ABUJA – The Lead Pastor of House on the Rock (The Refuge) Abuja, yesterday, emphasized the vital role women play in society, declaring that ‘without women, there would be no life.’
Speaking at the Woman-to-Woman Conference themed ‘Planted to Flourish,’ in Abuja, the Lead Pastor encouraged women to continue fulfilling their purpose and mandate
He said, “God created men and women, and women have a very important role to play in life. Otherwise, there would be no need for the woman.
“You have a very important role to play in this world called life. Without you, women, life would never be the same. So, for all the colours, for the many things that you do to make life very interesting and fun, may God bless you and keep being all that God created you to be.”
The conference brought together women from all walks of life to discuss issues affecting women and families.
Ibukun Awosika, the first female Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, emphasized the importance of empowering women to reach their full potential.
She noted that women are the strategic assets of the church and nation, and investing in them is crucial for growth and development.
Awosika encouraged women to find their purpose and maximize their talents, stating that it is a strategic decision for nations, churches, and communities to invest in women.
She said, “Helping every woman to find her way and be a maximum asset for nation-building and the church is key. Women are the strategic assets of the church and nation, and investing in them yields long-term value.
“By empowering women, who make up the largest portion of the church population, we can maximize their potential and avoid disadvantage.
“Therefore, nations and communities should prioritize investing in women’s talent to achieve strategic growth.”
Dr. Chichi Aigbe, President of the Woman-to-Woman Fellowship, House on the Rock (The Refuge), emphasized the need for women to support their husbands and families.
“We will flourish, definitely we will bring forth fruit, and we will become and live according to the plans and purposes of God in our lives at a time like this in Nigeria, where in most families, men are unable to provide for their families,” she said.
Doreen Mogaji, Coordinator of Grow-to-Grow, a programme under the women’s ministry, highlighted the church’s initiatives to support small women-owned businesses.
“House on the Rock is giving church every time; we’re thinking of how much more to give to our people. We have lots of initiatives; sometimes we’re feeding people after service; we go out and give the communities around here food, clothes, and money,” she said.
The conference featured counseling sessions, entrepreneurial support, and other initiatives aimed at supporting families and women in crisis. The event was also a call to action for women to continue making a positive impact in their communities.
The first female Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, said: “For me, helping every woman, young or old, to find her way in order to be a maximum asset for nation building and building the house of God is key. There are more women in the church than the men, it means the strategic asset of the church across the nation is the women.
“Even nations, the strategic assets are women and the young people because your investment in the young person, if you build right, you will derive more value because expectedly, they have longer years to give value back to you, so your investment will return to you.
“So, getting young people’s mindset right early enough saves them a lot of trouble but also helps the nation, the community and the church to have them perform maximally for a much longer period.
“But getting the women right means that we are maximizing the largest portion of the population of the church. It is not a gender thing, if you look at it from a business, what do you do with your largest asset?
“:If nations are smart, if you have a 50-50 gender population and your 50 per cent is undermined, you are already disadvantaged, it doesn’t matter how hard the core 50 per cent you are investing in works because if another nation only takes 20 percent of that other population and add to their core male 50 per cent, they will outperform you.
“So, it is a strategic decision for nations, churches, and communities to invest in maximizing the talent that women have.”
