh, the 2026 theme was inspired by the need for women to recognise and maximise their God-given potential to achieve excellence.
She said the summit began on June 25 with a Leadership Mastery Class for VIP participants focusing on strategy, influence and decision-making, while students also participated in exclusive leadership sessions.
She added that all the sessions were designed to help women strengthen their businesses, build personal brands and actualise their visions.
Onyesoh noted that empowerment extends beyond financial support to creating opportunities through learning, networking and collaboration.
She disclosed that participants attended from different parts of the country, while resource persons came from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the United States.
Reflecting on previous editions, Onyesoh said the summit had continued to record increased participation, foster business growth, encourage collaborations and inspire participants to replicate the knowledge gained in their communities.
She urged Nigerian women to embrace continuous learning and apply the knowledge acquired.
One of the participants and Founder of the Centre for Leadership and Mentoring Initiative, Jos, Plateau State, said she would apply the lessons learnt at the summit and share the knowledge with others.
She commended Onyesoh for organising what she described as an impactful programme that would contribute to the personal and professional development of women.
