***At closing Ceremony in Ibadan, BEMORE Founder Celebrates Exceptional Talents, Honours 2026 Valedictorian
Founder of the BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has urged girls participating in the BEMORE Summer Bootcamp to deploy their knowledge, creativity and talents to solve problems and make meaningful contributions to society.
A message from Anyanwu-Akeredolu was delivered at the closing ceremony of the 2026 BEMORE Summer Bootcamp in Ibadan, Oyo State, as she was unable to attend the ceremony due to other demanding engagements.
In the message, the BEMORE founder expressed gratitude to the organisers, facilitators, instructors, welfare personnel, technical teams, volunteers, caterers and other partners for contributing to the successful completion of the two-week programme.
She said BEMORE had grown beyond teaching girls skills and awarding certificates, describing it as an ecosystem designed to discover hidden potentials, nurture talents, build confidence and empower young women to find their voices and place in society.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu cited the creativity of BEMORE alumna, Paradise Nwaozuzu, who composed and produced a birthday song for her, noting that the song had subsequently become part of the musical score accompanying the camp’s daily activities.
She also commended Aminat Adegoke, who deployed her make-up and gele-styling skills to fill a gap during the programme rather than waiting for someone else to provide a solution.
According to her, such examples demonstrate the resourcefulness, initiative and creativity that the BEMORE programme seeks to cultivate among girls.
The founder also commended the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA) for sustaining its partnership with BEMORE and introducing flag football to the girls.
She said the sport had become a major attraction at the camp while helping participants develop teamwork, communication, discipline, strategy, resilience and healthy competition.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu expressed hope that the NAFA-BEMORE partnership, now in its second year, would continue, describing such collaborations as vital to exposing girls to opportunities beyond the classroom.
She equally appreciated the sponsors, technical partners, parents and guardians for their support and confidence in the BEMORE vision, while specifically thanking All Saints’ College, Ibadan, for providing a secure and conducive environment for the bootcamp.
Fisayo Gloria Emerges Valedictorian
Olorundare Fisayo Gloria, a participant under SDG 2, emerged as the 2026 BEMOREOYO Valedictorian.
Her selection, according to the founder, followed the BEMORE tradition of recognising outstanding performance, commitment and participation.
Fisayo received the Founder’s Prize of N50,000 in recognition of her achievement.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu urged the girls to see the award as a reminder that hard work, discipline and excellence remained worthy of celebration.
She charged the participants to see being a BEMORE girl as more than attending a bootcamp, describing it as a responsibility and a way of life.
She urged them to become women who lift others as they rise, solve problems rather than complain about them, pursue their dreams with courage and create opportunities for other girls.
“Wherever life takes you, remember where you came from. Remember the girls who are coming behind you. And when you succeed, reach back and pull another girl up,” she said.
The founder further urged the girls to “keep shining, keep learning, keep creating, keep challenging yourselves, keep breaking barriers and keep making a difference.”
She concluded with the familiar BEMORE charge: “Keep making Grandma proud. BEMORE to the world!”
