Nigerian Female Doctors Build Mentorship to Support Careers

When female doctors in their 70s and 80s took to the dance floor in Lagos, they weren't just celebrating the past. They were lighting the way forward for the next generation of women in medicine.

The Medical Women's Association of Nigeria's Lagos chapter brought together generations of female doctors for "An Evening With Our Elders." The gathering in Lekki Phase 1 honored nine past presidents and senior members while addressing real challenges young female doctors face today.

Dr Ime Maria Okon, MWAN Lagos President, spoke directly about isolation many retired doctors experience. "We must not leave our elders behind," she said, explaining how the association plans to keep pioneering members connected and valued.

But the event went beyond nostalgia. MWAN announced it's pairing younger doctors with senior colleagues for formal mentorship relationships.

The support matters because female doctors face unique pressures. They must handle demanding hospital schedules while managing children's school runs and family needs, often facing criticism at work for the juggle.

"There is a need to achieve work-life balance," Okon explained. The mentorship program aims to help younger doctors learn from women who successfully navigated these same challenges decades earlier.

The Ripple Effect

The stories shared that evening spanned over 50 years of medical practice. Senior members including Prof Ibironke Akinsete and Dr Dorothy Esangbedo recounted starting their careers in the early 1970s, when few women entered medicine.

Their presence proves what's possible. Each pioneering doctor opened doors, making it easier for the next woman to follow.

Now those same trailblazers are actively investing in younger colleagues rather than simply retiring into the background. The dance session symbolized more than joy. It showed vitality, continued engagement, and a refusal to let experience go to waste.

The initiative follows MWAN's "Leaving No One Behind" principle, strengthening bonds across age groups while advancing women's roles in Nigerian healthcare. Younger doctors left inspired, having connected with living proof that long, meaningful medical careers are achievable even while raising families.

As new mentorship pairs form, decades of hard-won wisdom will flow forward, helping the next generation of female doctors thrive rather than just survive.