In 1994, my mother stepped through the gates of one of Nigeria’s federal universities in the North as a newly recruited confidential secretary. What she carried with her was more than just a job, it was a fierce determination to rise beyond the entry-level role. At the time, Nigerian workplaces were male-dominated, and women were often relegated to assistant roles rather than decision-makers. For a young woman like my mother, daring to envision a seat at the table where decisions were made, the path was far from smooth.
Her early years on the job were marked by dismissiveness, and harassment from male colleagues who believed women belonged in support roles. While it may have been easier to accept this, and remain in the shadows, my mother refused. She remained steadfast, fueled by ambition, competence, and hoped for a future where women could lead alongside men. Instead of letting the biases define her ceiling, she decided to push through them. She began to pursue higher qualifications while balancing her duties at work, not because the system made it easy, but because she believed her dreams were worth the struggle.
Breaking Barriers in Academia
Alongside her career, she became a wife, then a mother, and later a grandmother. She endured a failed marriage, raising five children alone. Many, especially her female colleagues, who were comfortable with what they got employed with at entry-level, expected her to slow down or even give up under the weight of those responsibilities, rather, she became even more determined. Over three decades, she earned a degree in Political Science, a postgraduate diploma in Public Policy Analysis, a postgraduate diploma in Education, a Master’s in Development Studies, a Master’s in Political Science, and is now at the final stage of her Ph.D. She accomplished all these while putting food on the table, paying school fees, and being present for her children. Today, she serves as Deputy Registrar at the very university where she began, symbolising the resilience and quiet power of trailblazing women who break barriers for themselves and future generations.
The Leadership Paradox
My mother’s story is deeply personal to me, but it is also a mirror of often unspoken struggles faced by women everywhere. Leadership, as society has long defined it, is coded in masculine terms: assertiveness, authority, and decisiveness, while overlooking equally powerful traits like empathy, collaboration, and vision. Women who display “too much” assertiveness risk being labeled difficult, insubmissive, or unfeminine, while those who lean on empathy are dismissed as too soft for leadership. This perception leaves many women navigating a narrow, almost impossible path.
Research from Harvard Business Review illustrates this paradox: women consistently receive higher ratings than men on leadership effectiveness, yet systemic biases, cultural expectations, and institutional blind spots keep them from rising. These barriers are rarely obvious. More often, they reveal themselves in subtle but deeply consequential ways: in hiring decisions where “fit” is judged through male-centered lenses, in performance reviews that focus on style rather than substance, and in networking opportunities where women are excluded from the informal circles that propel careers, and yet, change is possible.
Nigeria’s Reality
Gender imbalance remains stark in leadership within Nigerian universities. Of the approximately 270 universities across Nigeria, only 12 have female Vice-Chancellors as of February 2025. This translates to about 4.4% female representation among Vice-Chancellors, while male Vice-Chancellors constitute roughly 95.6%.
Since 1960, only 38 of the over 720 individuals who have held Vice Chancellor positions in the Nigerian University System have been women, highlighting a persistent gender disparity. Despite some progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in senior academic leadership roles such as Vice-Chancellorships, Deanships, and professorships. This under-representation is partly attributed to strong patriarchal cultures and gender-based power imbalances entrenched within the academic sector.
Global Lessons in Policy
In countries like Sweden, progressive policies such as equitable parental leave and transparent pay structures have created pathways for women to advance into senior roles at higher rates than in countries where such policies are absent. These are not token gestures but structural reforms that acknowledge the dual realities of work and caregiving, and they pay dividends.
Redefining Leadership
Leadership itself is also evolving. Increasingly, the leaders who succeed are those who combine vision with empathy, strategy with collaboration, and decisiveness with inclusivity, all traits where women often excel. Figures such as Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the World Trade Organization embody this shift, challenging outdated narratives about what leadership looks like. She and others like her remind us that leadership is not a rigid mold but a mosaic of diverse strengths.
Shaping a more Inclusive Future
Policy alone cannot deliver transformation; cultural shifts are equally essential. Women’s stories must be told and amplified, so young girls see women not only as teachers or nurses but as CEOs, directors, and leaders. Mentorship and sponsorship are crucial; mentors open doors, sponsors advocate in decision-making spaces, colleagues must actively challenge bias, policymakers must build equitable structures, and each of us must choose to invest in women’s leadership daily.
At this critical moment, the question is no longer whether women can lead, the evidence is clear that we can. The real challenge is whether society will shatter the glass ceilings that remain and build a future that is inclusive and stronger. The answer lies in the stories we share, the voices we amplify, and the hands we extend. My mother’s story is one of many – proof that every barrier broken opens doors for countless others and brings us closer to leadership defined by ability, vision, and humanity.
About the Author
Favour Christiana Ogbuagu is a Development Program and Public Health Specialist with a Master’s degree in Public Health from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. She has extensive experience in research, project design, youth engagement, and community-based advocacy, particularly in advancing maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (MNCAH).
Her work includes leading campaigns for breastmilk donation, against gender-based violence, child marriage, and HIV stigmatisation, as well as promoting reproductive health and menstrual hygiene for adolescent girls and young women. She is a Fellow of the EmpowerHer Health Fellowship of Women in Global Health Nigeria and a Fellow of the Academy of Public Health.
Passionate about equity and inclusive leadership, Favour uses research, advocacy, and storytelling to amplify voices and inspire systemic change that enables women and young people to thrive as leaders.
