The deceased matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Yeye Oodua Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, was on Thursday presented with a posthumous award by the West African Women Association (WAWA) at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja..
According to the organisers of the award held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, Chief Mrs Awolowo was given the award for her role in making sure that children in the then Western Region of Nigeria got quality education during the administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of the defunct region.
Mrs Opeyemi Alabi, who received the award on behalf of the Awolowo family, described the award as nostalgic while adding that the Yeye Oodua was a good mother who influenced her childhood positively.
She said: “It is (the award) nostalgic for me because it brings back so many treasured memories of when we were younger and mama has always been my mother.
“It is a special privilege to collect this award on her behalf and on behalf of the Awolowo family. I was close to everybody and all the girls and I went to the same school. We were very close and mama encouraged us to be substantial women, so it (the award) means a lot to me.”
Speaking at the event, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, called on women to participate actively in Nigeria’s electoral process, saying it is by so doing that they can be more relevant and hold political positions that will benefit the women folk.
Laing, who was represented by the Deputy High Commissioner, Gill Atkinson, expressed happiness that women in Nigeria are making their marks in sports, business and governance . She however advised them not to relent in their efforts to achieve their goals.
WAWA’s regional president, Khadija Tall Fall, in her remarks, said more concrete steps and actions were needed to be taken to make women more relevant in the society.
WAWA Nigeria’s focal person, Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Ubeku, said the organisation caters for the emancipation of women and children through seminars, workshop, adult education, economic empowerment, vocational and professional training and retraining.