25/04/2026
Rebuilding the Mindset of the Girl Child: Chioma Rosemary Onyekaba Calls for Urgent Rethink at the Inauguration of the Global Most Influential Women & Girls Ambassadors which held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.
At a pivotal moment during the inauguration of the Global Most Influential Women and Girls Ambassadors for Peace, Gender Equity, Mental Health and Leadership Advocacy in Abuja, Chioma Rosemary Onyekaba, President/CEO of BBF & Cromstar Group, delivered a thought-provoking address that is already reshaping conversations around women empowerment and the future of the African girl child.
While stakeholders highlighted progress in gender advocacy and leadership inclusion, Chioma Rosemary Onyekaba shifted attention to what she described as a missing link in the empowerment conversation, the mindset of the Gen Z girl child.
According to her, a new generation of young girls is growing up in a world heavily influenced by social media culture, trends, and evolving value systems, and without intentional guidance, there is a risk of raising individuals who misunderstand the true meaning of independence.
She pointed to the rising narrative of the “baby girl lifestyle,” noting that many young girls are no longer envisioning a future they build themselves, but rather one they expect to be provided.
Her message was direct and deeply reflective:
“We are raising girls who speak about independence, yet quietly expect dependence.”
In a room filled with leaders and changemakers, she emphasized that the real work of empowerment does not begin with opportunities alone, but with mindset transformation.
True empowerment, she explained, must start with how a girl sees herself, her value, responsibility, and capacity to create her own life.
From homes to classrooms, she called for a shift in messaging:
“I can build.
I can create.
I can stand.”
With or without external support.
Chioma Rosemary Onyekaba stressed that when a girl is raised with the belief that her life is her responsibility, she becomes unstoppable. But when she is conditioned to rely on others for her outcomes, it creates a cycle of limitation, confusion, and long-term dependency.
Drawing a clear contrast, she illustrated that between two young women, one who believes she must be provided for and another who believes she must build, one is already positioned closer to leadership.
She described this as the gap society must urgently close.
Her address concluded with a powerful warning and a hopeful vision. If mindset is not addressed now, society risks repeating the same conversations for generations. But if it is corrected, the result will not just be advocacy, but real, lived transformation.
Through her voice, BBF & Cromstar Group continues to lead a new narrative, one that moves beyond surface-level empowerment to value-driven, responsibility-centered leadership for women across Africa and beyond.
