Big cheers to Chimamanda Adichie as her novel, Americanah, makes history as the winner of the first One Book, One New York Programme.
The programme which was launched in February 2017 and is tagged the largest community reading programme in America, is aimed at getting New York book lovers to vote and read a uniform book at a time.
Americanah won the highest votes amidst 4 other highly competitive choices. The 2013 novel is certainly not new to such huge wins.
Source : Leading Ladies Africa
In recognition of Nigerian women who’ve made strides in Leadership, Enterprise, Advocacy and Business, Leading Ladies Africa recognized Nigeria’s 100 Most Inspiring women at the LLA 100 Women celebrated 100 Most Inspiring Women at a special gala and awards night tagged the LLA 100 Women Gala.
The LLA 100 Women Gala is a follow up to the 100 Most Inspiring Women In Nigeria list published on March 8, this year in commemoration of the International Women’s Day.Themed “Celebrating Leadership, Diversity & Impact,” the #100 Women Gala recognizes and spotlights the achievements of Nigerian women who have made tangible impact and contributions in four unique spheres of the society.
“At Leading Ladies Africa, our key objective is to promote leadership, diversity and inclusion for African women – a call to have them participate in activities that ensure they lead better, fulfilling, and ultimately more productive lives,” says Francesca Uriri, Founder, Leading Ladies Africa.
“As Nigerian women and Africans, it is important that we begin to tell our own stories. We need to begin to craft the narrative that we want the world to know about us – that we are successful, courageous, determined and bold! At LLA, we have a clear intent of inspiring a new wave of Nigerian female change makers, leaders and entrepreneurs, and recognizing these 100 Women is an important way to achieve that objective” she emphasized.
Speaking at the event, Omotola Oyebanjo, Head Strategic Communications and Media, Union Bank said: “This year, Union Bank celebrates its 100th anniversary and for those 100 years, we have supported and empowered women to achieve their dreams,both within the bank and externally. It is therefore a pleasure to support this amazing list of 100 impressive ladies making an impact in Nigeria. As their bankingpartner of choice, we look forward to supporting them and other such industrious women as they move on to the next phase of their incredible journeys.”
“Boldness and courage are synonymous with leadership” said keynote speaker, WISCAR Founder, Amina Oyagbola, who spoke on ‘Leading with Boldness and Courage in times of Change.’ “As leading ladies, we must banish all negative conditioning from our lives. We must fight for the change that we seek in our nation and in our world.Now more than ever, the proper response to the challenges we face lies in principled, resolute, imaginative, courageous, and focused leadership by each and every one of us.”
Harping on the need for women to collaborate with and support each other, Ndidi Nwuneli, Founder, Leap Africa, and Co-Founder, AACE Foods, said: “The concept of “small is beautiful,” is overplayed, and we women need to learn to be authentic, to be vulnerable to ask for help. On leading and creating a succession plan, she said: “A great mistake any leader can make is to take the thought of succession for granted. As a leader, you must think beyond now. A woman must have a succession plan regardless of how young her business is.”
In addition to the 100 honourees, the Leading Ladies Africa Gala was also attended by Power Women in the Corporate and Business sector, including: Adesuwa Oyenokwe, Publisher TW Magazine, Aishah Ahmad, Chair Person, WimBiz, Chizor Malize, CEO Brandzone Consulting, Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Head Marketing Communications, Stanbic IBTC, Osayi Alile, CEO, ACT Foundation, Ini Abimbola, CEO, Thistle Praxis, Tampiri Akemu, MD, Sesema PR, Okaima Ohizua, Executive Director Transcorp Nigeria, Owen Omogiafo, Chief Operating Officer, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Esther Ijewere, Founder Women of Rubies, Sasha Alabi, Glory Edozien, Founder Inspired By Glory, Ewemade Emokpae, CEO Shakara Couture, and others.
The Leading Ladies Africa Gala was made possible by the support of Union Bank Nigeria, Avon HMO, Aramex Nigeria, Fidelity Bank, Gazmadu Photography Studios, Sesema Public Relations and Zerophur Concepts.
See more photos from the event;
Hello WORriors! Our Woman Crush for this week’s edition of #WomanCrushWednesday is Funke Akindele Bello.
Funke Akindele, popularly known as ‘Jenifa’, is an actress, writer, producer, and director. She was born on August 24, 1976 in Ikorodu, Lagos State. She has an Ordinary National Diploma in Mass Communication from Moshhod Abiola Polytechnic and a Law Degree from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.
She started her acting career in 1998 when she featured in the then popular United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sponsored sitcom; I Need To Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002. She played Bisi, a curious but highly intelligent secondary school student. Her major big break in Nollywood came in 2009 from the movie titled ‘Jenifa’, which she wrote and produced by herself. She has over a 100 movies to her credit as actress, writer and producer.
She runs a non-governmental organisation known as THE JENIFA FOUNDATION, whose aims and objectives involves nurturing talents and acquiring vocational skills.
She has been nominated and won lots of awards. Some of her awards includes, AMAA (2009) -Best Actress Leading Role, NEA Awards (2009) -Best Actress, 2012 NEA Awards -Best Actress, 2014 AMVCA Awards -Best Actress (Comedy), ELOY Awards -Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2016 Naija Fm Awards -Best Actress In Comedy, 2017 AMVCA Awards -Best Actress In A Comedy Series, Best Comedy Series (Jenifa’s Diary), among others.
Funke Akindele has a lot of endorsement deals to her name, the most recently is her being signed as Ambassador to Iroko TV. She is married to Nigerian Rapper Abdulrasheed ‘JJCSkillz’ Bello.
Women Of Rubies celebrates you, Funke Akindele Bello!
Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) a non-profit high level and structured mentoring programme for entry/mid-career professional women, held its fundraising cocktail at the Ruff n Tumble premises in Ikeja GRA last Sunday.
The event was also a testimony time as mentees, who have been mentored by other women in the organization, revealed how their mentorship have helped them in their various careers.
Here are the faces at the relaxing evening on Mother’s Day.
Source: Guardian.ng
American reality star Mama June Shannon has revealed her incredible weight loss transformation after months of keeping it a secret.
With a gorgeous first photo released exclusively in People Magazine, the reality star shows that she has gone from a Size 18 to a size 4 following months of intense workout as well as surgeries to get rid of the loose skin on her arms, neck and body.
She will also be documenting her journey on a new show called “Mama June: From Not to Hot”
Omoyemi Akerele is a Nigerian fashion designer, founder and artistic director of Style House Files. She is the founder and creative director of Lagos Fashion and Design Week. Her creative development agency gives African brand the opportunity of showcasing on Pitti Immagine in Italy and the Lagos Fashion and Design Week. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Lagos. She also has a Master’s degree in International Economic Law from the University of Warwick. She worked at Olaniwun Ajayi a Nigerian law firm & Co from 2000 to 2003 prior to becoming a fashion designer. She was the fashion editor for a Lifestyle magazine called True Love.
Style House Files is a creative development agency for Nigerian and African designers. The agency is a pioneering agency in image consultancy and creative direction within the West African country, Style House Files works with Nigerian brands on brand positioning and retail strategies.
Founded by Akerele in June 2011, Lagos Fashion Design Week (LFDW) runs a four day schedule featuring a select list of talented up and coming designers and fashion entrepreneurs. Partnered with the British Fashion Council, the show has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Nigerian fashion industry, and has drawn international attention and acclaim from journalists such as Suzy Menkes and Cristina Manfredi, as well as attracting a host of international buyers.
Omoyemi Akerele is widely regarded as a driving force behind the burgeoning Nigerian fashion industry. She has successfully positioned Nigerian fashion industry right in the center of the global spotlight which she continues to do annually. Her initiatives have created platforms to celebrate and showcase Nigerian fashion while setting the pace for others to emulate.
Juliana Olayode aka “Toyo Baby” speaks on her career, her role in popular TV series Jenifa’s Diary, her religious beliefs and abstinence in an interview with Punch.
Read excerpts below:
On being a part of Jenifa’s Diary: I was on my way to church when a friend invited me for an audition. The first time I auditioned, I didn’t do it well but the judges gave me another chance. I wasn’t expecting them to get back to me but they informed me some months later that I had gotten the role. That was my first time on set and I had a lovely time acting alongside experienced thespians like Yemi Solade and Tina Mba.
Working with Funke Akindele-Bello and playing Toyosi in Jenifa’s Diary has been a beautiful experience. Funke is very versatile, hard-working and a disciplinarian. She always takes her time in anything she does because she always wants to come out with the best.
On the Challenges that comes with being an actor: The challenges I have had so far have to do with working with people who don’t share my values. Most times, I reject scripts because I cannot play some roles because of my beliefs. Already, I have acted in movies like Couple of Days, Where Does Beauty Go?, Rivers Within, Click Now, and some others.
On her Sexual purity journey: I am a strong advocate for sexual purity and it goes beyond the screen for me. That is who I am and I’m not doing it for any other reason than that. Years before I began acting, God told me that He would open doors for me and that wherever I go, I should always talk about Him and sexual purity. I belong to Mine Ministry which advocates sexual purity and we have our World Virginity Day on the second Saturday in June every year.
Virginity Day isn’t only for virgins but for all who stand for sexual purity and know that virginity isn’t a thing of the past. There are lots of immoral things on social media which attract a lot of traffic but it’s sad that when you talk about something like sexual purity, people look at you like you’re doing something weird. I must confess that it has not been easy for me. But irrespective of what goes on around me and in the movie industry, I have resolved to stand tall and stay true to my values.
On being in a Relationship while advocating for purity: I am in a relationship now but I wasn’t in one when I started advocating purity. Sexual purity isn’t all about being in a relationship or not. A lot of people might think that I’m saying I’m sexually pure because I wasn’t in a relationship but there are some people that could come up to you and say they don’t want to have a relationship with you, that all they want is sex. There will always be pressure and it’s not an easy process but it’s good to stick to one’s values.
Sometimes, one may even be tempted to give it all up but I believe that people shouldn’t have sex until they’re married. I don’t need to talk about the kind of man I like because I already have a man I love.
Read the rest of the interview HERE.
Yes, I am dedicating this post to the most epic TwitterNG Clap back which has been trending.
The tweets which deserve to be engraved in gold and put up in the museum of Women Empowerment (If there is any) ensued between a cheesy young man who took to Twitter to rant about being refused a chance at having a relationship with a young lady (with a self-esteem on fleek) whom he had taken out on a date. He referred to her as a ‘broke ass hungry b*tch’. The lady who identified herself as the object of contention, simply replied his tweet with a break-down of the expenses incurred on the date and a screenshot of a money transfer to the said guy as a refund + tip.
Can we all have a moment of silence in honour of this ‘Miss Independent’ move.
You see, the young lady in question might not have a well-paid job or 30 billion for the account o *in Davido’s voice*; she didn’t even have to pay him back generously as she did, but I love that she didn’t feel helpless or without a choice.
This brought to mind something that happened to one of my mother’s friends some years ago. (I’m sharing her experience with her permission of course.) She had been in a horribly abusive marriage for years. Her husband even had a long cane hidden behind the door in their room for when she ‘misbehaved’ and wasted no time flogging her silly in front of their children. When the cane was not sufficient, he resorted to using his teeth. On one of such occasions, he bit one of her breasts and a chunk of her flesh was actually hanging on her chest.
My mother is a lawyer, but of what use was that, when her friend never wanted any help in that regard? ‘Where will I go?’ she would often ask my mother. My mother spoke to her husband on multiple occasions, but his woman was quick to cover him up.
Back to the vampire incident where the breast had been bitten; upon arrival at the hospital (you should know that this man never paid any of the bills arising from his violent outbursts) the doctor asked what could have caused such a fracas and my mother’s friend said that she had slipped and fallen badly off the stairs. Of course, the doctors didn’t believe her (Not with his teeth imprinted in her flesh), but counselled her nonetheless.
A few years ago, this man gave his wife a date – not when he would send her out of his home, but when he would actually kill her. She ran to my mother who advised her to get a job and earn some money no matter how meagre.
She did just that (against the wishes of her husband, who believed women should be full-time housewives) and that was the beginning of her freedom. Since the man always got angry when it was time to pay the bills, she started handling the bills. Unsurprisingly, he began to complain about how she didn’t care about him or treat him like a man. He complained, but never lifted a finger to hit her again. Why? She now had her own money and could afford to leave him, if he abused her again. Soon enough, he was transferred by his company to work in a state that was 12 hours away from home. He hasn’t come home visiting till this day.
And, you’re taking things too far with this issue, you may say – but I think not. We can’t overemphasise the need for women to be financially independent. In fact, most of the problems we have in the world today stem from the poverty many women face because they can’t or are not allowed or given opportunities to be financially independent. In many countries, including Nigeria, some cultures forbid women from owning or administering properties (this is one of the reasons why our gender equality bill must make a come-back in the Senate), denied employment because they will get pregnant and have babies and no one wants to pay for a breastfeeding or nappy changing vacation and yada yada.
Here’s my take on the Twitter incident: taking a lady out on a date, buying her expensive gifts, or treating her to some privileges doesn’t mean she must meet your expectations in return, or even pay you back in cash or kind. This is the grounds some men have ignorantly used to justify rape and forms of sexual violence. It is beyond sad. What if she was controlling you at the ATM or she bought the whole of Dubai mall using your credit card? Uncle, it still doesn’t mean she must have a relationship or have sex with you. Recieve sense!
Love can’t be forced, and relationships are not legal tenders for dates. If either of the parties on a date is not ‘feeling’ any chemistry or seeing any possibilities, they have a right to step back. After all, many of us have been on dates with people who have treated us very nicely, but with whom we had no relationships – we had the right to, for whatsoever reason.
More than anything, this particular twitter thread should be empowering to ladies. Don’t be intimidated. What if he takes you out and spends more than you can afford and behaves this same way, don’t feel like you have to pay anyone back for a date they invited you to. There’s a price to be paid for everything in this life including time spent with other people on dates. Hold your head up high; let your No be your No and your Yes be your Yes.
This is not a call to war, I simply mean that you have a choice!
Nollywood star actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie attended the 2017 edition of the annual City People Awards which held yesterday in Lagos and she looked gorgeous.
The mum of three accentuated her curves with a black floor length dress that we can’t get enough of.
Being busy means doing stuff, being productive means getting stuff done. However, it seems we live in a world that rewards being busy and at times where being is praised and almost rewarded. Many of us are preoccupied with the notion that busy automatically translate into being productive. You are likely to run the risk of just feeling busy but without actually accomplishing much.
I used to be mentally and physically exhausted and felt like I never stopped
My days were ever rushed
I always felt overwhelmed and at times inundated with work
No matter how early, or how quick I tried to work, I never seemed to get anything accomplished
I used to get frustrated at the end of the day having spending my energy and achieved a few things.
Despite my input, I never achieved much and I despised this. After going through this quote, I figured what I was doing. I was being everywhere, had no focus, a million priorities but was just busy, busy being unproductive.
Ask yourself, which is better making the most out of a few hours and getting things done or taking all day’s hours and getting less accomplished. If you struggle with the answer, you are probably caught up like I was in the ‘busy’ mode, but for some of us the answer is now easy.
By being busy you are demonstrating a disturbing form of lazy thinking and thoughtless. You find yourself celebrating your mediocre performance as you can only do a lot of small things. What happens to the bigger few things where it matters most? You are a busy person if you answer the question by asking, but how could I have achieved them, my plate is always full, cant people realise how much work I have to do? The moment you find yourself in a ‘busy’ comfort zone means you are hardly productive.
It is true that as people we are limited to what we can achieve within the limits of time. With that in mind, it is paramount to effectively prioritise and set realistically achievable targets. They say if you have 3 priorities, you have priorities. However, when those priorities shoot off to 25, then you have a mess.
When you start a day with goals and objectives, you know you have been productive after getting quality work done and get closer to reaching all your goals. On the contrary, you can use up all the time looking busy but getting constantly distracted even by work that never allow you to achieve your set goals and targets.
How do I free up my time at work, business or even at home and enhance my productivity?
You should appreciate that you don’t get desired results by involving yourself even when you can automate some of the things. Some of the work can be done much easily by using software, engaging virtual assistants,
Be in love with planning, try and get demanding work by 11am and maximise on your multi-tasking abilities. Identify activities that can be simultaneously accomplished, whether they are inclusive or exclusive. It helps to free up time.
Prioritise at least 3-5 things you really need to get done. Even a machine, also gets worn out, don’t try to be a superman. There are always unforeseen circumstances that are bound to creep in, wearing you out and making it difficult to accomplish things.
You can do well managing your own clutter, but opening doors and letting in a barrage of request might just be the worst thing. At times you need to eliminate possible sources of distraction at point go. Keep away from people who burden your day with never ending request but instead zero in on your goals. Often you can easily get distracted by colleagues, friends or family who dumps time consuming request on you. As a busy person you never take a glance but are quick to say yes to all request whist a productive person takes a cautious and measure approach.
It is a certainly a must to have knowledge of what disturbs you as a step in getting productive. Ever notice how curious and anxious you can be when you notice a new facebook notification, an Instagram message, a watsapp message or even an email. You are quick to drop everything and focus on that and quickly reply. Chances are, once you start dealing with your social media or emails, you end up spending longer than even planned leaving you less focused on important tasks.
Such daily distractions whilst they keep you busy can easily fool yourself to think that you are being productive. You can hardly focus on what really makes a difference but fill your time with things add little or no value. Such distractions can easily push you off your path.
Being busy can be overwhelming but unfortunately there is nothing to show for it. Stop getting busy and start getting productive, focused on what you should be doing, prioritise and learn to say no to avoid any distractions.
Source: Sheconquers