"My father taught me integrity while my mother taught me to be industrious, hardworking and disciplined. My husband, Dr. Iko Ibanga, is another person who has taught me to strike a balance between my pioneering, result-oriented spirit and loving people sincerely. He is one man that brings beauty out of relationships."

"My motivation and drive in life is God. I have a personal relationship with Him. And my hunger for the impossible quickens something in me to rise to the occasion and make it possible."

"We are mothers we are life-givers and we are solution bearers we think that we should bring solutions to the table rather than dwell on the problem."

"We want to do away with the walls that divide and separate us, whether it's the walls of social class or the wall of ethnicity, or the walls of religion."

"Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s smallest number of motorized vehicles but the highest rate of road traffic fatalities, with Nigeria and South Africa leading the pack. Trauma has become a silent epidemic in Africa, an epidemic that will only spread as the economy grows. More and more Africans are buying cars and working in heavy and dangerous industries. At the same time, infrastructure is poor, safety laws lax, and cars badly maintained."

"We need to launch a nationwide campaign against superstition and belief in witchcraft. Nigerians should be told that witches are not real, and that witches and spirits are imaginary entities created by primitive minds during the infancy of human race to explain situations and issues they could not understand or resolve commonsensically. This campaign should be taken to all Nigerian schools, colleges and universities. It should be publicized over the radios and television, in the newspapers, in market places, in churches and mosques. In particular, we need to check the activities of our so called pastors and other self styled men and women of God who use the Bible or Holy books to perpetrate and justify atrocious acts and human right abuses. These religious charlatans continue to act and preach in ways that reinforce the belief in witches and provoke acts of witch accusation, persecution and killing. This has been the driving force in Akwa Ibom State, and until Nigerians learn to reject superstition and irrationalism such tragedies will continue to occur."

"“On my first day I sat in that chair and said Oh My God I can't do this. There are just too many things: we have to reform the budget, to fight corruption, do this, do that. But once I had set out the matrix, which became like a bible, I suddenly got a burst of confidence.”"

"“Nigeria does have a problem with corruption. And so do many other countries, including developed countries. I don’t like the fact that when people mention the name Nigeria, the next thing they say is corruption.”"

"In the 73 years of GATT WTO, I am honoured to be First Woman and First African to lead. But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget Business as usual!"

"I believe that when you find problems, you should also find solutions."

"I’m told, I’m like my father, and he was the most wonderful man. But I think he was gentler than me."

"Don’t take a backward step. Don’t shy away from taking up space in the world. Don’t assume you are too junior or that people are too busy. Reach out and network."

"Get anyone you know talking about gender stereotypes. These false assumptions cannot survive being held up to the light of day."

"There is no right way to be a woman leader. Be true to yourself."

"If you have a sense of purpose that drives you, then aim high and become a leader and make room as you go."

"There is always guilt. Just make it work."

"I’ve developed my own style. It’s a colourful one. It’s African, and it is me."

"“At present, these institutions have a combined balance sheet of about $70 billion, but our infrastructure needs alone exceed $200 billion annually. Instead of looking outward for financial support, we must strengthen our own institutions,”"

"“The biggest pension funds are in South Africa, followed by Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Botswana, and Namibia. These resources are hugely significant, and we need to find ways to tap into them,”"

"The idea [the government's 'You Win' campaign] is that instead of young people in Nigeria waiting to get employment, they should create their own jobs and employ their peers and employ other people."

"“Our focus should be on two key areas — attracting investment and mobilising domestic resources.”"

"“Africa really needs to change its mindset about access to aid. We should begin to see it as a thing of the past,”"

"“Diaspora investment is not just about capital; it’s about building ecosystems and reshaping Africa’s economic narrative. We are proud to create a platform where action-oriented conversations drive real change.”"

"“Events like this roundtable are vital platforms to foster collaboration, deepen trust, and unlock the entrepreneurial potential that exists both within Africa and among its global diaspora. It was an honor to join this important dialogue and help shape conversations that will drive long-term impact,”"

"“Even solving one problem or building one enterprise can have ripple effects across the continent. Everyone has a role to play in building Africa’s future,”"

"“Our critical minerals are in demand — but instead of giving them away raw, we must negotiate smartly, add value locally, create jobs, and become a true hub of global manufacturing and innovation""

"“Africa’s opportunity lies not in aid — but in adding value, building trust, and using our resources wisely,”"

"Compare non retiring income with investment such as bonds and fixed income etc.Annuity is low risk venture, fixed rate and guaranteed income for life and dependable old age."

"Unless we can make access to finance easier for women in their businesses, we will be missing out on a significant portion of growth within our economies."

"It’s not just about empowering women, it’s about economic growth."

"Africa represents our fastest-growing region in the world. If you want to be relevant, you need to be in this part of the world."

"It's about our common good, because these variants will come back if people are not vaccinated."

"No one can fight corruption for Nigerians except Nigerians. Everyone has to be committed from the top to the bottom to fight it."

"So we were not able to save when we should have. That is why you find that Nigeria is now in the situation it is in."

"We have a choice. Either we converge downwards by allowing the virus to drag us all back down, or we converge upwards by vaccinating the world."

"Investing in women is smart economics, and investing in girls, catching them upstream is even smarter economics."

"“One of the first big things we did was to delink the budget from the oil price ... Any surplus above that we saved — and we announce to Nigerians how much we had saved each quarter.”"

"Know what you want and plan your career journey."

"Find opportunities to buy below market price, at a time when markets are depressed, so you ultimately may stand to gain more when you eventually sell."

"The ability to take a calculated risk energizes me."

"He was very purposeful and determined. He didn’t go into anything without having the desired outcome."

"I think a woman can have it all — on her own terms."

"Life is never truly balanced."

"As a woman, you should aim to glide through life, elegantly like a swan whose head and body are seen above water, but who conceals her toughness and resilience underneath most of the time."

"Choose your battles wisely, especially in a male-dominated industry where you can easily be perceived as an angry and embittered woman if you fight every single battle."

"Success depends on what you choose to ignore."

"Be Purposeful."

"Begin with an end in mind."

"Women are more confident and have higher aspirations."

"Life is a journey and in any journey, there is sort of milestones, there are pitstops, there are hurdles, there are successes that we celebrate."