How I spent International Women’s Day in Liberia – Tony Elumelu’s wife

Awele Elumelu

Dr. Awele Elumelu, wife of UBA Group Chairman Tony Elumelu, has shared details of her International Women’s Day celebration in Liberia, where she spent time with Africa’s first elected female president, Ellen Sirleaf and other influential women leaders.

Awele posted a video on Instagram on Monday, capturing her arrival, participation in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) conference with prominent figures and other activities.

“International Women’s Day well spent in Liberia with inspiring women leaders! 💜” she wrote in the caption.

Reflecting on her role on the board of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Centre, she added, “For four years, I’ve served on the board of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Centre (@ejscenter), and every time I’m reminded of how far we’ve come and how much further we will go as women.

“We are no longer waiting for a seat at the table; we are pulling up our own chairs, backed by our competence, our voices, and our collective influence.”

She expressed excitement over meeting some notable personalities at the event. “It was a pleasure to see H.E. Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, Bineta Diop, and my dear sister Monica Geingos at the Centre’s 5th anniversary celebration—women who prove that no dream is too big.”

The video also featured former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo alongside Sirleaf, who served as Liberia’s 24th president and made history as Africa’s first elected female head of state, addressing attendees.

Awele also took the opportunity to connect with young entrepreneurs from the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Liberia.

“And of course, I couldn’t leave without catching up with some of our @tonyelumelufoundation entrepreneurs in Liberia—young, determined, and ready to change the world.”

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) is an organisation founded in 2018 by Sirleaf.

The EJS Center’s flagship program, the Amujae Initiative (derived from a Liberian dialect meaning “we are going up”), was launched on International Women’s Day in March 2020.

This initiative is designed to prepare African women for leadership roles across various sectors.