The actress is of the view that the continent needs leaders who would serve the interest of citizens instead of seeking their parochial interests at the expense of the suffering masses.
At a media interaction, Omoni Oboli mentioned that it was imperative leaders served; however, the narrative is different in Africa as persons who want to lead make it seem as though it is an entitlement.
“’Are women ready to lead Africa?’ I think we have been ready for a very long time. Women have led for a while… I think it’s time for us to have servant leaders,” Omoni remarked.
“It’s time for us to have leaders who actually love the people, who actually want to make a difference. So, they’re not there to be leaders; they’re not there to just show their leadership skills, they’re there to actually serve the people. What we’re having in Africa right now is leaders who want to be leaders – ‘it’s my turn’, for instance. Why are we taking turns? We’re supposed to come here to ensure that our people are better,” she added.
Emphasizing her view on how ready women are to take over positions of leadership, Omoni Oboli, one of the four ‘Dubai Girls’ said women by nature are leaders and it is evident in how they have nurtured people. That inherent attribute, she posited, is enough justification for her stance.
She said: “Women are really poised to take over Africa. To show that that nurturing skill that they have, they can take their countries forward.”
On her part, Uche Jombo said while women are more than ready to be leaders, she doesn’t “think Africa is ready for us”.
The two were in the company of their counterparts, Chioma Akpotha and Ufuoma McDermott, in Dubai as they addressed the media on Dubai’s transformation.
The quartet, known as ‘Dubai Girls’, in their narratives cited how Dubai, through a visionary leader, has become a preferred tourism destination in the world, stressing that there are lessons to be learnt.