In line with its aim to build a strong community of self-activating influencers and advocates, Hive, a social impact organization hosted its first-ever social advocacy mixer, “#BreakTheBias: Brainstorm & Brunch” at Miliki Private Club on Thursday, March 31st.

The event, which also sought to promote a rapport between its Influencer Champions (ICs) advocates and partnering NGOs, CSOs, and private organizations, was designed to connect these Influencer Champions and Advocates on a meaningful and trustworthy level with its NGO and CSO partners, thereby providing the opportunity to share ideas, align on synergies and learn how to maximize advocacy for Gender Equality and Family Planning in Nigeria.

In attendance were over 50 lead influencers from the music and media industry including Jude ‘MI’ Abaga, Folu Storms, Chioma Omeruah, Waje, representatives of Gender Equality and Family Planning NGOs and CSOs such as, Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER), African Women on Board (AWD), HACEY Health Initiative, CECE Yara Foundation, Legislative Advocacy Initiative for Sustainable Development Goals (LISDEL), Society For Family Health (SFH), development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) as well as other strategic stakeholders. Attendees were charged and inspired to reevaluate their advocacy contributions and how to utilize their platforms and networks.

Speaking at the event, Nigerian Rapper, Songwriter and Record Producer, MI Abaga pointed out that, “Nigeria is the (vesicovaginal fistula) VVF capital of the world. It means that about 800,000 young women before the age of 15 generally have been married off to someone and are in a hospital somewhere. The challenges are urgent and life and death. We all must remember who we were – as young people who dared to challenge situations and authority and do the needful in calling for the basics in health, education, security to ensure meaningful change”.

The #BreakTheBias: Brainstorm & Brunch also doubles as hive’s official onboarding event, where its 2022 gender equality strategy and the 2022 flagship campaigns of its advocacy partners were announced.

Barr Vera Ndanusa, National President of the Nigerian Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE) and the National coordinator PAWED/dRPC coalition added that “Nigerian labour markets are gendered. A majority of those in formal employment are men. Women own only 20 per cent of enterprises in the formal sector in Nigeria. As of February 2021, women held only 30.3 per cent of managerial positions, and 28.9 per cent of senior and middle management positions. Furthermore, only about 12 per cent of Directors on corporate Boards of Directors are women. Nigeria still has several laws on the books that make it harder for women to work than men. Coalitions and collaboration for change are necessary to target the missing Women’s economic empowerment components in future economic plans.”

Hive is an award-winning social impact agency founded by experts in strategy, policy, advocacy, marketing and communications to help companies, organizations and individuals create measurable and sustainable social impact. hive offers vast expertise in advertising, branding, communications, micro-financing, technology, creative, design thinking and other critical areas.