By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The Women in Healthcare Network (WIHCN) has restated its unwavering commitment to advancing Nigeria’s healthcare system through empowerment, mentorship, and leadership development for women across the health sector.

Speaking at the Network’s Second Annual Conference held in Lagos, the Chair of the WIHCN Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer of Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre, Professor Modupe Elebute-Odunsi, said the Network was established with a “simple but powerful vision” — to create a thriving community where women in healthcare can connect, learn, and lead.

Founded just two years ago by 15 pioneering women, the organisation has grown into a formidable movement of over 300 members spanning Nigeria and the diaspora, with active chapters in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Kingdom.

“Our contributions as women in healthcare often go unrecognised,” Prof. Elebute-Odunsi stated. “The Women in Healthcare Network exists to change this narrative — to celebrate women’s impact, amplify their voices, and foster leadership across the health ecosystem.”

The event, themed “Rooted in Wellness, Rising with Purpose,” attracted key stakeholders from government, academia, and the private health sector.

Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Health, Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, praised Nigerian women in healthcare as the “silent custodians of the nation’s survival,” describing them as unseen yet indispensable in preserving the country’s health and wellbeing.

“For those who heal are the custodians of a nation’s continuity,” the Vice President said. “The story of our nation’s survival through the storms of diseases and despair is written in the quiet heroism of women who have chosen to serve even when the odds were cruel.”

In her remarks, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s partnership with the Network through the RenewHER Initiative, aimed at improving the health and well-being of women nationwide.

“As healthcare workers, we often pour into others — our patients, our communities, our families — sometimes forgetting that true leadership begins with our own wellness,” she said. “Rest, reflection, and self-care are not luxuries but the foundation of purpose.”

Dr. Steinacker reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that women at all levels of the healthcare system are empowered to thrive, noting that “women’s voices, expertise, and leadership must remain central to the transformation of Nigeria’s healthcare system.”

Also speaking at the event, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser on Health to the Lagos State Governor, reaffirmed the State Government’s resolve to build a healthcare system that is inclusive, accessible, and driven by innovation.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, lauded women’s leadership in the health sector, describing them as “critical drivers of Nigeria’s progress toward sustainable and equitable healthcare.”

The WIHCN Annual Conference served as a rallying point for women professionals across disciplines — doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrators, and public health advocates — united in their mission to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem through collaboration and leadership.