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“I Am Passionate About My Ability To Be A Change Agent And Catalyst To Transform Lives” – Temi Marcella Awogboro

Temi Marcella Awogboro is a pioneer and change agent passionate about unlocking the transformational power of capital as a catalyst for profound change globally and transforming lives through her work. She has committed over half a billion dollars in impact capital across emerging markets to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Temi is a core part of the investment leadership team responsible for scaling Evercare from inception in 2015 to a global platform comprising 30+ hospitals, 20+ clinics and 80+ diagnostics centers operating across 6 countries. She has been instrumental in leading the investment in building and operating one of the largest and most advanced private hospitals in Nigeria in a bid to transform healthcare in the region. Through her early-stage investment platforms, she is building and cultivating disruptive, transformative institutions that will emerge as today’s regional champions and tomorrow’s global challengers.

Temi was appointed by the President of Nigeria to sit on the Nigerian Health Sector Reform Committee under the Chairmanship of the Vice President of Nigeria. She also sits on the Equality Fund Board of Directors, Evercare Hospital Lekki Board of Directors and the Save the Children International Africa Advisory Board.

A recipient of the Future Awards Africa Prize, Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Award and M&A Advisor’s European Emerging Leaders Award, she shares her inspiring story with ESTHER IJEWERE in this interview.

Childhood Influence
I am proudly Nigerian with German and Scottish heritage. I was born in Nigeria, raised in the United Kingdom, and have lived and worked across four continents. My childhood was one of discovery, adventure, and exploration. While I never felt a stranger where I lived, I also never quite fully belonged. This lived experience forced me to forge a strong personal identity that was not wedded to culture, dogmas, traditions, and ideological concepts.

I was inspired greatly by the entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic and tenacity of my parents. My father was a medical doctor turned entrepreneur, and my mother was a Miss Nigeria beauty queen, technology systems engineer, and subsequently joined my father in building the family business that straddled construction, procurement and technology. These influences are intricately woven into the individual and professional I am today.

From a tender age, my parents and close family nicknamed me “Small But Mighty” because within my pint-sized package, came mighty aspirations. As a child, I always refused to be restricted by the limits imposed by external expectations of me, with a burning desire to push beyond the limits perceived in my mind or externally imposed.

Inspiration behind my career path
I am an investment professional with over 15 years of experience in developed and growth markets. I have always been driven by my belief in the power of private capital to transform lives and my passion to unlock the power of capital as a catalyst for profound, sustainable change globally. On this journey, I have committed over half a billion in private capital to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Through my career, I have been uniquely positioned to operate at the intersection of healthcare, finance, technology and impact – often referred to as an Impact investor/healthcare operator by day and venture capitalist by night. As the Executive Director with Evercare Hospital Lekki and previous West Africa Lead of one of the first and largest dedicated impact funds globally, I have been privileged to have been part of the investment leadership responsible for scaling the fund from inception in 2015 to a global platform comprising operating across 6 countries and highlighted as one of the top 50 leaders that will “come to define the world of tomorrow.”

I have been equally driven by my belief in the central role of technology in creating a better world. Through my early-stage investment platforms, Kairos Angels and the Magic Fund, I have invested in some of the best minds and disruptive teams that are emerging as today’s regional champions and tomorrow’s global challengers.

The journey so far
My life’s course has been determined by doing the hard things. My Evercare journey started in 2015, based on my belief in healthcare as a fundamental right. On this journey, we ran into a number of unforeseen headwinds, which nearly stalled the project, not least of which was trying to commence formal operations during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Against this backdrop, it was extremely humbling and rewarding to celebrate the key milestones and groundbreaking feats achieved within the first 12 months of operations at Evercare’s 1year anniversary on March 10, 2022. Some of these milestones include successfully completing several complex clinical procedures in cardiology (five open heart surgeries, two permanent pacemaker insertions), spinal surgeries, first-of-its kind paediatric surgeries in the country and becoming the first facility in Africa to get Safecare Level 5 certification on the first accreditation exercise.

While the journey continues and there remains much work to be done, I am indeed proud of the considerable progress that Evercare has made in the past year and especially proud to say that we are on our way to transforming healthcare in Nigeria.

Challenges
As I reflect on my journey to date, I have faced a plethora of challenges; navigating my career at the epicentre of the global financial crisis, encountering significant resistance trying to break into the private equity industry, navigating the extremely lonely path rising the ranks in male-dominated industries, witnessing first-hand the destructive impact of toxic leadership and failed institutions and juggling the demands of being a present and invested mother to two toddlers, while managing my professional commitments.

I have remained optimistic and learned to thrive under the pressure of doing the ‘impossible’ fuelled by a deep sense of purpose, an unrelenting tenacity, and an unwavering belief in myself. Failure for me is an unavoidable part of living a limitless life.

Other projects and activities
As we step into the fourth industrial revolution, I believe we are called to shape this technology revolution to empower people and create more equitable outcomes for our communities and the world. I am deeply committed to investing in entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges. Through my early-stage platforms, Kairos Angels and Magic Fund, I identify aspirational entrepreneurs building impactful solutions, invest in this talent, provide mentorship, access to networks and functional support to power their trajectory. Across these platforms, we have invested in over 180+ entrepreneurs globally, many of who are already emerging as today’s regional champions and tomorrow’s global challengers.

What I enjoy most about my job
I am passionate about my ability to be a change agent and catalyst to transform lives through my work. This unique positioning has been fascinating and given an invaluable opportunity to work at the forefront of paradigm shifts globally. We are at a unique point in human history where world orders are shifting; new technologies are emerging. I have so many big and audacious dreams and I am excited to continue to bring these dreams to fruition.

Three women who inspire me and why
I live my life trying to take inspiration from everyone I meet. Some women who have made an impression on me include: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who stood out for me as an unapologetic, unstoppable powerhouse, relentless in her pursuit of social justice and quest for equality.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for her role as the female to serve as both finance and foreign minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the visibility she has brought to Africa on a global stage.

Finally, Kamala Harris when in her inauguration speech, the Vice President of the USA urged young girls to “Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before.”

This resonated profoundly with me as a woman who has often found herself in male-dominated rooms with few allies. I struggled with the absence of female role models until I embraced the power of my own dreams and started to see myself as the role model I was looking for.

The resilience of women during the pandemic
As an investor in healthcare, I have witnessed first-hand how women have stood at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis as nurses, doctors, caregivers, innovators and as some of the most exemplary and effective leaders in combating the pandemic. It is no coincidence that women led countries most successful in stemming its tide and impact of COVID-19.

But the pandemic has sadly highlighted the disproportionate burdens women carry and their inadequate representation at the highest levels of decision-making. And new barriers emerged to impede many women’s progress, such as unpaid care duties, unemployment and poverty.

Importance of educating and supporting women
I have been humbled by all the coverage and recognition received in this year’s International Women’s month. In particular, I was deeply honoured to have received the recognition by Lagos State as one of the EKO 100 Women. It is said that you can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women. ‘Women hold up half the sky’ and I am proud of the fact that His Excellency Governor Sanwo-Olu on behalf of the Lagos State Government took the step to recognise and celebrate the unending commitment of women to a more equal and equitable world.

Most important to me is the pledge to ‘support every effort to achieve a Lagos where all women and girls can live their lives to the fullest and achieve their potential without limits.’ My appeal is to continue to provide women a platform in the mainstream media and outside of 1 month a year. The strides many women are making are world class by any measure and deserve to be recognised, celebrated and amplified.

One thing I wish to change in the health sector
The single biggest issue facing the healthcare industry in Nigeria is the ongoing wave of brain drain, especially of clinical talent. Nigeria with over 40 per cent physician migration remains one of the leading African sources of foreign-born physicians. Evercare with its purpose-built infrastructure, best in class equipment, and focus on achieving quality metrics that meet international standards, is working hard to attract critical medical talent back to Nigeria from the Diaspora, thereby reversing some of the brain drain that plagues the sector.

It maintains a strategic focus of employing, retaining and investing in local resources to ensure a highly experienced, well-rounded, and diverse team, poised to support the advancement of medical care across Nigeria. I sincerely hope that my story and the work the Evercare team is doing, inspires more Nigerians in the diaspora to come back and take up the mantle of leadership to enable the nation to achieve its full potential both in the healthcare sector and beyond.

Being a Woman of Rubies
I love the concept of the Woman of Rubies as a forum for women across various walks of life to share their inspiring stories. As a woman that has risen through male dominated fields, trying to ‘have it all’, I am thankful for the platform to use my story to bring hope, motivate and inspire women all over the globe. I am striving to live life on my terms, fully embracing all aspects of my being and living the highest version of myself each day.

There is nothing that says you can’t be professional, ambitious, audacious, and successful but also be fun loving, free and love fashion. There is nothing that says you can’t hold down a boardroom and hold down your home. Women are powerful beyond measure, when we are liberated to demand and create the life we deserve.

My message to women everywhere is that you are powerful beyond measure, and your voice matters. Do not feel less entitled, expect more, take up more space and demand more, be bold in challenging the status quo. Finally, teach your girls to embrace a world of possibilities, to be proud of their ambition, regardless of their gender. Send them a clear message that they can be whomever they chose to be, and applaud them every step of the way.

I choose to live a life that is purpose driven, passion filled and performance oriented, and continue on my journey not focused on the pursuit of perfection, but led by the voices of those who christened me ‘Small but mighty’. They challenge me to create and compete; to build and nurture; to take risks and to leave my legacy.

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Institute Of Family Engineering And Developments Celebrates International Day Of The Family

The international day of the family is a United Nations designated day to create awareness about the family. Every year on May 15, various stakeholders across the globe gather to celebrate the family and this year was another opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the African family at the African Family Life Delegate Conference which is an annual event organized by the Institute of Family Engineering and Development in conjuction with United Nations Information center and the network of family life professionals.

The conference which is in its 6th year had some of the best minds on family life across Africa in attendance virtually at this year’s conference as various panelists deliberated on;

Family: A pathway to global peace in the midst of global chaos and disruption

The director of the Institute Mrs. Dinma Nwobi welcomed the delegates to the conference by encouraging them to all become agents of peace in their various nations.

Delivering the keynote was Praise Fowowe the lead researcher at Praise Fowowe Research LLC based in Irving Texas.

Praise Fowowe delivered an emotional key note that took delegates through the origin of wars and chaos through human history and how the little things we neglected from our family systems could produce global tyrants.

He noted that at the root of every chaos and global wars is a sense of superiority powered by a sense of superiority beliefs which drives how we see what we see.

He went ahead to recommend what delegates must begin to do;

1.Promote humanity through aggressive human education

2.Embrace and promote a family system that can promote the best interest of all – Be family systems engineering compliant

3.Model diplomacy and assist children master it

4.Master the power of meaning and refuse to be a part of any venture or movement that compromise the dignity of humanity – Drop the baton

5.Become an instrument of peace & spread the energy of love

6.Families becoming clans which become villages all over again with dispute resolution systems

7.Leverage family centered politicians to push policies that can promote family peace

The conference also had distinguished panelist like Dr. Adeyemi Agbelusi who is a global alternative dispute resolution expert, ID Cabassa a music producer, Dr. Sam Egbube the honorable commissioner for budget and economic planning Lagos State Government in Nigeria and Ghaniya Olokodana a clinical psychologist.

The conference communique was issued by the team at the end of the conference with the conclusion that every family must embrace a system that can promote and produce lovers as against traumatized kids who become traumatized adult

The institute for family Engineering and Development is Nigeria’s premier family life certification institute.

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Jenlo Bags Will Be A Household Name In Few Years- Jennifer Oamhen Thomas

A hardworking lady with gifted hands in the competitive world of accessory and handbag design, Jennifer Oamhen Thomas is one Nigerian woman making people pay attention to her and take notice of her unique take on beautiful, bespoke, handcrafted pieces that celebrate the art of artistry combined with a unique African touch. Her great eye for design, blended with the deployment of African textiles has allowed her to create handbags and accessories that have an irresistible visual appeal and charm.

She belongs to the crop of young Nigerian women profiting from their passion and inspiring other women to do so. The creative entrepreneur is the founder of Jenlo, a bag-making outfit for women who want to make unforgettable statements. Jenlo is a design and manufacturing company, which produces a beautiful range of handcrafted handbags.Her passion for making bags was awakened after she started seeing herself in a dream when a man clad in white outfit instructed her to acquire bag-making skills. She ignored the dreams initially, till it became persistent.

The Zoology graduate of Ambrose Alli University eventually decided to acquire the skill. Today, women of substance and elegance are buying her beautifully made bags. Driven by a desire to be unique, the Edo State born entrepreneur’s handcrafted bags are a symbol of attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship that leave you bedazzled. When Jennifer is not making bags, you would find her surfing the Internet, playing her favorite game, or reading. She shares her inspiring story with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence
Growing up as a child, I wanted to be a medical doctor. We all know how the Nigerian educational system ends up changing someone’s original destiny, so I ended up studying Zoology. My childhood never prepared me for what I am doing now because I never saw myself being a bag designer in the future, but it is what it is.

Inspiration Behind Jenlo
All I can say is, God has been my source of inspiration. But at a time, I wanted to have a standard brand, so I got thinking of a unique, simple and classy name that can easily be registered in the lips and hearts of people. After much deliberation and prayers, Jenlo was birthed.

JEN-means Jennifer (my first name), which means clear vision or pure vision, L- signifies Longevity, which means both our products and our brand can stand the test of time, O- from Oamhen (my maiden name), which means my house is good. So, putting all together birthed JENLO.

The Journey So Far
The journey has been smooth and rough, sweet and bitter. At times, I feel like quitting but each time I remember the reason I started, I discover giving up is not an option. I will keep pushing and breaking boundaries till I get to the top where I belong.

Challenges

Getting the right machines and tools are my major challenges. I hope a time will come when I will have all the machines and tools I need to excel in my craft. Having such machines and tools will fast track my work and make it a lot easier.

What I Enjoy Most About My Job
I love the creativity; I love the fact that people find me amazing because I am a professional bag designer. My designs are unique and represent class. Most of my customers tell me my bags can compete with foreign brands.

Going Viral And Gaining Momentum On Social Media
I feel happy and excited, but considering the vision I have towards my brand, I feel the momentum on social media is just starting. I have a long way to go, but the journey looks good so far. Most of my customers are people who live abroad, and they found out about my designs on social media.

Jenlo In Five years
Five years from now, Jenlo will be among the top five when mentioning bag-making brands worldwide. Five years from now, Jenlo will be a brand to reckon with. I have faith in creativity, my designs, passion and myself. I will keep working towards my goal.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
I admire Prudent Gabriel of Prudential Fashion Academy; I am inspired by her passion towards what she does for her brand. The Minister of Women Affairs, Her Excellency Dame Pauline Tallen OFR, KSG, inspires me; I so much admire her passion for humanity. Mercy Johnson Okojie inspires me a lot and I so much admire how she made combining family, work and career look so easy.

Being A Woman Of Rubies
I am a precious and strong woman, dependent and supportive. I have a heart of care and concern towards people around me. I detest evil and embrace Godliness. I cherish good things too. I hardly hate, and I easily forgive.

Advice To Young Women Who Intend To Go Into My Line Of Business
Face your fears; life itself is a risk. So, in this journey called life, it’s risky not to take any risk. You have to start from somewhere, like every great designer out there. For you to succeed in this craft, you have to first conquer fear.

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Omas World Of Glamour Expand Operations To Lagos State

Nigerian media production company, Omas World of Glamour has announced the expansion of its operations from its Headquarters in Port Harcourt Rivers State, its branch office in Gwarimpa Abuja to Lekki in Lagos State, setting a giant pace to building a national footprint.

According to the company, the move will allow the organization gain more expansive media reach, extend its solutions to clients across the Nation and also provide unending employment to the youths of the country. Speaking on the expansion, the company’s CEO, Dr. Mrs. Joy Ezeike said that Omas World of Glamour is an independent media outfit committed to every client with a mission to use media channels to drive impact.

“We are excited to see Omas World of Glamour enter the Lagos market. We have been able to provide our clients with media production services that produce measurable results as well as insights for future expansion and now we are here in Lagos. This will be an advantage for customers in the south western part of Nigeria, as we are here to provide them with the best delivery and pricing” She stated. The most exciting facet that we look forward to is continuous development, allowing us to achieve our vision of being the foremost media production company with a global outlook.

Omas World of Glamour will continue to bring new solutions to clients who are seeking best in world class services with special focus on quality, excellence and professionalism.”

Speaking further, Ezeike shared insights on the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and sub divisions.

She said, “Omas World of Glamour who provide services such as: Photography, Cinematography, Redcarpet events, Event coverage, Event centers, Makeup artistry, Event planning, Media consultancy, Film Production, Online TV studio, Enlargement frames, Crane and drone services also includes The Omas Mega 4 Project: (Omas foundation for hope, Face of Omas, Omas Studios TV, My Story)

-Omas foundation for hope (inspired by compassion for the needy and less privileged, an extension of our basic mission which is playing an active role in ensuring that people are empowered to release their potential because this ultimately impacts our business).

–Face of Omas (an annual pageant for the upliftment of the girl child)

–Omas Studios TV (an online TV studio)

–My Story (a movie on the life of the Company’s vision bearer).

 

The Company has been amongst the top in rendering quality services in the Media Sector of the country which has seen us bag some highly regarded awards such as, Enterprising Personality of the Year from the 7th GACA awards held in port Harcourt on 7th November 2021, Honorary Doctorate Degree by Omni Bible University Oklahoma USA, Special Recognition Award at the 10th Nigeria Festival of Awards held in Abuja in December 2021, nomination for Media Personality and PH woman of the year at the Port Harcourt Magazine awards 2022, to mention but a few.

Our latest expansion is yet another testament that we have the production capabilities that customers seek and for this, we are thankful.”

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Larmmy Ogidan Odesye
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“Being A Woman In Tech Has Its Ups And Down”-Larmmy Ogidan-Odeseye

Larmmy Ogidan-Odeseye popularly known as Chelsea Godmother is a wife, mom, senior software analyst, business strategist and philanthropist making a difference in the mental health community and in humanity at large. She shares her inspiring journey in this interview.

Childhood Influence

Everything in my childhood prepared me for what I do now. My mom is a retired teacher/headmistress, and my dad was a mechanic. I was born in Mushin, Lagos. I lost my dad on my 10th I remember a lot about my childhood and how I had to step up and grow up faster than I needed to. My dad has 3 wives, my mom was the youngest of them. I learnt a lot about hardwork, persistence and resilience. When I lost my dad, I remember the family swooping in and attempting to take everything he had worked for from us. He had a spare parts shopping complex in Ladipo, mushin then and the 56 shops had to be divided in to 3 parts. I spoke up at this meeting and told the family how it was supposed to be shared. They went with my suggestion. I was a little girl of 10 and the youngest in the room. That was a proud moment.

Inspiration behind Heartcafe

I saw Hauwa on twitter make a post about sponsoring therapy for 5 people through Dedoyin Ajayi. I knew that was my window of opportunity. I reached out to Hauwa who connected me to Dedoyin where I sponsored additional 20 people. Then I suggested us hosting a mental health space. Turns out Dedoyin was already hosting a group mental health session offline before the pandemic called Heartcafe. The online space kicked off and she brought me in as a co-founder.

The journey so far

It has been fulfilling. We host Heartcafe every Friday at 5pm and it’s amazing how much we have been able to achieve. The stories that are shared, the healing and therapy that are happening. We recently celebrated 1 year anniversary of Heartcafe and in a year, we have given free therapy sessions to 164 people and this is excluding the 100s of people that join us every week.

Advocating for issues centered around Mental Health, and what inspired this passion for such a worthy cause

I have worked with and been around people with mental illness and it just became a passion. I once worked in a pediatric behavioral health unit of a hospital as a consultant, and it just piqued my interest. There was a wave of suicide attempts one time on twitter and I knew I had to something in my capacity.

Being a senior software analyst, and how it has impacted me as a person

I work in Healthcare I.T. I’m a senior analyst for a software used in Hospitals for patient care. I build, customize and upgrade this system for different hospitals across the United States. You know growing up in Nigeria, our parents believe you should either be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. At one point in my life, I wanted to be a doctor. I ended up studying Zoology in OAU. I know I’m never going to be a doctor. That dream has been squashed a long time ago so helping doctors, nurses and healthcare workers get their job done faster and more efficiently is getting the best of both worlds and it’s sure paying the bills.

My humanitarian work on Twitter

As someone who didn’t grow up with much, I know how it feels to not have. I know that my life has been a journey of grace and people have helped me along the way. This is how I am giving back. I also get a dopamine effect from helping people so I can’t stop.

The society and its support for women in tech

Being a woman in tech has its ups and down but I have been lucky to work with some amazing people who have given me opportunities regardless of my gender. I did notice that if I get interviewed by a woman for a contract, it’s much easier than getting interviewed by a man..lol. I didn’t let that stop me though. I think we as women can do more to let go of unfortunate situations and move on quickly rather than dwelling in it expecting self pity. As a woman, you do need to be extra tough. it’s not always fair but it is what it is.

3 women who inspire you and why

Esther in the bible: A queen. A risk taker and an influencer. Do you know what it means to go into the king’s bedroom and demand what you want at that time? I stan

Judy Faulkner: Google this woman. A mom, a mogul. I aspire to be her everyday. I wake up and ask myself “what would Judy do?”

ME!!!: I know this might sound a bit self-serving to some but I am an inspiration to myself. The things I am able to achieve day to day, my multi-tasking skills need to be studied.

Challenges  I experience in my line of work?

When everyone labels you the “I.T GUY” and somehow think you’re less deserving of respect. Someone once asked me where do you work, I mentioned “so so hospital” and she said, what department? I said, I.T. and she goes “so you don’t work there. You just work in I. T” I’m like, you will not be able to do your job if everyone on my team take a day off at the same time.

Other projects and activities

I do have a lot on my plate. I’m a mom of 3. Ages 5,3 and 1 so that’s a major project. I also have a business. I sell household items so I’m a petty trader and lastly, the first batch of JeLarmmy homes are now under construction, opening fall of 2022. Real estate has always been a side passion of mine and I’m glad I’m finally able to achieve it with more to come.

Being a Woman of Rubies

As a Christian, I have read through Prov 31 over and over. The way that woman runs her household is an inspiration. Women are smart, brilliant and powerful. Do not underestimate me and what I can achieve. My gender is my strength, not a limitation.

Advice for women who want to pitch their tent in the tech sector

DO IT! Find a niche and perfect it. Be indispensable when you do. You do not have to know how to code or write software programming languages to get into tech. There are so many fields that do not require that. Scrum master, product owner, Project management etc.

Being  happily married with amazing kids; and creating work life balance

The major thing that keeps me going is that Yomi, my husband, is a great support system for me. This man is my backbone. He knows how much I take on at a time and he is always willing to step in and handle things when I’m crashing under the weight. I’m also a good multi-tasker. I treat my family and work as a scrum project. Each person or item is a sprint. It keeps me organized. Believe it or not, I start my day with 45 minutes of exercise and meditation to also get my body and mind right and ready for the day. I’m a morning person. I’m usually up at 4 so I take care of myself before everybody else wakes up.

 Important tech nuggets with us

Like I said earlier, you don’t have to know how to code or write programming languages to get into tech. Also, if you want to get into I.T because everyone else is doing it, you will get bored. My advice is find a field or specialty that appeals to you, go for that and be a master in it.

 

 

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Suspected Child Trafficker Arrested In Enugu While Allegedly Trying To Sell 8-Year-Old Boy She Stole From Zamfara

Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested a suspected child trafficker who allegedly stole an 8-year-old boy from Zamfara state. Spokesperson of the command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday May 6, said the suspect, Juliet Donatus was arrested while looking for a buyer for the child.

“On 09/04/2022 at about 2055hrs, Police Operatives serving in Central Police Station (CPS) Enugu, arrested one Juliet Donatus (female) aged 35, residing in Zaria, Kaduna State. Her arrest was as a result of a tip off alleging that she was found attempting to sell a male child at Old Park Enugu,” the statement read.

“The said child, who is 8 years old, was rescued while the suspect confessed to have stolen the victim from Zamfara State and brought him to Enugu in search of a buyer,”

The case was transferred to Gender/Anti-Human Trafficking Section of the State CID Enugu for preliminary investigation and has been further handed over to Kaduna State Police Command for conclusive investigation and prosecution.”

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Oprah Winfrey Media Journey
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Oprah Winfrey Named Pen/Faulkner’s 2022 Literary Champion

Oprah Winfrey is set to receive an honorary PEN/Faulkner award, ABC News reports.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey founded her book club in 1996 with the goal of creating community and necessary conversations while supporting authors across the globe. Over the course of three decades, Winfrey has boosted the sales of countless authors, receiving an honorary National Book Award in 1999 for her work.

Now Winfrey is receiving the prestigious Literary Champion award from the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. The lifetime achievement prize is being granted to Winfrey for her contributions to literacy and her commitment to inspiring young readers and writers.

“Oprah Winfrey is a literary force field. She has been like a lighthouse, standing sentry and shining a beacon of light onto literature and into the lives of writers and readers,” said Mary Haft, PEN/Faulkner Board Vice President.

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Two-Time Cancer Survivor Marries For The First Time At 73

A two-time cancer survivor married for the first time at the age of 73, People reports.

Audrey Parker Green had always envisioned herself getting married and having children one day, four to be exact. But for the majority of her life, it just didn’t work out like that, and she was accepting of it. She never wanted to marry young, and she was really just enjoying her journey when one day in 1996, she got a random call from a former high school acquaintance, Allen Green.

Allen was divorced and thinking about the past when he remembered Audrey who he thought was a nice person, deciding to take a shot in the dark to ask her out.

“I said, ‘Let me take this chance,’… She gave me such a rough time,” Allen recalled.

Audrey wasn’t interested and the two would go some time before they saw each other again, reuniting a year and a half later in November 1997 at a Scottville High School alumni event.

“When I saw him, I said, ‘Oh my God. Here he comes. If he didn’t speak to me, it would only be [us] and God that knew he had ever tried to call me. That’s when he approached me and said, ‘Ms. Parker, I’m not letting you get away from me this easy this time,’” Audrey explained.

The two would eventually form a friendship over the phone that blossomed into a beautiful relationship, spanning 20 years. Allen often jokes that he “romanced her on the phone.” Despite their love, the relationship was fraught with challenges. In November 2002, Audrey was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to move in with one of her sisters.

“I told him that if he couldn’t handle it, he could leave, and I wouldn’t hold it against him. He said that, no, he was going to be here with me,” she recalled.

Allen kept his promise and stuck by her side, something Audrey says she’ll never forget.

“He was there with me when I was going through some tough times. When one person is sick, and another person is healthy, that’s hard on both parties,” explained Audrey.

Time went on and just when they thought they were out of the woods, in October 2008, Audrey was diagnosed with breast cancer, having to undergo a double mastectomy. Again, Allen was right there to hold her hand through it all.

“We were always there for each other…What I love about him is that, number one, I’m comfortable. I’m me. We laugh. We have fun together,” Audrey said.

Allen echoed those sentiments, saying, “We really enjoy each other. We love each other, and we try to do the best for each other.”

Last year when the couple were discussing how Audrey wanted to spend her 73rd birthday, she simply told Allen to “wow [her].” And on March 27, 2021, while celebrating Audrey’s birthday, Allen got on one knee and proposed, asking her “Are you wowed now?”

Source: Beacuseofthem

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Karine Jean-Pierre To Become First Black White House Press Secretary

Karine Jean-Pierre is making history as the first Black person to become White House press secretary, CNN reports.

Jean-Pierre’s current position is as the White House’s principal deputy press secretary, one of seven members on  President Biden’s all women communication team. She previously served as an adviser to the Biden campaign and former chief of staff to now-Vice President Kamala Harris. Last year, she made history as the first Black woman to hold the daily press briefing in three decades, the first to ever do so being Judy Smith in 1991.

Now Biden has announced that Jean-Pierre will become the new White House press secretary after Jen Psaki steps down on May 13, making her the first Black person to ever hold the title and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in this capacity.

“I just want to take the opportunity to celebrate and congratulate my friend, my colleague, my partner in truth, Karine Jean-Pierre, the next White House press secretary…She will be the first Black woman, the first out LGBTQ+ person to serve in this role, which is amazing because representation matters and she is going to, she will give a voice to so many and allow and show so many what is truly possible when you work hard, and dream big and that matters, and…we should celebrate that,” Psaki told reporters at a White House briefing this week.

Jean-Pierre says she’s aware of the weight of this historic accomplishment, not only for the public, but also for her own family, her partner, CNN national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, and the couple’s daughter. She thanked Psaki for her leadership and called the new appointment “an honor and a privilege.”

“I am still processing it because, as Jen said, at the top this is a historic moment and it’s not lost on me. I understand how important it is for so many people out there. So many different communities that I stand on their shoulders…It is an honor and a privilege to be behind this podium…[Jen] has been just a wonderful colleague, a friend, a mentor, during this past year and a half and I don’t think I would be here without so many people, but including her and she is just a true solid, amazing person,” said Jean-Pierre.

Psaki has been very vocal about her plan to step down after a year in her position. While several others were considered for the position, Jean-Pierre had already been working on the team and was prepared for the job.

“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people,” President Biden said via statement.

Jean-Pierre is set to take over officially for Psaki on May 14th.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press

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In Career Gems By

Meet Excellence Joshua, The Trailblazer Who Is Passionate About Using Technology To Drive Change 

Excellence Anurika Joshua is a Digital Skills Expert and Pan African social entrepreneur on a mission to boost the economic development of African women.
She is a Founder, Digital Media Consultant, a Pan Africa social entrepreneur, and a blooming African development expert who has trained and created job opportunities for over 3000 young African Women in the Tech Space since 2019.
With her passion for young women, She founded  Techy Train Incubator, a Nigerian-based onshore and offshore training and outsourcing organization that specializes in equipping African young women and female entrepreneurs with digital skills to empower them to get jobs in their countries and to also maximize remote job opportunities around the world, reducing the gender wage gap and to also support capacity-building among African companies and startups development worldwide.
She started an initiative in 2021 under the Techy Train incubator to train young ladies & women for Free, especially those with financial challenges and with no jobs to cater for themselves and their children.  As there are so many opportunities in the Tech and online space that are yet to be tapped, she believes that with thorough guidance and training she can help women especially those who are suffering in abusive marriages become financially independent with just their phones and data helping them set up a thriving business online.
She then set up The Tech-Up Girls Initiative with her team to empower 5000 young women across Africa with basic digital skills before the end of 2022. So far, over 3330 have been empowered from across 19 countries in Africa and assisted over 400 women in being gainfully self-employed using digital skills.
In 2019, she became a World Bank Fellow, and won the AGS survivor-woman award; in 2020 she won the Wrapper Initiative award by Erelu Bisi Fayemi and became the winner, Mentoring Her Pitchaton as well as the 1st Runner-Up of The Youth Innovation Challenge by The Funding Space. In 2021, she emerged as one of the winners of the Startup Lab Pitch Competition of the Nigeria Tech Summit.
As a Business and Digital media consultant, she obtained certifications from the International Association of Professions Career College, the School of Marketing, and The Call Centre School. She also obtained a Mini Masters in Business Administration from the International Finance Corporation (a World Bank Group) as well as other certifications in business, finance, and marketing.
She is an alumna of the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University; an alumna of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs and a member of the International Association of Professional Social Media Consultants (IAPO).
To widen her horizon of knowledge to better develop more sustainable solutions towards the socio-economic development of African women and the world at large, she applied and got admitted into a graduate degree program in Global Inclusion and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.
She is a trailblazer who is passionate about using technology to drive change across areas in women, health, and education.
We celebrate her.
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