Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 300 girls will participate in the 2022 edition of the annual Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement and Development (LEAD) Camp for girls organised by Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) in partnership with Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The week-long event, which commences today, Monday, July 25, 2022, is designed to empower young girls to be high-achieving leaders in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal – Gender Equality.
Union Bank, which has been supporting the programme for eight years, said it aligns with its corporate sustainability impact strategy.
“Union Bank is pleased to extend our long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement Nigeria for their LEAD Camp.
“As a bank, we are committed to enabling success for the communities we serve and this partnership reinforces our commitment to the push for gender equality and our focus on supporting the girl child.
“We are proud to see the impact of the programme on the young girls across the country and we commend the efforts of the JAN team who work tirelessly to impact them,” the Chief Brand and Marketing Officer of Union Bank, Ms Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem, said.
On her part, the Executive Director of JAN, Ms Foluso Gbadamosi, stated that “The Junior Achievement Nigeria LEAD Camp is a transforming experience for girls.
“Having top women from different organisations impact our girls is not only inspiring but reassuring and a clear indication that young girls can aspire to be all they were created to be.
“Regardless of the career path they choose to take, they can be successful with the right guidance, mindset, skill sets and networks – this is what this program offers.
“We appreciate Union Bank for their continuous support in partnering with us for the LEAD Camp and we look forward to more years of inspiring girls and enabling a world of possibilities for them to thrive excellently.”
It was gathered that this year’s edition, which is the 21st anniversary, is the first time the camp will be held in a hybrid mode, with the participants to be taken through activities like leadership workshops, empowerment/panel sessions covering: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, technology, creative arts and entertainment, and development sessions such as coding, understanding sexual abuse, and personal hygiene with leading women from the private and public sectors in Nigeria and project group mentors.
