Project ASHA Urges Nigerians to Amplify Women’s Voices Through Art, Leadership,

The Chairman of Project ASHA, Mr. Steven Robinson, has called on Nigerians to promote women’s voices through art, leadership, and creative expression, emphasizing that women’s participation is vital to national growth and social transformation.

Mr. Robinson made the call during the 2025 Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize Contest held in Abuja, with the theme “Hear Our Voices; Heal This Land.” He said the story of the late poet and activist, Vweta Chadwick, serves as a reminder that when women are silenced, society loses part of its conscience.

Mr. Robinson, who is the elder brother of the late Vweta, described her life as one marked by pain, resilience, and purpose. He recalled that Vweta lost her voice following a medical misdiagnosis that led to an unnecessary surgery, yet she refused to allow silence to define her.

“Before Vweta died, she was misdiagnosed with a condition that made her undergo a surgery she didn’t require, and that made her lose the ability to speak. For ten years, she couldn’t talk, but she started writing. Writing and the Internet gave her a voice when doctors couldn’t,” Robinson said.

He added that her legacy continues through Project ASHA, the foundation she founded before her death to empower girls and women through creative expression and education.

“Through Project ASHA, we continue that mission — giving a voice to the voiceless, especially girls across Nigeria. We are building spaces where young women can heal, grow, and lead. When there’s an outlet for pain and trauma, healing begins, and when healing happens, people thrive,” Mr. Robinson stated.

Also speaking, Dr. Dapo Oyewole, Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation, described the promotion of women’s voices as a collective responsibility, not one limited to women alone.

“No nation can progress if women remain unheard,” Dr. Oyewole said. “Promoting the voice of women is a responsibility for all. For far too long, our mothers, sisters, and colleagues have been silenced, unable to fulfil their potential or contribute fully to society.”

He commended Project ASHA for using art and literature as tools of social change, describing poetry as a “soft power that heals divisions and fosters national unity.”

“Arts, literature, and poetry remain powerful instruments of soft power. In a world struggling with divisions and tensions, they inspire, heal, and unite. What is happening here today is more than poetry; it is nation-building through creativity,” Dr. Oyewole added.

In her remarks, Ms. Bola Fumi Adedayo, Head of Community Engagement, Project ASHA, said the foundation, established in 2009, has supported women and girls across Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom through digital literacy, mentorship, and creative empowerment programmes.

She noted that the annual poetry contest is one of the foundation’s signature projects aimed at helping young women express themselves and tell their own stories.

“Vweta used her voice and platforms to amplify women’s voices. When we lost her, we decided to honour her through this Poetry Prize. She saw poetry as self-expression; we now see it as empowerment,” Ms. Adedayo explained.

On her part, Director of Communications and Northeast Operations, Project ASHA, Amina Atairu, said the foundation aligns with national advocacy for increased women’s participation in governance and leadership. She revealed that Project ASHA plans to partner with state governments and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs from 2026 to expand empowerment initiatives nationwide.

“We are not saying we are equal to men; we are saying give us equity, give us space, give us platforms to talk and to change things. When you give a woman an opportunity, she makes a nation out of it”, Atairu said.

The 2025 Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize, held physically for the first time after three virtual editions, attracted over 1,000 entries nationwide. Ten finalists were shortlisted to perform before a panel of judges.

Eighteen-year-old Gloria Ann Ameh from Benue State emerged the overall winner of the 2025 edition, receiving a ₦400,000 cash prize, a tablet from Agewell Pharmaceuticals, and educational materials from the Kefas Foundation.

Other finalists included Aisha Umar Yasmeen, Lisa Abubakar, Precious Chukwuemeka, Blossom Abia, Faith Mohammed, Catherine Dafuus, Tosin Dickson, Animasaun Esther, Idara Sunday, Marvellous Adegbile, Ihejieto Stephanie, Gloria Ameh, Obioma Ochiogu, and Merit Isaiah.

The Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize was established in memory of Vweta Chadwick, a Nigerian poet and activist who lost her voice to medical negligence at age 16 but found new expression through writing.

Her legacy lives on through Project ASHA, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women and girls, particularly those living with disabilities.

The 2025 edition was sponsored by Amstel Malta, Agewell Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Olam Agric, among others.