Yesterday, small tears came out of my eyes as I watched very closely the elegant entry of the newly elected NBA President Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya to the Lawyers conference in Port Harcourt
My friend Dapo Oduwole had said, Edgar make sure you send a congratulatory message to her as your message would be strong enough to be acknowledged,
However, I made a mental note to send my congratulatory message to my egbon Yomi Badejo-Okusanya,whose support as husband and pillar must have gone a long way in making this history
But that image of Oyinkan walking in with my dear sister Jumoke Oduwole , who happens to be the Minister for Trade and Investment, and their still very delectable mother made me forget egbon Yomi for an instant
This was a golden moment for the girl child. This was a major cultural moment and a victory for not just womanhood but the girl child
See o. One family, two ‘girls’ reaching this height and at the same time?
The symbolism was just too strong
Daughters of an erudite Professor born in an era where the boy child was a symbol of fertility and hypocritical ascendancy, one’s mind went straight back into the homes of many Nigerians in the 70s and 80s
My father had 4 boys, and he was king in ‘rural’ Shomolu and my mother used to be gifted with George Wrapper and Schnapps and heralded for striking jackpot four times
Men and society yearned for male children and took in female children as ‘jara’ – complementary
I remember very vividly the ‘pain’ families went through, looking for Male children after having just females
The man felt like a failure, and in some cases used that as an opportunity to get a second wife – sayin’ I’m looking for a Son.
I remember one of my close friends in Shomolu whose wife had just delivered another girl child, third in a row, calling me in tears- bro, na another girl o, which kind thing be this? And I said, ‘you dey mad? You no thank God say you get pikin?
In those days, the girl child was just expected to be a companion for the mother in the Kitchen while the boys were expected to carry on the Family legacy and lineage, and that is why if you had too many girls or only girls, there was a problem
Today all that has changed and very significantly, and the picture of Oyikan, Jumoke and Mummy more than symbolises that
The girl child of that era has grown into a proud and assured woman.
She is now holding down power in the boardroom, running multi-billion-naira corporations, driving public policy and marching into Port Harcourt and seizing the reins of power of Nigeria’s biggest and possibly most powerful professional association
Today, the girl child is a woman of grace, power and history, and none other than the image of those ladies walking into that Hall significantly affirms that
So Dapo, my brother, I am not only writing a letter but penning an article in full affirmation of the symbolism of the cementation of the grace and power of the Nigerian girl child in modern-day Nigeria as symbolised by the power and grace of that delightful entry into Port Harcourt by those three ladies
We, the men, are so proud of the advancement of the girl child; even though a lot still has to be done in that space, their ascendancy and continued growth must be heralded and supported.
One day, my Chantal, Annette and Zara would also walk into the Federal Executive Council and take their seats just the way Oyinkan, Jumoke and Mummy walked into power and history in Port Harcourt today
This is the dawn of the girl child, and thanks to all those powerful and influential women who have fought this battle and have perfectly situated the girl child on the throne of influence in our society
Well done, Oyinkan, for this feat and from what I have heard and seen, you truly deserve this, and you have our full support.
Well done and congrats
No need to beat me on this one na
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: August 29, 2026
