Women Converge 2025 unfolded yesterday as a compelling display of collective worship and shared spiritual energy, drawing women in their hundreds from across Rivers State, neighbouring regions, and the wider Nigerian Christian community.
What began as a routine annual gathering evolved into a deeply resonant moment of unity, praise, and reflection — one many described as the most moving edition yet.
The event, organised by Rivers Women Unite for Sim (RWUS), had the theme: “The Women: In An Evolving World.” It brought together a large number of women for praise, worship, prayers, thanksgiving, and discussions on how to keep moving forward.
The event which held at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt gained added prominence with the attendance of the First Lady of Rivers State, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, whose presence brought both a symbolic and personal dimension to the day.
From the moment she arrived, there was a palpable shift in the room, not marked by ceremony or formality, but by a warm, reassuring presence that blended easily with the spirit of the event.
Lady Fubara did more than deliver formal remarks. She joined in the worship sessions, prayed alongside the women, and offered a short exhortation that was striking in its simplicity and sincerity.
Her message — centred on hope, perseverance, and the importance of faith-led resilience — appeared to strike a chord, drawing murmurs of agreement and quiet applause from those present.
She praised women in Rivers State and across Nigeria for showing strength, courage, and determination in today’s challenging world.
Lady Valerie Fubara said women have continued to do well in business, farming, industry, public service, and politics, even while facing economic pressures and family responsibilities.
“Women remain strong and relevant in this changing world,” she said. “They keep pushing forward with faith in God and a desire to achieve more.”
She described the gathering as an important moment for women to support one another and to contribute to peace and development in Rivers State.
“Our women have always been pace-setters,” she said. “Your prayers and commitment make a big difference in our society.”
Lady Valerie Fubara encouraged women to stay prayerful, united, and focused, saying God would reward their efforts. She thanked them for their support for her and her family.
Earlier, the convener of Women Converge 2025, Mrs Sotonye Toby Fulton while welcoming participants described the Converge as one “deeply inspired by faith, values, and purpose.”
“It is also a space that welcomes every woman across professions, beliefs, social backgrounds, and generations.
“Today, we gather not only to pray, but also to learn. Not only to worship, but also to strategize. Not only to speak but also to take action.
“This is a place where faith meets policy, spirituality meets leadership, inspiration meets innovation, and women’s voices meet development,” Toby-Fulton said.
For many attendees, it reaffirmed a growing sense that leadership, in its most meaningful form, includes standing with citizens not only in governance but in moments of shared spiritual reflection.
Throughout the hall, the atmosphere echoed with music, prayer, and an unmistakable sense of belonging. Praise sessions lifted the room into a rhythm of joy; prayers were offered both collectively and quietly; testimonies hinted at personal battles and small victories.
Thanksgiving, which formed a central part of the programme, had the effect of drawing women into a single current of gratitude — for their families, for their communities and, for some, for the ability simply to gather in peace.
What emerged was a portrait of women stepping into their roles as spiritual anchors, moral guides, and the often-unacknowledged backbone of society. Many speakers noted that when women convene in worship, they bring an emotional clarity and spiritual depth that can shift the tone of entire communities.
Yesterday’s convergence seemed to affirm that view: worship became a soothing force, prayer a collective stabiliser, and mutual support a central theme.
While the gathering was steeped in faith, its social undertones were unmistakable. Conversations between sessions touched on the pressures of family life, the economic strains many households face, and the quiet but persistent work women undertake to hold their communities together.
In this context, the convergence was not merely a church event but a rare space where women shared stories, renewed friendships, and found reassurance in one another.
Lady Fubara’s presence added a maternal thread that ran through the day. Her interactions were unhurried and deliberate, marked by a willingness to listen, embrace, and offer words of comfort.
That conduct, participants said, created a sense of closeness — a feeling that the concerns of ordinary women were visible and valued at the highest levels of the state.
By the time the programme drew to a close, it was clear that Women Converge 2025 had offered more than spiritual upliftment. It delivered a reaffirmation of community, of shared faith, and of the quiet but enduring strength that women bring to public and private life. The songs may have faded, and the hall emptied, but the conversations, reflections, and bonds formed are likely to echo far beyond the day.
For many who attended, the convergence was a reminder that no woman stands alone — and that in shared worship, Rivers State finds a steadier, more hopeful heartbeat.
The event also featured a keynote message from Pastor Dr. Eno Jerry Eze; a prayer session led by Apostle Opuaya Bipiminayefie Agha of When Women Pray International, and praise and worship from several gospel ministers.
