UNIMED VC makes case for women’s growth

From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Vice Chancellor, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, has urged women to embrace mentorship, resilience and authenticity as pathways to growth and leadership.

She  gave the charge while delivering the keynote lecture at the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration organised by the Centre for Gender Studies and Development, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), yesterday.

Prof. Adejuyigbe who spoke on the theme: “Give to gain: A storytelling approach in mentorship” charged all women to embrace mentorship.

Describing the gathering as a shared space for reflection, growth and empowerment, Adejuyigbe emphasised the importance of transforming personal experiences into collective value.

She noted that “story telling creates opportunities for learning, connection and lasting impact.”

Through a compelling personal narrative, she traced her journey from a humble beginning to achieving remarkable milestones in academia and leadership. She highlighted key lessons from her journey, including “embracing leadership roles before feeling fully prepared, choosing mentorship over isolationand recognising that being a trailblazer comes with the responsibility to create opportunities for others”.

Director of the Centre, Dr. Memunat Olayemi Mahmud, described the theme as a call to intentional sharing.

She explained that to give is to offer one’s story, wisdom, and lessons, while to gain is to grow and inherit insight without starting from scratch.

Speaking, the Vice Chancellor of AAUA, Prof. Olugbenga Ige stated that the gathering reflects the institution’s deliberate commitment to equity and inclusion.

He said “any institution that fails to invest in the full potential of its members ultimately diminishes itself”. AAUA has recorded a significant increase in the number of women occupying professional and leadership positions within the university”