Women Leaders Begin Drive to Transform W’Africa Health Systems

Thirty women leaders from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal have begun a 12-month leadership programme aimed at strengthening their ability to influence health systems, shape policy and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes across West Africa.

The women are participating in the 2026 West Africa Midwifery Leadership Journey, a fully funded initiative by WomenLift Health in partnership with WILAN Global, which opened with a four-day leadership immersion in Lagos.

The programme seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making positions in the health sector, despite their central role in delivering maternal and newborn healthcare across the region.

According to the organisers, the participants come from different professional and national backgrounds but face shared leadership challenges that require stronger capacity to influence institutions, policies and health outcomes.

Founder and Executive Director of WILAN Global, Abosede George-Ogan, said the initiative was designed to produce leaders capable of driving change beyond their individual institutions.

“Our ambition goes beyond developing individual leaders. We want to support leaders who can influence systems, shape policy, strengthen institutions, and ultimately improve maternal and newborn health outcomes across the region,” she said.

George-Ogan said the complexity of health challenges required leaders who could collaborate across disciplines and build trusted partnerships.

“The challenges facing our health systems today are complex. They require leaders who can think beyond their own institutions, collaborate across disciplines, build trusted partnerships, and lead with courage in uncertain environments. That is why this journey exists,” she said.

East Africa Director at WomenLift Health, Dr Sylvia Vito, urged participants to turn their experiences into a source of leadership and purpose.