By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

THE Deputy Executive Director, ED, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria, ERA/FoE, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, yesterday, was named among 100 Leading Women in Nigeria.

This was a big boost to Bassey-Orovwuje who is Lawyer, as well as an environmental, human and food rights advocate.

Also, a very strong, resourceful, resilient and focused food sovereignty campaigner who have serious stood for non-Genetically Modified food and seeds for farmers against biotech companies and their local agents on the seeds and food systems of Nigeria and Africa at large.

She is also the Coordinator of Friends of the Earth Africa’s Food Sovereignty Programme. In addition, she is on Friends of the International Steering Committee Food Sovereignty Programme.

The organizers, Gender Perspective and Profiles & Biographies, explained that documenting the accomplishments of outstanding Nigerian women and making women visible, hence the listing of 100 Leading Women in Nigeria.

According to a joint statement by the Executive Director, Gender Perspective, Tammie Edet kammonke; and the CEO of Profiles & Biographies, Kammonke Abam, the, “in publishing this compendium every year, we envision that we will continue to contribute to gender equality and women empowerment advocacy efforts towards filling the yawning gender gap in the leadership of Nigeria.”

The statement pointed out that documenting the accomplishments of outstanding Nigerian women and making women visible is a key objective of the “Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women”.

“As in the previous editions, the array of women who made the list this year all have stories that are inspirational; which we hope, will inspire readers, especially young girls and boys, who constitute our primary target”, it adds.

2023 list is made up of outstanding Nigerian women who have distinguished themselves and are reckoned with based on their passion, commitment and selfless service rendered to make life meaningful to Nigerians including other countries where they have impacted and improved lives.

These women of excellence were drawn from different backgrounds including pastors, politicians, C-Suite corporate leaders, tech experts, development practitioners, and also Her Excellency, Ambassador Mrs. Christy Mbonu, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the incumbent deputy governor of Kaduna State, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, the All Progressives Congress “APC” senator representing Adamawa Central senatorial district in the 9th Assembly, and the Labour Party senator representing Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Kingibe, and others.

It will be recalled that in previous editions, the Director General, World Trade Organisation, WTO Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Deputy United Nations, UN, Secretary General, Amina Mohammed; Her Lordship, Justice Mary Odili; the Cross River Chief Judge, Her Lordship, Justice Akon Ikpeme; and former National Assembly member, Hon. Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo; Chimamanda Adichie; and others were among distinguished women who had made the list.

According to the statement, the Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women” is the premier qualitative profiling of phenomenal women in Nigeria who have contributed to the development of Nigeria and the world.

It is a gender-specific biographical compendium that responds to existing gender gaps in Nigeria’s biographical documentation and leadership.

The current edition is said to be the most qualitative biographical profile on Nigeria’s most inspirational and influential women whose work will contribute to shape Nigeria’s collective history in 2023.

Now in its sixth year, this compendium is published annually to commemorate the International Women’s Day, March 8, and will run on livesmagazine.ng, the project media partners.

The two organisations revealed that the book which is in both digital and hard copy versions would be on sale on Amazon and can also be purchased directly from the Publishers, Profiles & Biographies from March 8, 2023.