Prof Deborah Shade Adekeye of the Department of Sociology, UNILORIN
Professor Deborah Shade Adekeye of the Department of Sociology at the University of Ilorin has called on women to confront the challenges that hinder their progress.
She delivered the 293rd Inaugural Lecture, titled “Breaking The Glass Ceiling For African Women: Insights From Gender Studies”, on December 4, 2025, at the University Auditorium.
Prof. Adekeye highlighted the growing achievements of Nigerian women, citing more than 10 female managing directors across banks and financial institutions, as well as three female professors from UNILORIN serving as vice-chancellors nationally and internationally.
She urged women to address barriers such as limited education, low self-esteem, and time-management constraints through education, training, and mentoring.
The professor emphasised the need for workplaces to eliminate gender discrimination, negative work cultures, and biased leadership styles while promoting work-life balance.
She also called on governments to support female education in STEM, implement the 35% affirmative action quota for women, and address harmful traditional practices like child marriage and genital mutilation.
Chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Moji Taibat Bakare-Odunola, the lecture was attended by university principal officers, colleagues, students, and family members.
Prof. Adekeye encouraged women to remain focused and determined, asserting that there are no limits to what they can achieve.
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