International Day of Girl Child: Ifiok Akan charges young women to lead change
Celebrity fashion entrepreneur, Ifiokobong Akan, has outlined five principles that young girls must embrace to become the girl they are meant to be and lead the change the world is waiting for.
Top on the list is what she described as “The Power of You”, stressing that “leading change as a girl begins when you trust your own voice and value” just as she stressed the need for girls to understand their Identity, which she describes as the combination of personal qualities, values, beliefs, and experiences that define them.
Ifiokobong Akan threw the challenge as a guest speaker at an event to mark the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, which was held Monday 13 October, 2025. at the Akwa Ibom State Government House in the state capital, Uyo.
The event organised by the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, AKWA Ibom State, Lady Hellen Eno Obareki, brought together over 500 pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State to the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Uyo.
In her presentation, Akan noted that every powerful woman began their life’s journey as a determined girl, explaining that she personally did not start out knowing who she would become. “I began just like many of you — a girl with big dreams, quiet fears, and a strong desire to make a difference.”
The Creative Director and Lead Consultant of House of Borah said young girls must understand the principle of “Purpose and Creativity”, turning passion into purpose, and dreams into solutions. She said as a carrier of ideas that can change the community, the girl child should be bold to create, innovate, and build, even when nobody is clapping.
Further drawing from the experience of her personal development, Ifiokobong Akan said that she learned along the way that “every great woman begins as a determined girl” and that “you don’t have to wait for tomorrow to lead — leadership begins the moment you believe in your own voice.”
Akan, who was in March 2024, appointed the inaugural Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the BRACED Tourism Promotion and Development Initiative, further stressed the need for the girl child to embrace Leadership and Resilience, acknowledging that while there may be crisis, it should be seen as a classroom for growth. “True leaders rise when things fall apart” and “Confidence is not noise; it’s the quiet strength that says, ‘I am enough”.
While emphasizing that leadership is not just about position, but a responsibility, Ifiokobong Anthony Akan said young girls must embrace the principle of Sisterhood, which requires the lifting of others as they rise. She affirmed that “the future belongs to girls who collaborate, not compete” as she charged the participants to “lift other girls, support their dreams, and celebrate their wins.”
She thanked the Coordinator of the First lady for the opportunity and commended her for all the laudable programmes she has initiated to lift the children and provide succour to those who are in need
Above all, the Akwa Ibom-born fashion entrepreneur further charges the girl child to be consistent in their studies as education opens doors to unlimited opportunities and enable them to compete favourable with the boy child
In her speech, the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady , Akwa Ibom state, Lady Hellen Eno Obareki reiterated her commitment to advancing the rights, education and empowerment of the girl child.
The coordinator commended girls in the state for their diligence and innovation. She emphasized that the administration of Governor Umo Eno, through the ARISE Agenda remains committed to creating enabling environment for the girl child to thrive.
This year’s International Day of the girl child with the theme, ‘The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead’ draws dignitaries including the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi; Member representing Urue Offong Oruko State Constituency in AKS House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Precious Selong; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon Inibehe Silas; Coordinator of ARISE Initiative for the Elderly, Mercy Eka; Facilitator of RHI, Emem Orok; Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Ann Abraham, and other female stakeholders assembled to educate, enlighten, motivate and inspire the girls to be confident and to activate their potentials.
