Welcome to the Matriarchs Circle
A founding roundtable of women who nurture, lead, and build the nation.
Established under the TriAfrica Empowerment Foundation, the Circle brings together respected women, matriarchs, mentors, and leaders, from every region of Nigeria to nurture women’s leadership while honouring the diversity that defines us.
From Us To You
There is a woman you know. She might be your mother, your grandmother, your auntie across the street, or a teacher whose words you still carry with you decades later. She is the one who shaped how you see yourself, how you treat others, and what you believe is possible for your life. She is Nigeria’s quiet architect.
The TriAfrica Matriarchs Circle was born out of a simple, powerful truth: the most consequential leadership in our nation does not always happen in chambers of power. It happens at kitchen tables, in school yards, in market squares, and across generations of women who pour their wisdom, experience, and love into those who come after them.
We are bringing together remarkable women from every corner of Nigeria, every tradition, every faith, to say, deliberately and together: this nation’s greatness begins with us. Not someday. Now.
The Reality We’re Changing
Why women's leadership cannot wait
4%
of Nigeria’s federal legislative seats are held by women, one of the lowest rates in all of Africa, and the world.
Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2024
104M+
Women and girls in Nigeria, nearly half the population, whose potential shapes this nation’s destiny.
World Bank Population Data, 2023
37%
of Nigerian women participate in the formal labour force vs. 59% of men, a gap costing the economy billions.
ILO Labour Statistics, 2023
$12T
Estimated value added to global GDP if women’s equality were fully advanced. Nigeria stands to gain enormously.
McKinsey Global Institute
90%
of what women earn is reinvested into families and communities, vs. 35% for men. Empowering women is nation-building.
UNICEF / UN Women Research
1 in 3
Nigerian girls does not complete secondary school, a cycle that mentorship and community leadership can break.
UNESCO Education Report, 2022
“Nation building begins at home, and women have always been its most dedicated architects.”
The Matriarchs Circle · Founding Philosophy
Our Story
We have always been here. Now we stand together.
Across generations, Nigerian women have held families together during their most turbulent seasons. They have raised judges, teachers, engineers, farmers, and presidents. They have mediated disputes in communities, kept businesses alive through hardship, and quietly carried the weight of an entire nation’s future on their shoulders.
And yet, in too many spaces where decisions about that future are made, their voices remain absent. That absence is not a reflection of women’s capacity, it is a reflection of structures that have yet to catch up with the women already leading within them.
The TriAfrica Matriarchs Circle changes that, not by demanding a seat at a table already built, but by gathering women to build something entirely their own.
Across Every Region
Why monthly, and why now?
Each month, women from different parts of Nigeria, North, South, East, West, will come together to speak honestly about what it means to lead within their culture, their community, and their constraints.
A woman navigating leadership in Kano faces different terrain than one in Lagos, Enugu, or Maiduguri. Our diversity is not an obstacle to unity, it is the richness that makes our collective wisdom extraordinary.
This is a community where real stories are shared, real challenges are held, and real support is given across faith, across region, across generation.
What we'll explore together
Our inaugural gathering is a conversation, not a conference. There are no lectures here, only the collective wisdom of women who have walked ahead, and the courage to light the way for those who follow.
01
The Nurturer as Nation Builder
Reflecting on women’s foundational role in shaping values, character, and vision within families and communities across Nigeria.
02
Navigating Diversity with Wisdom
How do we bridge Nigeria’s cultural, regional, and religious differences? What can women offer that formal politics often cannot?
03
Mentorship Across Generations
Exploring how experienced women can open doors, share hard-won wisdom, and intentionally lift the next generation of leaders.
04
Regional Approaches, Shared Vision
How do we honour every region’s unique context while advancing goals that belong to all Nigerian women?
05
Laying the Foundation
Together, we define the structure, the spirit, and the commitments of the The Matriarchs Circle going forward.
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Your Voice
This founding roundtable is shaped by every woman in the room. Your story, your perspective, your wisdom, this is where it belongs.
The Matriarchs Circle Manifesto
Our pledge to one another
We Believe
That the greatness of a nation begins in the home, where values are formed, character is shaped, and vision is nurtured from the very first breath.
We Recognise
Women as powerful nurturers, mentors, and role models whose influence extends far beyond the family into communities, institutions, and the story of the nation itself.
We Affirm
That the family is the bedrock of society. When women are supported to lead, to mentor, and to guide, stronger families emerge, and stronger nations follow.
We Commit
To lifting one another. To sharing wisdom across generations. To opening doors for younger women to rise with courage, integrity, and purpose.
We Will Challenge
Every barrier that limits women’s full participation in leadership and nation building, while remaining rooted in the values that strengthen families and communities.
We Believe
That mentorship is a sacred responsibility. Every woman who has walked ahead must help clear the path for those who follow.
Because when women nurture leaders, nations rise.
Our Vision
To nurture a community of matriarchs and mentors who guide, inspire, and support women across Nigeria’s diverse cultures and regions to become nation builders.
Meet the Circle
OUR FOUNDING MATRIARCHS
Professor Adenike Grange
Paediatrician, Global Health Leader & Founder/CEO, Adegrange Child Foundation
Professor Adenike Grange is a renowned paediatrician, global health leader, and Founder/CEO of the Adegrange Child Foundation. She is widely recognized for her contributions to maternal and child healthcare, national health policy, and children’s rights advocacy.
As Nigeria’s former Minister of Health, she led major reforms in primary healthcare, maternal and child health, and communicable disease control. Through her foundation and advocacy work, she continues to champion health education, vaccination, rural healthcare development, youth empowerment, and national development initiatives, including service through organizations such as the TriAfrica Empowerment Foundation.
Aunty Yemisi Ransome-Kuti
Educator, Social Development Advocate & Founder, Nigerian Network of NGOs
Aunty Yemisi Ransome-Kuti is a Nigerian educator, social development advocate, and founder of the Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGO), the country’s first coalition of civil society organizations. She is widely recognized for her contributions to nonprofit development, gender empowerment, youth development, and policy advocacy.
A respected matriarch of the historic Ransome-Kuti family, she has continued a legacy of activism and public service while serving as a Civil Society Advisor to the World Bank and contributing to Nigeria’s Millennium Development Goals efforts. She is also the founder of Girl Watch, an initiative supporting the education of girls from underserved communities, and remains an influential voice in Nigeria’s civil society and social development sector.
Jumoke Akin-Taylor
Project Executive, Second Vice President & COO, TriAfrica Empowerment Foundation
Jumoke Akin-Taylor is a seasoned Project Executive in Construction. She is passionate about an inclusive, united, just and fair Nigeria. She served two terms on the Board of NIDO Americas, and was the first Chairman of Mobilization.
She currently serves as the Second Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the TriAfrica Empowerment Foundation aka Africa Leadership Group (ALG). She’s also the Executive Director of Rebuild Nigeria Initiative, which aims to promote peace and reconciliation in Nigeria, and a founding member of the Matriarchs Circle. Jumoke is a writer and has published many inspirational writings under “The Father’s Jewel”.
OUR QUEEN MOTHER
Funmi Ajayi-Tomori
Economist, Development Finance Expert, Industrial Development Specialist, and Women’s Rights Advocate.
SENIOR QUEEN & CO-CONVENER
Abolaji Osime
Education Policy Strategist, Lawyer, Education Consultant, and EdTech Innovator.
SENIOR QUEENS
Blessing Ejemenayo Manuel-Smallvoice
Chemical Engineer, Business Consultant, Entrepreneur, Educator, Fashion Designer, and Storyteller/Author.
Princess Loretta Adesua Osime
CEO of Mixed Grill Catering Services Limited and Laser Prime Agency. Advertising Executive, Banking PR/Protocol Manager.
Modupe Eka
Entrepreneur, Human Behaviour Consultant, Certified Counsellor/Therapist, Relationship Coach, and Author.
QUEEN
Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun
MD/CEO CreditRegistry, VP FintechNGR, and Chairman, Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria.
OUR PRINCESSES
Andrew Ngozi Elizabeth
Linguist, Communicator, and Founder/CEO of La Benissé Language Solutions, specializing in NLP data services for AI model training in Igbo and Yoruba.
Titilayo Atere-Osabor (ACIA)
Chartered Administrator (ACIA), Public Administration Professional, HR/Industrial Relations Specialist, and Public Servant.
Abiodun Abbey Dejonwo
Registered Social Worker, CQC Registered Manager, Healthcare Entrepreneur, Supported Living Specialist, and Real Estate Entrepreneur. Founder/CEO, Mitus Care Ltd and Abigail’s Court Ltd.
Victoria Oluwabusayo Robinson
Human Resources & Administrative Professional, Educator, Community & Youth Development Advocate. MD, ZionCrown Global Enterprise Limited.
Aminatu Ahmad Yaradua
Development Professional, Environmental Advocate, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Specialist, and Youth & Community Development Leader.
Adele Enruchi
HSE Professional, Data Analyst, Voice Over Artist, Media Strategist, Public Health and Youth Development Advocate.
Chioma Obiokolo
Khadija Saleh Luqman
Join Us
This nation's greatness begins with us
If you would like to learn more about The Matriarchs Circle, nominate a matriarch, or partner with us, we would love to hear from you.
In partnership with
