Hon. Bolanle A. Sarumi-Aliyu: From Being Counted to Building Power: Women Must Create Their Own Platforms

Women’s representation is increasing across Africa, but are women simply being counted, or are they gaining the influence required to shape Africa’s political and economic future?

In her contribution to Women in Geopolitics, Nigerian political leader and businesswoman Hon. Bolanle Aminat Sarumi-Aliyu (BASA) challenges African women to move beyond representation and become active architects of the systems that determine political and economic power.

Her message is centred on intentional inclusion.

While governments and institutions continue to develop gender-responsive policies and representation targets, Hon. Sarumi-Aliyu argues that women cannot afford to wait indefinitely for existing structures to make room for them.

Women must also organise, collaborate and build platforms of their own.

Drawing from her experience in politics and business, she advocates for stronger female representation in governance, including the pursuit of 35% representation for women, alongside greater participation in sectors such as banking, manufacturing and cross-border trade.

But her vision extends beyond individual advancement.

For Hon. Sarumi-Aliyu, women’s economic empowerment must also be connected to a larger African economic transformation.

Africa cannot continue supplying the world with raw materials while importing the finished products manufactured from those same resources. African women must increasingly participate in production, manufacturing, value addition and regional trade, not simply at the margins of the economy, but as owners and decision-makers.

Her message is therefore both political and economic:

Women must move from being counted to exercising influence, and from waiting for opportunities to creating the platforms through which they can build power.

By strengthening cross-border alliances and using political and economic influence intentionally, African women can help transform the continent from an exporter of raw materials into a producer, manufacturer and competitive force in the global economy.

The glass ceiling will not disappear simply because women have been invited into the room.

Sometimes, women must build a new room.

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About Women in Geopolitics

The Women in Geopolitics Debate Series is a high-level thought-leadership platform dedicated to amplifying African voices, particularly women’s voices, in conversations on geopolitics, global affairs, governance, leadership and development.

Through dialogue with women leaders, diplomats, policymakers, business leaders, academics and experts from across Africa and beyond, the programme is building a growing archive of African women’s perspectives on the issues shaping our continent and our world.

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About the author

Madelein Mkunu is the President of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), a Pan-African social enterprise promoting women's leadership in economic development, and the founder of Beyond Boundaries, a global content and advocacy platform amplifying African women’s voices in policy, peacebuilding, and development. A bilingual English–French strategist and accomplished public speaker, she brings over 20 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, inclusive governance, and stakeholder engagement across Africa and globally. She holds an MBA and a Master’s in Management from IEDC-Bled School of Management (Slovenia), a Postgraduate Degree in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), a Certificate in Leadership from the Dale Carnegie Institute, and is an alumna of Michigan State University’s Women Empowerment Programme. With a background in accounting and a passion for transformative change, Madelein is a trusted advisor to institutions seeking Africa-rooted development solutions.

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