Mofolasayo Adeniyi is the Nigerian 2014 MILEAD Fellow | See List of Winners

Last year we announced the winners of the Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership and Development (MILEAD). With two Nigerian winners we were very excited about the potential for leadership and development coming from home.

The Moremi initiative for women’s leadership in Africa is an non-profit organization which actively engages in the empowerment and development of young women to take on leadership roles in their communities.
Out of over 1500 applicants from 42 African countries, only 26 applicants were selected from 25 African countries Mofolasayo Adeniyi was only Nigerian selected.

Find out about her here:

Mofolasayo Adeniyi of Nigeria was selected for her passion to advocate for the issues affecting the vulnerable and marginalized in the society, particularly women and children. As an undergraduate, she took up leadership roles in organizations such as her chapters of the Niger-Delta medical student association, Nigerian Christian Medical and Dental students association and AIESEC. In her capacity as an officer in these organizations, she collaborated with her colleagues to make a difference in projects ranging from the creation of pipe borne water to implementation of zebra crossings. She is a co-founder of Movement for Better Nigeria, an organization established to empower and create awareness on issues pertinent to Nigerian youths. She co-authoured Cancer and You, a book written to help bring cancer awareness to the grassroots, correct misinformation, and empower readers to participate in their healthcare and aid cancer prevention when possible. Mofolasayo believes that people, regardless of nation or creed should have the opportunity to engage the world without barriers such as lack of access to basic education and healthcare. She believes in the role united communities, starting at the grassroots, can play in facilitating those opportunities. She is unwavering in her thinking that women are nation builders; hence her interest in the reduction of maternal mortality in Nigeria which she says has made slow progress of the millennium development goals. She has a degree in Medicine and Surgery from Obafemi Awolowo University and is currently a Medical officer of the National Youth Service Corps where she belongs to the medical community development service group.

Here is a complete list of winners

Marlise Montcho [Benin]
Nicole Khumo Senuku [Botswana]
Kadija Simboro [Burkina Faso]
Delphine Konda [Cameroon]
Yelli M. Poda [Cote d’Ivoire]
Gloria Ramazani Mikala [DRC]
Marta Tsehay Sewasew [Ethiopia]
Patience Annankra [Ghana]
Faye Jainaba [Gambia]
Shiraz Saajida [Ghana]
Sianah Nalika DeShield [Liberia]
Patricia Chiumia [Malawi]
Williee Chonguiça [Mozambique]
Mofolasayo M. Adeniyi [Nigeria]
Christelle Kwizera [Rwanda]
Yacine Ndiaye [Senegal]
Irene Jacobs [Sierra Leone]
Rahma Elmi Du’ale [Somalia]
Kim Harrisberg [South Africa]
Deborah Akech [South Sudan]
Jihad Abdelgadir [Sudan]
Catherine Fidelis [Tanzania]
Rim Bettaieb [Tunisia]
Faith Namalwa [Uganda]
Sinqobile S Ndlovu [Zimbabwe]
Bernice Ofori [Diaspora/USA]

BellaNaija congratulates these exceptional women and we look forward to more positive news from them. We are inspired by the work being done by the Moremi Initiative for Leadership in African Development.