Project LEAD, a social enterprise focused on developing young female leaders, is organizing its seventh annual International Day of the Girl Child Conference in Lagos. The event, scheduled for October 10, 2026, at Fantasia Hall, Eko Hotels & Suites, will bring together 100 senior secondary school girls from 10 local government areas in Lagos State. The conference aims to empower girls to make informed choices about their education, careers, leadership, and personal development.
The 2026 edition of the conference, themed “Her Choice, Her Future, Her Legacy: Empowering Girls to Dream, Lead, and Build a Legacy of Excellence,” focuses on early intervention in empowering women. The program will feature leadership training, mentorship, career discussions, self-discovery activities, and a student debate competition. These activities are designed to help girls make informed decisions about their future and provide them with practical perspectives on work, professionalism, and career development.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, will deliver the keynote address at the conference. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, Special Adviser on Blue Economy and General Manager of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, will be the guest speaker. A panel discussion on the conference theme will be moderated by Diipo Ayo-Adeusi and feature Barong Asiodu, Ifeoma Finnih, Olayinka Oyetunji, and Ayanfe Vese.
The conference will also mark World Mental Health Day with a session titled “Her Mind. Her Choices. Her Future: How to Make Decisions That Protect the Woman You Are Becoming.” This session will be facilitated by Yemisi Vese. Professionals from Eko Hotels & Suites will lead the sessions, offering the girls practical perspectives on work, professionalism, and career development.
The program will culminate in a student debate competition sponsored by Alitheia Capital, with Folake Moremi Akano as anchor and Ajibola Abdulkadir, Kingsley Oko, Stephen Bello, and Phil Idokogi as judges. The founder of Project LEAD, Uzoamaka Amalu, emphasized the organization’s commitment to early intervention in developing female leaders. Amalu believes that empowering girls starts while they are in their formative years and shaping their aspirations.
The conference has, through its previous six editions, provided girls with opportunities to interact with professionals, ask questions, explore career possibilities, and gain perspectives on their futures. The 2026 edition is sponsored by Eko Hotel & Suites, with Pandora Global Agency Ltd as the public relations partner. The organizers believe that the conference will help girls understand that their choices matter, their voices matter, and they have the power to build an incredible legacy.
Project LEAD’s emphasis on early intervention is central to its approach to developing female leaders. The organization’s goal is to help girls make informed choices about their education, careers, leadership, and personal development while they are still in their formative years. By providing girls with leadership skills and career development opportunities, Project LEAD aims to empower them to become future leaders and build a legacy of excellence.
Key points
- Project LEAD conference to empower 100 senior secondary school girls in Lagos with leadership skills and career development opportunities.
- The conference features leadership training, mentorship, career discussions, self-discovery activities, and a student debate competition.
- The event aims to help girls make informed choices about their education, careers, leadership, and personal development while they are still in their formative years.
