Executive Director
Mrs Olanireti Dupe Iji
Executive Director, Youngsters and Women Advancement Initiative (YAWAI)
At the heart of YAWAI is a simple belief: young people and women deserve the opportunity, support, and confidence to become who they are capable of becoming.
As the Executive Director of Youngsters and Women Advancement Initiative (YAWAI), Olanireti Dupe Iji leads the organisation’s work to empower young people and women through mentorship, education, community outreach, advocacy, and practical opportunities for growth.
Her passion for working with young people began long before YAWAI was formally incorporated. She worked with children, facilitated mentorship sessions, and created spaces where teenagers could learn, ask questions, build confidence, and better understand themselves and their potential.
This passion eventually grew into a broader vision: creating an organisation that does not simply talk about empowerment, but creates opportunities for people to experience it.
Under her leadership, YAWAI has grown its community-focused work across Lagos and Ekiti, delivering conferences, mentorship initiatives, educational outreaches, health-focused programmes, and empowerment activities for women, children, and young people.
One of her areas of focus is helping young people develop a stronger sense of identity, purpose, and personal growth. This commitment also inspired her to author WHO AM I, a book centred on identity and self-discovery for young people.
For her, leadership is not simply about being at the front. It is about creating room for others to grow, connecting people to opportunities, and turning compassion into action.
Through YAWAI, she continues to champion a future where young people and women are not defined by their circumstances, but are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, support, and opportunities to shape their own futures.
Her vision is simple: to see more young people and women discover their worth, recognise their potential, and have the opportunity to make meaningful progress in their lives and communities.
“We believe that when people are given the right support and opportunity, they can become more than they imagined."
Meet Aunty Ola