By Olayinka Latona

Chairman, Board of Directors,  First Bank of Nigeria Plc,  Mrs. Ibukun Awosika has called on Nigerian women to ensure they carry out their responsibilities as God’s vessels and use their talents to glorify God and bless their communities.

Speaking during the third edition of Inspiring Change Conference with Adesunmbo Adeoye with the theme: “Yes I Can”, Awosika who was the guest speaker at the conference, urged participants not to join the multitude in doing evil but rather position themselves as vessels of honour at home and in their various businesses.

According to her, all men will give an account of their stewardship to God. Whatever you do daily, “use your talent to glorify God and mankind. Ensure that you stick to God’s formula and plans. Though it can be tough, most people might be against you, do not be disturbed because it pays at the end,” she said.

Awosika further admonished mothers to know themselves, know their roles as mothers in the home but understand that operating within the order of the home as instructed by God can only bring a happy home.

“No matter what you think I am, in my house, my husband, in spite of my achievement, is the head of the home. Whatever I am today, I can kneel down before my husband in front of 10 million people and it would mean nothing to me because he is my husband,” she stated.

She further advised mothers to hold their homes in very high esteem and should not put their home at risk in the course of serving God.

The convener, Adesunmbo Adeoye explained that the programme is meant to commemorate the International Women’s Day and an initiative designed to impact women and transform the lives of those striving to lead in their diverse businesses, professions and careers.

Adeoye advised women, in their capacity as mothers, not to bottle their dreams but do what they are passionate about, adding that every woman has a specific role to play in developing her community.

The event also featured cash prizes and free empowerment tools to women who have businesse but lacked adequate capital to take their businesses to the next level.

In her words: “It is a vision born out of my desire to support entrepreneurial ideas through mentorship. I have been able to achieve a lot in life through mentorship and I believe that if each one will touch one, the whole world will be a better place.

“We trained some of these people how to utilize their God’s given potential to become better placed in the society. I prayerfully select those that we need to empower: a single mother, popular fish seller, a young graduate and we believe that the empowering tools will generate more income for them and their businesses will grow bigger,” she prayed.