…as Nigerians urged to promote women’s voices through art and leadership
By Emmanuel Emeka, Abuja
Chairman of Project ASHA, Mr. Steven Robinson, has said that the story of the late poet and activist, Vweta Chadwick, is a reminder that when women are silenced, society loses part of its conscience.
He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the 2025 Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize Contest, themed “Hear Our Voices; Heal This Land.”
Robinson, who is the elder brother of the late Vweta, described her life as one marked by pain, resilience, and purpose.
He recalled that Vweta lost her voice following a medical misdiagnosis that led to an unnecessary surgery, yet she refused to allow silence to define her life.
He said she turned to writing and found expression in poetry, using her words to inspire thousands of women and girls around the world.
According to him, her legacy continues through Project ASHA — the foundation she founded before her death to empower girls and women through creative expression and education.
He said, “Before Vweta died, she was misdiagnosed with a condition that made her undergo a surgery she didn’t require, and that made her lose the ability to speak. For ten years, she couldn’t talk, but she started writing. Writing and the Internet gave her a voice when doctors couldn’t.
“Through Project ASHA, we continue that mission, giving a voice to the voiceless, especially girls across Nigeria. We are building spaces where young women can heal, grow, and lead. When there’s an outlet for pain and trauma, healing begins, and when healing happens, people thrive.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation, Dr. Dapo Oyewole, in his remarks, said promoting women’s voices should not be left to women alone, describing it as a responsibility for every citizen and a moral duty to correct historical injustice.
He said no nation could progress if women remained unheard, noting that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown commitment to women’s leadership and inclusion through recent appointments and initiatives.
Dr. Oyewole commended Project ASHA for using literature and art to amplify women’s voices, describing poetry as a soft power that builds understanding in a divided world.
He said, “Promoting the voice of women is a responsibility for all,” he said. “For far too long, our mothers, sisters, and colleagues have been silenced, unable to fulfil their potential or contribute fully to society.
“Arts, literature, and poetry remain powerful instruments of soft power. In a world struggling with divisions and tensions, they inspire, heal, and unite. What is happening here today is more than poetry; it is nation-building through creativity.”
Poet and women’s rights activist, Bola Fumi Adedayo, who leads community engagement for Project ASHA, said the foundation, registered in 2009, has supported women and girls across Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom through digital literacy, mentorship, and creative empowerment programmes.
She said the annual poetry contest is one of the foundation’s many projects aimed at helping young women express themselves and tell their own stories.
“Vweta used her voice and her platforms to amplify women’s voices. When we lost her, we decided to honour her through this Poetry Prize. She saw poetry as self-expression; we now see it as empowerment. We want young girls who may one day face similar struggles to have a platform to speak and be heard.”
Director of Communications and Northeast Operations for Project ASHA, Ms. Amina Atairu, said the foundation aligns with the ongoing advocacy for more women in governance and leadership.
She explained that Project ASHA plans to partner with state governments and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs from 2026 to expand empowerment programmes across the country.
“We are not saying we are equal to men; we are saying give us equity, give us space, give us platforms to talk and to change things,” she said. “When you give a woman an opportunity, she makes a nation out of it.”
The 2025 Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize, held in Abuja, was the first in-person edition after three previous virtual events and attracted over 1,000 entries nationwide. Ten finalists were shortlisted to perform before a panel of judges.
The finalists included Aisha Umar Yasmeen, Lisa Abubakar, Precious Chukwuemeka, Blossom Abia, Faith Mohammed, Dafuus Catherine, Tosin Dickson, Animasaun Esther, Idara Sunday, Marvellous Adegbile, Ihejieto Stephanie, Gloria Ameh, Obioma Ochiogu, and Merit Isaiah.
Eighteen-year-old Ameh Gloria Ann from Benue State emerged winner of the 2025 edition, receiving a ₦400,000 cash prize, a tablet from Agewell Pharmaceuticals, and educational materials from Kefas Foundation.
The annual contest was established in memory of Vweta Chadwick, a Nigerian poet and activist who lost her voice to medical negligence at the age of 16 but found new expression through writing.
Her legacy continues through Project ASHA, a non-profit organisation she founded to empower women and girls, particularly those living with disabilities. The 2025 edition was sponsored by Amstel Malta, Agewell Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Olam Agric, among others.
