The Business and Professional Women Organisation of the Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, on Saturday held its inaugural breakfast fellowship in Lagos.
The event, themed “Pruning for Progress: The Art of Strategic Elimination,” brought together women professionals and business owners for reflection on personal growth, professional advancement, and holistic wellbeing.
Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, alongside notable professionals, graced the event.
Some of those invited included quality and food safety expert, Mrs Abosede Amusan; former banker and entrepreneur, Mrs Chinwendum Emele; and finance professional and non-executive director at Expertise, Mrs Folake Sanu.
They were hosted by the President of the organisation, Dr Lydia Odedeji, who also serves as President of the Women and Children Organisation of the Diocese of Lagos West.
The Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. James Olusola Odedeji (Ph.D), also made a brief appearance to extend greetings to attendees, wishing the fellowship a successful outing and sustained impact.
Held at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos, the event featured a colourful “shades of pink” dress code and recorded a large turnout of several hundreds of women across the diocese.
According to one of the moderators, Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Olotu, a former Port Manager with the Nigerian Ports Authority, the programme was the result of over a year of planning and strategic coordination.
Olotu said the initiative was designed to create a platform for growth, career advancement, networking, and learning opportunities for women within the diocese.
Following a welcome address by the diocesan coordinator, Funmi Wale-Adegbite, the event opened with a short exhortation delivered by Amusan.
She unpacked the theme using a strategic framework beginning with recognition—a deliberate and honest assessment of one’s personal and professional realities.
She urged participants to critically evaluate their finances, relationships, habits, and associations, identifying areas that may be causing setbacks or inefficiencies.
According to her, such awareness must be followed by intentional decision-making, where individuals take firm and sometimes difficult steps to eliminate unproductive elements.
Speaking on finance, Sanu described pruning as a form of personal and financial discipline, explaining that it involves consciously letting go of certain habits while adopting more productive ones.
“It is about a habit, it is not punishment. You are going to let go of many things,” she said.
Sanu emphasised the need for financial clarity, urging participants to assess their economic standing.
“Do you have a list of what you have, your assets? The first step in your self-assessment is to ask, what do I have? Every person has to know their net worth. You deduct what you have from what you owe to know your standing,” she added.
Drawing from biblical wisdom in Proverbs, she highlighted the importance of saving and avoiding reckless spending, stressing the need to block financial leakages through reprioritisation.
“If you do not eliminate unproductive spending, you cannot save,” she said.
Sanu also encouraged participants to adopt personal risk management strategies, including insuring assets and safeguarding health against unforeseen medical emergencies.
She further advised women not to underestimate their assets and to ensure proper estate planning through wills that preserve their legacy.
In her presentation, former banker with Union Bank, Mrs Chinwendum Emele, referenced the biblical account of Moses, where God asked, “What is in your hands?”—a rod that later became instrumental in performing miracles.
She used the analogy to emphasise recognising and utilising available resources, regardless of how insignificant they may appear.
“God is still in the business of lifting up people who are willing to do something with what they have in their hands,” she said.
Emele noted that even small ventures have growth potential when properly managed and nurtured.
Advising women in business, she stressed prudence and discipline.
“Do not eat up the seed along with the bread; do not turn your business into a charity organisation.”
On health and wellbeing, Dr Lydia Odedeji underscored the importance of prioritising physical health as a key investment.
“Aside from spirituality and relationship with God, the next investment is your health,” she said.
She urged participants to be intentional about dietary choices, encouraging reflective questions such as: “What will this food do to my body? Will this food nourish my body or stress it?”
Highlighting age-related physiological changes, she noted that bone density, joint flexibility, digestion, vision, brain function, sleep patterns, and cardiovascular elasticity decline with age.
“Make food your medicine so that medicine does not become your food,” she warned.
She advocated increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, reduced carbohydrates, adequate hydration, balanced diets, and regular exercise and mental stimulation.
A major highlight of the event was a goodwill message from Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, who commended the organisers and speakers for what she described as a thoughtful and impactful initiative.
The event was held in partnership with organisations including PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Elizade, Page, Oxbridge, Supreme, Bomm Consult, AOC, Orthoplus, VIP Lift, Zino TECH, UberFab, Chef Star Culinaries and Pastries, Champion Newspaper, Spice It Up Kitchen, Dawn Michael’s School, 47 Workspaces, and AY Juice.
Leave a comment