The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale-Martins, on Friday, admonished Nigerian women to rise to the challenge of nation-building and refrain from playing second fiddle.

Adewale-Martins, who celebrated Mass to begin the 2021 Catholic Women Organisations of Nigeria (CWON) three-day National Conference and Fundraising, urged women to exhibit their managerial prowess in different strata for the advancement of the Nigerian society.

Crystal News reports that the conference is attended by delegates from all dioceses in the country, has as its theme “Let Us Think and Act the Heart of Mary,” is holding at the ST. Leo’s Church, Ikeja, Lagos

In his sermon, Adewale-Martins, who described women as good managers, asked the women to emulate Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ, St. Theresa, Esther and others who salvaged humanity during difficult times.

“Through the intervention of Mary, the mother Jesus Christ, our dreams come through by bringing into the world someone through whom God reconciled with human.

“This gathering was originally designed 2022 but because of divine grace it is taking place today to the glory of God.

“As mothers, it is expected that you use your relationship with God like your likes in the Holy Bible and change things for the better.

“Through your prayers and doggedness in various strata in the nation’s polity, God will answer and make the society good for all for He knows our problems and the solutions are with Him,“ he said.

Adewale-Martins, who is the Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, enjoined women to maintain good interpersonal relationship with God to enable them to hear from Him and extract solutions to the nation’s myraid of troubles.

He added that those women in history that triumphed despite odds did so because they confronted their difficulties with supplication to God.

He said with women’s numerical strength, coupled with the good management they possess, every aspect of the national life could be turned around for good unlike the experience in recent times.

In her response, CWON National President, Dame Mary Asibi-Gonsum, said that as mothers they bore the brunt of violent crises in the country.

Lagos Catholic Archbishop Tasks Women On Nation Building

Asibi-Gonsum decried the huge number of out-of-school children over the decade, the insurgents, kidnapping for ransom and other crimes and noted that they had overwhelmed the nation.

She said that women were responding in diverse ways to ameliorate the uncertainties in the land.

She said that part of such humanitarian services of the CWON was the establishment of a boy boarding school in Garki, Abuja, to, among other things, help the less privileged with access to good education.

The event will continue on Saturday.