Queen Mulela, at a press briefing in Tamale ahead of the 7th edition of the Africa Leadership Lecture Series, said African women must aspire to attain holistic educational development that empowered them to contribute meaningfully to their communities without engaging in unhealthy competition with their male counterparts.

Queen Mulela, who also serves as the Managing Director of the Eswatini Bank in Eswatini, emphasised that the empowerment of women should focus on collaboration, rather than competition.
She said, "The goal is not to compete with men but to complement each other's strengths and expertise in building a more prosperous and equitable Africa".

This year's Africa Leadership Lecture, organised by the University for Development Studies (UDS), will be held under the theme: "Redefining Leadership for Africa's Future: Ethics and Transformation".

The Africa Leadership Lecture Series is an initiative by UDS aimed at providing a platform for strategic leadership mentorship for the youth, to help reshape the leadership narrative in Africa.

Queen Mulela called on African leaders to provide strong guidance to the youth, emphasising that "Young people need maximum direction to help them chart a new path for sustainable development".

Professor Seidu Al-Hassan, the Vice-Chancellor of UDS, explained that the inspiration for the lecture series was conceived in 2011 and became operational in 2013 with the inaugural lecture delivered by former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said since then, the University had hosted several successful lectures with other former African Heads of State and decided to broaden the scope of the series to include women leaders, to enhance inclusivity and impact.

He encouraged the youth, especially students, to take full advantage of the initiative to build their leadership skills and capacities to become transformational leaders for Africa and the world.