Oloye Oluwatoyin Badmus is a Business woman and the Iyaloja and Iyalode Yoruba of Abuja. Popularly called Great mama of Africa by her grassroot women.
She is also the President Asiwaju Women Cooperative society and Member APC national women lobby group.
She hails all the way from Ondo state and is in Politics to make a difference using her platform Asiwaju Cooperative Women Society a support group like no other, that is self funding and concentrating on Women Empowerment, Women Upliftment, Giving a Voice to Voiceless, Financial Stability, Progress, Focus and Independence. Her Joy is to see every woman in her rightful position across board irrespective of her tribe.
In this Interview with Oyinlola Sale, Oloye Oluwatoyin Badmus tells us how she strikes a balance between business and politics over the years.
Politics in Nigeria has been male dominated over the years, as a female politician, how have you used the position you are in to encourage other women to go into politics?
Our Women leaders in APC are changing the narrative.
The result of the last congress of our party APC nationwide see more women win election in their areas, though we can do better but you will agree with me that gone are the days when women take the back seat, presently the women are ready to take over the drivers wheel and lead us to the right destination.
The APC women lobby group set up by our national woman leader of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Stella Okotete is really working hard to ensure that women are supporting other women.
I thank God for the support of my mentor and Leader Chief Mrs Kemi Nelson for always lending a helping hand.
Women should support and help each other.
The pull her down syndrome is not helping us, we can achieve more by being united.
As Iyaloja of Abuja I have been encouraging market women to identify and choose the leaders that will add value to their lives, not the ones that will buy their future and their children with Wrapper and rice for every 4years and you won’t see them again until they need your vote some other time. If women are to be taken seriously that has to stop.
What led you into creating the Asiwaju Cooperative Women society ?
ACWS is a group that’ was formed based on my experience of what happens during election.politicians will come bearing gift for women to vote for them.After getting the votes, these women will be abandoned for the next four years .
ACWS is saying if u really care about us why wait till election Time? start empowering the women now ahead of election time, we are not only about election though the population of women constitutes about 50% or more of people in the country and we are needed at the polls to vote and be voted for. Women are for positivity and Progress.
Let me shock you, when it’s election time the women will identify with the politicians that did not abandone them, politicians that empowered them, politicians that gave them a voice, politicians that put them in their rightful positions, politicians that fulfilled their campaign promises, Politicians that facilitated good roads, infrastructure, quality Education, healthcare, some Politicians have been getting away with this fire brigade approach but this time around it won’t work. AWCS is simply saying enough is enough we are wiser now.
What do you hope to achieve with this Organization?
Focus, Stability, Independence and Progress for women, you see AWCS is about our women been empowered, especially the grassroot women, you know these women are the real MVPs Most Valuable Persons, they should not be incapacitated, they should not be forgotten or taken for granted rather they should be financially, physically, mentally empowered and stable.
So they can choose the right leader…Our aim is to teach our women how to fish and not always give them fish. When a woman is financially stable the burden will be reduced on our men and trust me we will have a happier home and the society will be better for it.
When you’re passionate about what you do. It’s very easy.
Tell us about how you manage being a business woman and combining your passion as a Women Leader?
Women are born multitaskers, the reason why we can manage everything we put our hearts to do successfully. I have been a business woman for a very long time.
however going inside the local market setting changed everything, because you come across women that will travel from nyanyan to wuse market in ABUJA just to hawk pure water…and they have families to feed and you wonder how they cope yet politicians will come around once in 4 yrs just to get their votes with peanut.
It was at this stage that I became a politician somebody has to speak out for them for me it was natural and am ready to engage them in grassroot politics as they Progress across all levels.
The focus of AWCS is mainly empowerment of women. If you want to help women don’t wait till election, start empowering them now. ..and one politician that we have identified that will help the cause of women is non other than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
What do you have to say about Gender equality in Nigeria?
Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It’s essential for economic prosperity if all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities.
On Gender equality in Nigeria I think we still have a long way to go , despite the fact that we are the largest voters when it comes to election, the only position for women in all the political parties is women leader, why can’t we have a female president or Vice President? See Kamala Harris US Vice President she is doing great very supportive with Joe Biden, great combination.
But I won’t blame men most times women are each others enemy if you have a female presidential candidate today Nigerian women will not vote for her, they will rather queue behind a man and most women in position don’t help other women unless you are ready to worship them.The pull her down syndrome need to stop.
We are doing a lot in ensuring that women occupy a minimum of 13 or more positions in the party’s ward, local government, and state levels. We must be well represented.
Within the context of population and development programmes, gender equality is critical because it will enable women and men to make decisions that impact more positively see
What will be the key focus of Asiwaju Women Cooperative Society, as you plan to celebrate the Inauguration?
Our main Focus is Women Empowerment, Enabling the average woman who doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from so she can be a better person in life and also extend the kind gesture to her immediate environment.
Our Inauguration comes up on September the 18th by God’s Grace and all our Zonal Coordinators and Leaders across the 36 States are expected to be on the ground. This is a movement that will put an end to poverty and suffering in the lives of our women.
nment for our women to succeed in their chosen field of careers, good enough many women are living up to their responsibilities and are showing more interest in politics, by the Grace of God as the Iyaloja of Abuja and mama Africa as my women call me, we are in politics to make a difference by ensuring women take the rightful positions, am not in politics to contest for any position, am over Sixty to the glory of God, what more can I ask for other than to support, encourage, push, be a voice and identify with those women who aspire to be great achieve their dreams in life..And it’s my believe that we have that leader in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What led you into creating the Asiwaju Cooperative Women society ?
ACWS is a group that’ was formed based on my experience of what happens during election politicians will come bearing gift for women to vote for them, After getting the votes….these women will be abandoned for the next four years .
ACWS is saying if u really care about us why wait till election Time? Start empowering the women now ahead of election time, we are not only about election though the population of women constitutes about 50% or more of people in the country and we are needed at the polls to vote and be voted for. Women are for positivity and Progress.
Let me shock you, when it’s election time the women will identify with the politicians that did not abandone them, politicians that empowered them, politicians that gave them a voice, politicians that put them in their rightful positions, politicians that fulfilled their campaign promises, Politicians that facilitated good roads, infrastructure, quality Education, healthcare, some Politicians have been getting away with this fire brigade approach but this time around it won’t work. AWCS is simply saying enough is enough we are wiser now.
What do you hope to achieve with this Organization?
Focus, Stability, Independence and Progress for women, you see AWCS is about our women been empowered, especially the grassroot women, you know these women are the real MVPs Most Valuable Persons, they should not be incapacitated, they should not be forgotten or taken for granted rather they should be financially, physically, mentally empowered and stable.
So they can choose the right leader.Our aim is to teach our women how to fish and not always give them fish. When a woman is financially stable the burden will be reduced on our men and trust me we will have a happier home and the society will be better for it.
When you’re passionate about what you do, It’s very easy.
Tell us about how you manage being a business woman and combining your passion as a Women Leader?
Women are born multitaskers, the reason why we can manage everything we put our hearts to do successfully. I have been a business woman for a very long time.
however going inside the local market setting changed everything, because you come across women that will travel from nyanyan to wuse market in ABUJA just to hawk pure water…and they have families to feed .and you wonder how they cope yet politicians will come around once in 4 yrs just to get their votes with peanut.
It was at this stage that I became a politician somebody has to speak out for them…for me it was natural and am ready to engage them in grassroot politics as they Progress across all levels.
The focus of AWCS is mainly empowerment of women. If you want to help women don’t wait till election, start empowering them now and one politician that we have identified that will help the cause of women is non other than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What do you have to say about Gender equality in Nigeria?
Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It’s essential for economic prosperity if all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities.
On Gender equality in Nigeria I think we still have a long way to go despite the fact that we are the largest voters when it comes to election, the only position for women in all the political parties is women leader, why can’t we have a female president or Vice President? See Kamala Harris US Vice President she is doing great very supportive with Joe Biden, great combination.
But I won’t blame men most times women are each others enemy if you have a female presidential candidate today Nigerian women will not vote for her, they will rather queue behind a man and most women in position don’t help other women unless you are ready to worship them. The pull her down syndrome need to stop.
We are doing a lot in ensuring that women occupy a minimum of 13 or more positions in the party’s ward, local government, and state levels. We must be well represented.
Within the context of population and development programmes, gender equality is critical because it will enable women and men to make decisions that impact more positively see
What will be the key focus of Asiwaju Women Cooperative Society, as you plan to celebrate the Inauguration?
Our main Focus is Women Empowerment, Enabling the average woman who doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from so she can be a better person in life and also extend the kind gesture to her immediate environment.
Our Inauguration comes up on September the 18th by God’s Grace and all our Zonal Coordinators and Leaders across the 36 States are expected to be on the ground. This is a movement that will put an end to poverty and suffering in the lives of our women.
