Leadership is a calling for me - Hikimat Baba

A TWENTY-THREE year-old graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ms Hikimat Baba Dua who has been nominated among Africa’s most outstanding emerging women leaders believes that she was born a leader.

“I think it is a calling,” Ms Baba Dua told the Daily Graphic, as if to re-echo Tupac Shakur’s famous controversial words “I think I’m a natural-born leader.”

According to her, throughout her life as a student, she had always had a passion to take up leadership positions and each time she tried, she ended up being successful.

Last week the Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa, after screening over 2000 applications, selected 28 young women from Africa and the Diaspora with outstanding leadership potentials as Fellows of its leadership programme.

Ms Baba Dua and another successful applicant, Ms. Mawuenana Yomekpe were the proud Ghanaians among the 28 young women.

A statement on the website of the Institute indicated that the Fellows were chosen through a highly competitive selection process after demonstrating outstanding leadership promise, community service accomplishments, and commitment to the advancement of women in Africa.

“The 2013 Fellows are between the ages of 19 and 25, but are already actively leading change on pertinent issues, both at the grassroots and international level,” it further noted.

The Institute described Ms Baba Dua as someone who had a “passion for advancing the course of incorporating the feminine voice at all levels of decision making.”

It acknowledged the leadership roles that she took up whilst pursuing her studies at the KNUST, for which reason she was awarded the 2011/2012 KNUST Personality of the Year at the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Awards.

She served as a Deputy PRO of the SRC and a Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Junior Common Room at the Independence Hall at different times whilst at KNUST.

She also acted as the Editor-in-Chief for the JCR publication – the Searchlight and rose from various positions in the Students’ Parliament of KNUST to become its Deputy Speaker in 2011.

Aside these, Hikimat also occupied various leadership positions in associations that she was affiliated to.

One thing that impressed the judges most was the efforts that Ms Baba Dua had made to promote the course of women.

“She has for the past years advocated for girl child education and women in decision making on radio and on TV,” the Institute indicated.

It commended her also for putting together an advocacy group of young dynamic female leaders known as the “league of young female leaders” to advocate for girl child education and mentor these young ones to take on leadership roles in their schools.

How was the feeling when you received the message that you had been selected, I asked her.

“I was so excited. It was not easy. We went through several difficult processes and interviews. Although I knew I had a good record, I was not so sure I would make it,” she said.

“I am a leader still growing and I am happy the little I have done has already been appreciated,” she intimated.

For Hikimat, the fact that she is a Muslim and resident in Northern Ghana gives her more pride because there seem to be a perception that Muslim women are not allowed to be in the forefront of leadership.

“This is a wrong impression. The religion allows us to realise our talents and take leadership roles where necessary,” she said, adding that she hopes her achievements would inspire other young female Muslims.

She mentioned Ms Ursula Owusu, Hajia Alima Mahama and Dr Dufie Azuma Mensah as some of the accomplished Ghanaian women she gets inspiration from.

Ms Baba-Dua would be joining her colleague Fellows for the 2013 Moremi Initiative Leadership and Empowerment Development (MILEAD) Programme, which is a yearlong training programme.

The first in the series of this training programme would be hosted by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.

It would consist of interactive sessions, lectures, skills-training and teambuilding exercises in addition to a mentoring session by experienced and accomplished women leaders.

Ms Baba-Dua, who is currently pursuing her National Service at the Central Administration of the University for Development Studies (UDS), said she hopes this training would spur her onto a successful leadership career.

“I do not know how far God would take me, but I am hopeful of rising to the highest level,” she stated, with an assuring smile.

The Moremi Initiative for Women's Leadership in Africa is a non-profit organisation founded in 2004 to engage, inspire, and equip young women and girls to become the next generation of leading politicians, activists, social entrepreneurs, and change agents.

The expectation is that these young women would be at the forefront of efforts to transform and change institutions that legitimize and perpetuate injustices and discrimination against women.

(Also published in the Daily Graphic of May 28, 2013, p. 11)