Her Royal Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, served as Conference Chairperson at the 2026 RECAP Conference of The Business Women Conference in Warri, Nigeria, where she sponsored 140 women from Cohort 1 of the EstablishHER Entrepreneurship Fund to participate in the region’s largest gathering of working women.
The conference, themed “Reflect. Relearn. Rise.”, convened by co-founders Mrs Doubra Emein, Mrs Ufuoma Ogbo, and Princess Onome Akpobaro, brought together senior women leaders and professionals from across Nigeria and the diaspora, including participants from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Guinea.
RECAP 2026: Reflect. Relearn. Rise.
Distinguished speakers at the conference included Dr Ibukun Awosika, Mrs Tara Fela-Durotoye, Mrs Ekene Onu, and the First Lady of Delta State, represented by Honourable Orode Uduaghan, Honourable Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services, and Girl Child Development, Mrs Marilyn Okowa-Daramola. The gathering also welcomed Dr Emmanuel Emefienim, CON, Chief Executive Officer of PremiumTrust Bank, and other leaders from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The event offered a platform for reflection, professional growth, and exposure to women shaping business and public life, reinforcing the conference theme across sessions, mentorship moments, and peer connections.
Royal Iwere Foundation Sponsorship
Her Majesty’s sponsorship, executed through the Royal Iwere Foundation (RIF), reaffirmed the crown’s commitment to expanding access, opportunity, and financial agency for women entrepreneurs in underserved communities across Delta State and the wider South-South region.
The 140 EstablishHER women in attendance gained access to broader ecosystems, mentors, and role models, with exposure positioned as a critical complement to skills training and capital.
About the EstablishHER Entrepreneurship Fund
EstablishHER is the flagship women’s empowerment programme of the Royal Iwere Foundation. The six-month capacity-building academy supports underserved petty traders as they transition into small and medium-scale entrepreneurship by combining zero-to-low interest financing, structured training, mentorship, and market access.
To date, EstablishHER has impacted over 5,550 women and supported more than 1,700 businesses across multiple communities, equipping participants to build resilient enterprises in trade, agribusiness, creative services, fashion, food processing, and digital commerce.
How the Programme Works
Structured across four progressive phases, EstablishHER begins with psychological and identity reformation, trauma healing, purpose alignment, and legacy thinking. It then advances into business and digital skills development, financial management, branding, and leadership training.
Participants are connected to capital, mentorship networks, and growth opportunities, and sustained through an alumni ecosystem focused on scale, resilience, and continuous learning.
Her Majesty’s Address
In her remarks as Conference Chairperson, Her Royal Majesty spoke on the power of reflection, exposure, and inner transformation as foundations for sustainable leadership. She encouraged women to embrace reflection as a source of clarity and strength, noting that growth often begins long before titles and public milestones.
“When women are given access, exposure, and the space to reflect honestly on their journeys, confidence deepens, vision expands, and leadership becomes intentional. Through EstablishHER, and by supporting platforms like RECAP, we are ensuring that women are equipped with skills and capital and connected to environments that shape ambition and the courage to rise,” she said.
Voices from EstablishHER
Joshua Eze, Project Lead for EstablishHER at the Royal Iwere Foundation, underscored the significance of the sponsorship and participation.
“This is about access. Her Majesty is intentionally positioning these women in rooms where networks are built and perspectives are expanded. Exposure is the next best thing to education. It strengthens mentorship, reshapes self-belief, and allows women to see models of what they can become beyond their immediate environments,” he said.
Exposure That Unlocks Growth
Participation in RECAP 2026 marks another milestone in the EstablishHER journey, reinforcing the Royal Iwere Foundation’s people-centred development philosophy that prioritises long-term empowerment over short-term intervention. For many beneficiaries, the conference was a defining moment of renewal, clarity, and expanded vision, with exposure to global-standard conversations and role models they had long admired.
For partnerships and programme enquiries: operations@rif.ng.
Moments from RECAP 2026
Highlights from the conference, including keynote sessions, mentorship moments, and EstablishHER delegates.
