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GreenHouse Capital opens application for female tech programme

The Venture Garden Group, GreenHouse Capital, has opened 2018 application for the first-female-focused tech accelerator program in Nigeria. The three-month accelerator programme begins mid-August and will run through mid-November.
According to the Director of GreenHouse Lab, Tosin Durotoye: “To tap into the vast brainpower and opportunity for innovation necessary to propel Nigeria and Africa as a whole forward, our mission at GreenHouse Lab is to level the playing field by providing early‑stage, women-led, high‑ growth technology start‑ups with investments and support infrastructure within the range of 250, 000 USD.
“We also provide exceptional teams with the resources and mentorship network they need to drive growth and scale their companies both in emerging and international markets.”
Durotoye noted that the program is residential and will be hosted at Vibranium Valley tech campus in Lagos. The accelerator ends with a demo day where companies get to pitch their businesses to a wider network of local and international investors.
In a research conducted by Disrupt Africa, $195.1 million in venture capital funding was invested in African start‑ups compared to $129.1million in 2016, an increase of 51 per cent. With $63.3 million in startup investments in 2017, Nigeria was the top investment destination in Africa followed by South Africa and Kenya. As Nigeria continues to emerge as a technology hub, one thing is clear, women are missing on the playing field.
The research further revealed that of the 25 per cent of women in tech, only 21 per cent are tech executives and of these, only 11 per cent are African technology officers. Currently, more than half of global executives report a shortfall of tech workers, which slows or prevents businesses from growing.
“In addition to being under-represented in the tech space, women are also severely under-funded. In 2017, women-led start-ups received just 2.2 per cent of all available venture capital dollars although women-led startups have been found to produce over 30 per cent higher return on equity.”
The first-of-its-kind in Nigeria, GreenHouse Lab is a three-month accelerator focused solely on early stage, women-led technology start-ups in sub‑Saharan Africa, as well as African-run startups domiciled in the US or UK with products that are scalable in African markets. GreenHouse Capital will also invest a minimum of 100, 000 USD in companies that qualify and reach specific milestones at the end of the program. For additional information, contact GreenHouse Lab at lab@greenhouse.capital or visit www.greenhouse.capital/greenhouselab.

Dear Hilary Clinton,
You are a woman who has inspired so many women all over the world. You ran for the highest office in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. My generation would say you are goals on every level. For me, there was something you did that blew my mind which is the focus of my letter, but I will speak about it later. I must say that one of the things I respect about you is the fact that you stood by your husband during what must have been the toughest time for the two of you. I can’t even imagine the pressure and public scrutiny that you would have endured. Why this is profound for me is that my one of a kind husband too stood by me during one of the most difficult times of our life. I faced temptation for three years and fell and we dealt with it privately, but when we published our book, The Richer Woman, we had to face public scrutiny. Thank you for standing by Him. Many women may have shamed you for standing by him but I’ve come to realize since I launched my book that it’s not just men who cheat or go through temptation; many women face temptations and cheat but the thing is we don’t talk about it.

The reason I write this letter is this: the other day, I saw a screen shot of your Twitter profile on Instagram and I was blown away. I was so impressed that your profile started with WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER before your other accomplishments. I was so happy when I saw this and planned to talk about how amazing it was on social media. You can imagine my shock when I heard and saw that you had changed it and upon further investigation, I read that you changed it because of an opinion of an activist writer… This may or may not be the case but the point is that you changed it. This time, you listed your career achievements before Wife, mother and grandmother.
Why is this personal to me? Well let me share a part of my story. Due to challenges I faced growing up, I came from a very wealthy home but we went through financial challenges. I decided that I was going to be very wealthy. I did this out of fear. Due to my fear I put my career before my family. My career almost cost me my marriage, family, health etc. But God changed my priorities.

Today, I am still very driven but I am no longer driven by fear but by purpose. I am successful but there is a major mindset shift.
For me, I understand my role in my husband’s life. I’m Christian and my Bible says the reason Woman was created was to be The Man’s helper, so I am aware that the role I play in my husband’s life is pivotal. Bill Clinton would not be who he is today without your support and help. I also realise that the role I play in my kids’ life as their mother is one of the most important roles in my life. I cannot be truly successful if my kids do not reach their potential – and my husband, too.

See, God speaks to me through analogies and when I was writing my book I asked Him what the analogy for a wife is and He said, “Soil”. A seed has so much potential however, no matter how much potential a seed has, it cannot grow to become the plant or tree it was created to be if it doesn’t go into the right soil. The soil provides nutrients and water for the seed. It nurtures it and holds its roots down so it’s able to withstand storms, etc. The man is a seed in this analogy and no matter how much vision or potential he has, he cannot achieve it without the right soil – i.e. his wife. You were clearly good soil to your husband and even when he made a mistake you provided the support he needed. So whether or not he included “husband” on his Twitter profile, He couldn’t have been President without you. Being his wife is a great achievement. If women know how powerful we are we wouldn’t compete with men.
Your daughter Chelsea is doing well and may even become the first female President of America. Without you nurturing her she wouldn’t be the woman she is today. So you see your greatest accomplishments are being a wife to your husband and a mother to your children.
No matter how many awards I win or ceilings I shatter (trust me I’ve won some and will win even more), I cannot be said to be truly successful if I don’t fulfill my role as my husband’s helper by helping him achieve his vision and if my children are not successful.

Some people may say but is this an excuse for men who are lazy or don’t have vision, so let us go back to the analogy of the seed and soil:
A seed is made up of three parts and the biggest part is the endosperm. This is its own internal food storage. The seed feeds on its own internal food storage before it receives nutrients from the soil. So a man must have vision and must also have a plan for achieving his vision. However, he can’t do so without the right soil, i.e., his wife.

Let’s talk about feminism.
Feminism, according to the dictionary, is defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.”
I agree with this definition. Contrary to what a lot of people think, feminism was actually God’s idea. However, where the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. The whole point of feminism was for women to understand that they are equal to men. Yes, we are equal in God’s eyes. Women should not be oppressed or taken advantage of. Women should not be paid less because of their sex. Women should not be perceived to be the weaker sex because though we may be perceived to be weaker in physical strength, we are stronger in emotional strength. I dare say that no man can bear the pains of child birth.
In my time in investment banking, I was treated equally as my male colleagues. My value was determined by the value I brought to the table and not my sex.

I believe God is an advocate of the true meaning of feminism because He wants His daughters to know how He sees them. He is not happy that His daughters have been oppressed over the years by tradition and culture. God has a special place for women. Even when you look at the Bible you see strong women like Deborah who was a judge and a prophet, you see Queen Esther. Even in the New Testament, women funded Jesus’ ministry; He was surrounded by successful women.
Now when it comes to the marriage union, we are equal in God’s eyes however, in terms of responsibilities, my Bible says my husband is the head. This is perfectly fine with me. It’s like in a company: employees have different responsibilities. There is a CEO, COO, CFO, etc.
My husband and I were talking the other day and He raised a valid point, He said the Bible doesn’t say women should submit to men, it only says women should submit to their husbands while the husbands are to submit to Christ. I love it. This is where the world has twisted things. Women should not submit to men, they are only required to submit to their husbands according to the Bible.

See, the true meaning of feminism has been perverted. It is not about putting men down or saying we are better than them. That’s not the purpose of feminism. Unfortunately, many feminists today put men down and this is not good. Women are becoming like the men that they once complained of.

I was on the plane to Paris for my book tour when I started writing this and I’m on my way back as I complete this letter. My husband is a successful aviation lawyer and he is helping me take care of the home front while I’m away. When I get back I’ll resume my responsibilities. Last year, I travelled to so many countries and he stood in for me. We are a team. We are on the same team. We have our different responsibilities and we help each other and step in for each other.
Feminism is ALSO NOT about looking down, criticising or verbally abusing other women who choose to put their families first. It is about ensuring we are equal and access equal rights.

See, God has a unique purpose for every woman. Some are meant to be Presidents, some chief executives, some professionals, some stay-home wives, some full-time mothers. A woman should have the right to choose what she wants or who she wants to be and not be forced to be someone-else. That’s what true feminism is about. Feminism has been perverted and it is now at another extreme where the women who choose a certain path for their lives are shamed and abused by other women. Every woman – regardless of what she wants to be or chooses to be (the key word is choose not forced) – is valued and valuable to society.
As I conclude this letter I would like to let you know that your initial Twitter profile spoke to and for millions of women who society and, in fact, other women, have condemned for being true to who they choose to be. I’m not talking about women who are forced to stay at home or not allowed to work, but to women who choose to put their family first – regardless of whether they are top corporate- or business executives or a stay-home mothers or wives.

Feminism is about ensuring that women have equal rights and this covers all women – even stay home mums.

Whilst I wish this letter will make you change your twitter profile again, even if it doesn’t, what I hope this letter does is to encourage women all over the world to be true to who God has called them to be. We are powerful and we must not abuse our power but use it for what it was given to us for.

Thank you, Hilary Clinton, for being a source of inspiration to so many women and girls around the world and giving us hope that our dreams are valid – whether it is to be a wife, mother or president of a country. You have inspired this young woman from Lagos, Nigeria.

About Omilola Oshikoya
Mrs. Omilola Oshikoya is a UK certified life coach, personal finance/business coach, talk show host, author, public speaker, columnist, blogger, entrepreneur and media & publications specialist. After over 11 years in finance/investment banking, Omilola left a very successful career in pursuit of fulfillment.
Twitter @omilola & @pocketfinance
Instagram @omiosh20
Facebook www.facebook.com/omilola.oshikoya
Youtube www.youtube.com/omilolaoshikoya.
www.omilola.com
www.pocketfinance101@blogspot.com
www.omioshikoya.blog

 

British Ghanaian Media personality, Peace Hyde over the weekend inspired a room of young female entrepreneurs at the annual Essence Festival held in New Orleans Louisiana.

The inspirational founder of education non-profit Aim Higher Africa joined the group of millennial businesswomen including entrepreneur and TV personality Vanessa Simmons, entrepreneur and author Karen Civil, founder and CEO of curlBOX, Myleik Teele and artist, author and entrepreneur MC Lyte.

To announce the star-studded lineup as well as other details about the upcoming Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 event, a press conference was held today at Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The press conference was attended by Tiwa Savage, Naomi Campbell, Sho Madjozi, Precious Moloi Motsepe, Kweku Mandela as well as Minister of Energy for South Africa Jeff Radebe, CEO and Co-Founder of Global Citizen Hugh Evans and more.

See photos from the press conference below.

 

 

Source: Bellanaija

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in an interview with VULTURE in New York, gave a detailed perspective into a lot of issues going on in today’s world. The author opened up on rape, raising children, Melania Trump, empathy and a lot of other topics.

Read excerpts below.

On wanting to tell the truth: I want to tell the truth. That’s where my storytelling comes from. My feminism comes from somewhere else: acute dissatisfaction. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to tell stories. Sadly, I also don’t remember a time when I wasn’t telling people what I think about the world.

On thoughts about raising a boy: If I had a boy, one of the things I would do is not just say it’s okay to be vulnerable, but also to expect him to respect vulnerability. Actually, shaming him into vulnerability is a good idea, because there’s so much about the way that masculinity is constructed that’s about shame. What if we switch that shame around? Instead of shaming boys for being vulnerable, why don’t we shame them for not being vulnerable? I kind of feel — I was going to say I feel sorry for men, but I don’t want to say that.

On #MeToo changing gender and power dynamics in meaningful ways: I hope it does, but it hasn’t. What I like about #MeToo is the idea that now women’s stories have the possibility of being believed, which is almost revolutionary. Now a woman can tell her story and she might still get castigated, but there’s the possibility that she gets public support and that there are consequences for whoever harassed or assaulted her. That’s not happened before. But the shape of the narratives around #MeToo can still be troubling. It’s the idea that a woman doesn’t deserve sympathy unless she’s “good.” I’m sorry to get into race, but it’s similar to what happens with black men, where in this country it seems that they are not deserving of sympathy unless they are pure. If a young boy is murdered because he was going off to buy Skittles but we learn that he smoked marijuana, then that somehow makes him not deserving of sympathy. He shouldn’t have to be perfect to deserve sympathy and that applies to women as well. And, also, the way women are cast as innocent or blameless or helpless undercuts the idea of female agency. Often we’ll say things like, “She was coerced into going to the guy’s apartment.”

On raising her daughter: I wrote that [Dear Ijeawele] when I wasn’t a mother and it’s easier to write about a hypothetical child than to write about a real one. The child that book was addressed to is sort of an idea of a child. But having my own — you don’t realize how difficult it is day-to-day to combat negative ideas. Sometimes when you’re raising a child it’s like the universe is in a conspiracy against you. You go to the toy store looking for something not necessarily “girly” and you’re overwhelmed by the pink and the dolls. Even the prayers my daughter got from family members: They’re like, “We hope she finds a good husband.” I’m optimistic that those kinds of things will change but I think about how women are socialized — even the most resistant women still get things under our skin.

On male and female literary differences: There are many things that a famous male writer can do without worrying about the risk of not being taken seriously — if you’re interested in fashion, for example. Very often women writers have to tread much more carefully because their grip on being considered as serious — which has nothing to do with how the world is — is more tenuous. When a woman says something controversial, she’s much more likely to be criticized about her personality and even about how she looks. Not that men don’t get that, but women get it more quickly and more often. And to be specific to writing, a man can write about a subject like marriage and immediately it can be seen as an insightful take on society. But a woman writes about marriage and it’s seen as this smaller, more intimate thing. We’ve gone past the point where women are directly criticized for their subject matter, but the language used about their writing hasn’t really changed. When men and women write about similar things, what the women write is often cast in less lofty terms.

On her short story about Melania Trump: There’s a sense in which her characterization in the story still holds true for me. There’s something I feel about her and it lives in the same emotional space as compassion and pity — and that feeling has increased. Actually, when I wrote that story I thought it was about Trump’s daughter [Ivanka]. I saw the story as making a case for how he [President Trump] is unstable but is surrounded by people who are stable and reasonable, such as his daughter and his wife. There was also a very feminist take to the story’s premise, which was that the women around him know what they’re dealing with. There’s a kind of knowingness in dealing with somebody they care about but understand is crazy. I’ve since changed my mind about his daughter.
On Melania Trump: I look at pictures of her and I see great sadness. I don’t want anyone to be sad, but the idea that she might be sad about her situation is almost comforting because it reminds you that there’s still some sort of humane presence in the private space of the White House.

On being seen as a “feminist icon”: When I started, all I wanted was to write books that somebody would read. I didn’t plan to become this “feminist icon, which is something I feel uncomfortable with. People say, “This is what you’re known for.” But that’s not what I know myself for.

On motherhood and her art: I used to think I wouldn’t be a good mother because I was so dedicated to my art. I said to myself, I have nephews and nieces who I adore, and I helped raise them, so those will be my children. That’s what I thought for a long time, because I felt that I couldn’t be true to both my art and my child. Getting older [changed that]. I like to joke and say that you’re ready [to have a child] when your body isn’t ready, and when your body is ready, you’re not mentally ready. I guess you have the best eggs when you’re, like, 22, but at 22 you don’t even know yourself. Then when you’re 38 and know yourself, your eggs are not the best quality. Anyway, we’ll talk about eggs another time. But my baby happened, and it’s important to talk honestly about this, because having her changed a lot. Having a child gets in the way of writing. It does. You can’t own your time the way you used to. But the other thing that motherhood does — and I kind of feel sorry for men that they can’t have this — is open up a new emotional plane that can feed your art.

Source: http://www.vulture.com/2018/07/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-in-conversation.html

Modupe Ozolua

PrincessS Modupe Ozolua is an American-Nigerian philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Body Enhancement Limited, which pioneered cosmetic surgery in Nigeria in 2001 and aesthetic lasers in 2007. In 2003, she founded the non-profit organisation, Empower 54, which offers humanitarian programmes to underprivileged women and refugees. Princess Ozolua is active in rehabilitating women and children survivors of Boko Haram insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria, through self-employment and education for the children at the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.In recognition of her philanthropy, Princess Modupe Ozolua has received many international awards and recognitions, including an award from the internationally-acclaimed magazine, Elle. Elle Magazine, South Africa, has also featured her twice for her entrepreneurial achievement as a leading “African Female Boss” and also as one of the “50 Women Changing Africa”. She shares her story with Esther Ijewere

Childhood Influence
My natural inclination towards business originated from my late mother, who was an entrepreneur to the core and owned many successful businesses during her lifetime. As a philanthropist, I come from a famous family known to be very generous to those in need. That’s how we all are. So, my passion for helping the underprivileged is no surprise to my family and friends.

Pioneering Cosmetic Surgery in Nigeria
When I started Body Enhancement in 2001, the reception was absolutely wonderful because everyone, both men and women, were thrilled to know they could improve areas of their bodies they felt uncomfortable with. Of course, some people misunderstood what cosmetic surgery was and felt it was a conflict with our valuable African culture and religious beliefs. They didn’t understand.

I did not preach against our culture or religion. Neither did my business. I am from a very traditional and religious family. My parents hailed from two Edo royal families. How could I ever encourage anyone to turn against what makes us a people? My parents and family members would have lynched me! Despite the few misconceptions some people had, the overall response was wonderful and till date, people contact my office for services. I closed Body Enhancement Limited in 2014 to focus more on my philanthropy through Empower 54.

Inspiration behind your initiative, Empower 54
When I created Body Enhancement Limited in 2001, it opened my doors to people that needed both cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. It also made me globally known as the contact point in Nigeria for plastic surgery. In 2003, a couple came to my office seeking reconstructive surgery for the wife who had severe burns and lacerations from a fire accident. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to pay for it and narrated how they had made numerous appeals to wealthy individuals for financial assistance but to no avail.I found it very disturbing that no one agreed to help the woman. Then, the husband suddenly, said: “Madam, why don’t you help people like us? When you speak, people will listen.”It’s My Destiny To Help The Vulnerable And Underprivileged
Immediately they left my office, I called the Head, Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills and told him I was starting a non-profit project to help underprivileged people and I wanted him to put together a team of surgeons to come and help people for free in Nigeria.

Rehabilitating women and children survivors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram
In 2014, a friend from Adamawa State pleaded with me to look into the IDP crisis in the state. We went to visit North East states to see first-hand what was going on. To get a proper brief on what was going on, we didn’t only visit the IDP camps, we also took the risk of going into rural communities that were destroyed by Boko Haram. Back then, only some villagers and military personnel visited those areas. Humanitarian organisations were too scared to go there because those areas were still under the attack of Boko Haram insurgents.
Our tours enabled us to truly understand the extent of damage done by Boko Haram, and we then decided to focus on two things: Getting the children engaged through education, both in the camps and rebuilding some schools destroyed in rural communities as there were still children living in those places; and empowering the women to start small-scale businesses because we saw many young women, some 30-year-olds, with 12 children!


Testimonials
Majority of IDP camps have schools established for the children. Testimonies? There are too many but I always fondly remember a little girl, who was born with a cleft palate and was one of our beneficiaries during our first humanitarian programme in 2003.Prior to her coming to us, her palate had been operated on twice by other doctors, but it always relapsed. After we performed her corrective surgery free. It did not relapse and she began speech therapy.
Years later, her parents surprised me by bringing her to my office to say, hello! She had grown and looked so beautiful in her native attire. When she saw me, she ran and hugged me. I was shocked! I asked her if she remembered me, and she said: “Yes, I remember you! It was you that saved my life!” I immediately started crying, held her close and I thanked God for using me as an instrument to help that young lady lead a normal life like everyone else.


The narrative of the helpless people at the IDP camp
When people hear the acronym IDP, they assume they are all illiterates and poor people that lived in rural villages. Unfortunately, that’s not so! Some of these IDPs are doctors, teachers among others They were successful businessmen and women that owned large farms, houses and companies. Some of those children are extremely intelligent and had excellent grades in school before they were all displaced by Boko Haram.
If Boko Haram attacks Abuja today and we all flee to Lagos or neighboring states, leaving our homes, cars, clothes, businesses, among others, what does that make us? It also makes us IDPs because we would be internally- displaced. If we flee to Cameroun or Chad, we automatically become refugees.

Governments doing their best
Having to tackle insurgency and manage IDP camps is not something the Federal Republic of Nigeria ever thought it would experience. It’s not easy for any country to maintain IDP or refugee camps because of the many challenges involved, especially financial implications. Considering this is the first time we are facing such a huge security and socio-economic disaster, we are learning as we go. I think the Federal Government, NGOs and state governments are doing the best they can.

Challenges
Our biggest challenge is finance. Empower 54 isn’t a personal foundation such as the Bill Gates and others that are largely funded by the billionaire founders. Even the Bill Gates Foundation receives millions of dollars in donation! So, people should please be more compassionate and respectful because it could be any of us in those camps.

Your other projects?
We have some wonderful ongoing projects that we haven’t gone public with. So, I cannot share them with you just yet. However, since I personally led the joint evacuation of the malnourished children from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment, the Federal Government has declared malnutrition a national epidemic with one in every three children suffering from malnutrition. We had to tackle the issue of malnutrition beyond risking our lives to evacuate children from high-risk zones for treatment.Although very expensive, Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic-Foods (RUTF) has been medically proven to save lives of malnourished children and with extremely limited funds, we came up with a solution.This prompted the creation of an Empower 54 campaign to eradicate malnutrition in Africa with our goodwill ambassador being His Imperial Majesty, Oonirisa Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife.
We have now successfully established a small-scale RUTF production facility in Nigeria to produce free RUTF for malnourished children. It is sponsored by the Australian government and International Monetary Fund (IMF). With donations received, we will produce and distribute to malnourished children all over the country for free. That is why we need donations. How can we save lives without money to execute these projects? Please, donate to Empower 54. We are doing great projects with every penny we receive and we can do so much more with your support.

Reward
The greatest rewards I have received for being a philanthropist are: “God bless you. Thank you!” When people tell me they had no hope before I came to help them, that God sent me to restore their faith in humanity and they voluntarily pray for me and say “thank you”. What greater reward do I want? I’m sorry, but I don’t know any greater reward than that.

Never giving up
No and yes. No, in the sense that being a philanthropist is my calling. It’s my destiny to dedicate my life to helping the vulnerable and underprivileged. So, I can’t run away from that. Yes, in the sense that there was a project that verbal attacks we received made me to almost shut down all our humanitarian activities in Nigeria. But when I looked at the pictures of the beneficiaries, I knew I couldn’t do that because our obligation was to help them, not the people trying to create negative distractions.

Those who inspire me to be better
My family is my greatest inspiration, especially my late father and my son. I was a daddy’s girl. My father’s approval and love meant the world to me, and till date. Wanting his approval still puts me in check. When I think of what my 22-year-old son would say about anything I do, I quickly check myself, because I want him to be proud of me always.

The fact is everything I do affects a lot of people. I might not have really realised that when I was much younger, but I sure do know that now. I am a very family dedicated person and very close to many members of my extremely extended family.

Being a Woman of Rubies
Hmmmmmmmmm….Why don’t you tell me? (laughs). But what I do know is what makes me a woman that has gone through various stages of life and is getting better by the day. I was married at 21. I was a dutiful wife, pregnant with my son, running a home, taking care of a husband and running my first business in America. I had my son at 22, divorced at 23 and I have raised my son singlehandedly since. At 27, I returned home to Nigeria and pioneered cosmetic surgery, which put Nigeria on the global map as a destination for plastic surgery in Africa. At 30, I started an NGO, which was the first to provide free reconstructive surgeries for the underprivileged in Nigeria. Between then and now, I brought the first aesthetic laser machine to Nigeria among other things. I have been appreciated in my birth country, Nigeria, and many other countries in the world, both for my private business and philanthropy.Through it all, I have watched myself evolve over the years into a woman I’m proud of and I know I am getting better daily with the right people guiding and advising me.

Dear Woman,
Hold your head up! There is nothing wrong with working hard for success, but never be desperate for fame. Fame comes with a price and most times, you end up paying with your peace, happiness and pains, when you are slandered and painted as who and what you are not. Today, you are famous and you are celebrated by all, tomorrow, it’s going to be someone else. Don’t allow your self- worth to be based on others’ perception of who you are. Identify those that genuinely love and care about you, hold them close because as you get older, you will discover such good people are rare to find. Know you, be you and do you. Remember that, and you will be okay!

Ngozi Madueke-Dozie is an experienced professional in the Technology, Mobile and Entertainment eco- system. Prior to joining IFLIX as General Manager for West Africa, she served as the Consulting Country Manager and Business Development Director at Viacom, Nigeria. She also served as the Growth and Partnerships Manager for West and Central Africa for Facebook. In addition, Ngozi has worked as the Geo-Marketing Manager at MTN Nigeria and the Chief Partnerships Officer at Iroko TV. Over the years, Ngozi has gained a wealth of experience in International consulting, in-depth knowledge and exposure to the Media, Telecommunications, Technology and Mobile industries across Africa. She holds a BSc in Management Information Systems and Decision Science as well as an MSc in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management. She tells TOBI AWODIPE about age and status discrimination in the country, being the Go, Girl Woman and her struggles in career choices.

You were the Go, Girl! Woman for this month. Tell us what this was about and how it made you feel?
Go, Girl! is a woman empowerment platform that showcases women in different careers and levels and encouraging them to share their stories as well. I am honoured to be the first woman showcased on this platform, as I am always looking forward to hearing other women’s stories never realising that anyone would be particularly interested in hearing mine.

Tell us about your career journey so far?
OK, so I will skip the baby-sitting and telemarketing jobs (although I must say they both built my tolerance and perseverance). However, my first real job was with Sprint as a Network Engineer and then Databasics as a Requirements, Analysis and Design Consultant before I moved back to Nigeria and worked for Interconnect, MTN, Facebook and Viacom before my current job here at Iflix. My roles have spanned the gamut from Organisational Design and Development to Country/General Manager.

You’re in the I.T field, which is male dominated. How do you manage this experience?
To be honest, I find there is more age and status discrimination in Nigeria than gender. I find it interesting the preoccupation with your age rather than your level of expertise. I also find that one’s marital status and perhaps whether or not you have children are also meters used to determine how much respect you are accorded. It’s like there are only two categories for women, ‘small girl’ or ‘big woman’ (according to your marital status and if you have kids or not) and so I created a third for myself; ‘qualified professional,’ and I strive to make sure I live up to that in every interaction.
How are/would you encourage younger women and girls to venture into this field?
I am a mother of girls and I am raising them to pursue whatever passions they desire and not let their gender determine their careers or interest. I was raised this way, my older sister and I studied technology and engineering and my younger sister is a medical doctor. I do not adjust for gender when it comes to the capacity and capability of ones’ brain and passion and so I would say to young women to not let the world or society limit your ambition or worse, pigeonhole you to a particular career path simply because you are female.

Tell us how you cope with challenges and the burden of expectation?
One of my favourite sayings is, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” It is a blessing and responsibility to pay it forward and so I do not consider it a burden. As for expectations being a challenge, what is life without challenges? It gives one something to strive for and a sense of accomplishment when achieved.

Apart from sharing each other’s stories, what affirmative action or impacts is this having on women?
I think sharing each other’s stories is actually impactful in and of itself. It reminds you that nobody has all the answers; it frees you to accept your imperfect self and reorients one’s perspective to always approach each situation as a learning opportunity.

How do you strike the perfect work-life balance?
Ha! Is there such a thing? It is always going to be a struggle, I have come to accept and embrace the fact that I will drop a ball or two every now and again, but my work and my life are both important and so the juggling continues.

Who and what motivates or inspires you to keep going?
That’s easy, my daughters, Chizoma and Kelenna. I am fascinated that with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever, God saw it fit to give me these two human beings to be responsible for emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually. Typically you do not get a job unless you have some kind of experience or qualification and so I find the blessing of being a mother to be such a vote of confidence and this inspires me everyday to be the best version of myself as that is the only way I can fulfill this responsibility successfully.

What would you tell women out there struggling with life and career choices?
To be honest, I struggled as well. I always dreaded the question “what are you passionate about?” I am passionate about running, traveling and going to the beach, but I am still yet to find anyone that will pay me to do any of those things and so perhaps I was being asked the wrong question. Instead I ask myself the following, “What are you good at”? What are your strengths? What makes you stand out? When I started answering those questions, I found it easier to navigate the types of roles and careers I was most suited for and would excel in. Besides, the world is constantly changing; the industry I work in now simply didn’t exist 15 years ago and so re-evaluating your career path every so often is also necessary to remain relevant in our rapidly changing world.

****Interview by Tobi Awodipe for Guardian Woman

Nollywood actress Chika Ike has just unveiled her new book ‘Boss Up!‘ in which she’ll be sharing a Guide to Conquering and Living your Best Life.
According to her, Boss Up! is a 41-chapter book that covers most of the obstacles we all confront – fear, love, money, self-esteem. Some are internal, existing only in our minds, and some are external, found in other people’s attitudes.


The book is a guide on how to overcome such obstacles by some of the lessons and experiences of Chika Ike.

The actress shared the cover of the book on her Instagram page where she wrote:
It took me over seven years of writing to finally publish Boss up! Seven years of documenting my thoughts, emotions, truth and events that taught me some life lessons and brought me to this point . Three years ago before my mum passed , she was also an author and was aware of my unpublished book, she looked at me, held my hands and told me to tell my truth.

I’m a very guarded person, my walls are up because life has thrown me so many curved balls, I brought down all my walls in this book , because the truth is we are on this earth to share and not just to take. I finally bossed up and got my book published.

Boss up is one of my ways of giving back. Telling my truth isn’t so comfortable, it has been a roller coaster ride to get here. I have failed, made mistakes, trusted, had my lows and highs. But today I stand firm, stronger than ever and living my best life.
Boss up is a 41 chapter book, which covers most of the obstacles we encounter in life, fear, convention, betrayal, love, self-esteem and money. Some are internal existing in our minds and some are external found in other people’s attitudes. It will give you a guide to conquering such obstacles and living your best life. You asked and I answered, all my tips and tricks on how I became this successful are in this book.
A girl who had nothing but just her dreams, now a successful Filmmaker, a Harvard trained business woman, philanthropist and passionate about empowering people. I remember the days I struggled to pay rent, now I don’t just live in my dream home but I also develop and rent out properties and my list is endless. So dip in with both feet and enjoy the book.From me to you with love .❤️#bossup#focus #living #conquer #book@bossupbook

There is strategy, process and know how required to build the right relationships to boost your career.

But what are the vital elements of networking that, women, especially must know? What are the essential knowledge elements that will help us women excel at networking? I have listed 5 expert tips that EVERY WOMAN must know to crush the networking game. Check on them below

Create a networking strategy
No more going for events just for the sake of it. It’s time to get strategic! Why? Because research suggests that women, especially, find it hard to build purposeful networks. We find it easier to connect with people who are similar to us. The downside to this is since less and less women hit the highest rung of the career ladder, it means women have to work harder to find and build vital relationships for their career success. So if you are sitting down thinking that the right relationships will just fall into your laps, statistically speaking, you may be waiting a very long time. You need to intentionally build the relationships you need to succeed in the work place.

Include men in your network
If you want to succeed, you need to co-opt men. Men are not the enemy. You should ensure your network is diverse, broad and dynamic and men form a vital role in making this happen. Why? Well, men can add useful dynamics and career advice to your overall career trajectory, which women may typically miss. They can also act as great mentors and career sponsors. But which men? This is where strategy comes in. Find influential people (women and MEN) in your workplace, organization and/or sector who have achieved reputable success in an area in which you are interested in developing in, then build relationships with them

Go where the people who have achieved what you want to achieve go
Want to scale your network and connect with influential people in your sector? Then go where they go. Go for the same conferences they attend. Join the same professional associations. Read the same types of articles and industry magazines they read. If your company won’t pay for it, use your hard earned cash and attend the same international conferences that they attend and make it a priority to connect with a few of them and follow up later. The relationships you make will be yours to keep, forever, after all.

Networking, the right way, makes you visible
Have you ever asked yourself this question, “outside my office who knows about me and the work I do”? That question might not sound like much now until when you want to change jobs, switch sectors or need to know about great job opportunities. Suddenly you wish you knew the HR manager in xandx company, but then it’s a bit late, you are already in the desperate zone and need something quick. With strategic networking you should start building bridges before you need them.

You need to build a personal brand as you network
It’s good to meet and connect with new people but you know what’s even better? When people know, like and trust you, too! After all, what good is it knowing Temitope Abdul the Head of Corporate Communications for the biggest multinational company in Nigeria, if she cant remember you or what you are about? Personal branding here isn’t about packaging or being false, it’s about knowing the value you bring to an organization as a professional and understanding how to communicate that value to others. Knowing how to introduce yourself in a way that demonstrates and articulates clearly what you do as well as using social media intentionally are just some of the ways you can create and build your professional brand.

Bonus tip

Network with your peers.

When the word networking comes up, people automatically look up. It seems networking only refers to making connections with VIPs and well placed executives. You only shoot yourself in the foot, when you do this. Your peers hold vital information and access opportunities that you need, they can also form part of your inner circle and can vouch for you when the need arises.

Have a fab week everyone!

I just want to ask one question from our men. Aren’t you guys tired of lying to us women?

I’m not just talking about the outright lies like I am into oil and gas and also investment banking/sales and marketing or saying “I used to date a model” and all those kind of crap.
I’m talking about the one big lie most men are committing everyday: Approaching women you’re attracted to as if sex is the last thing on your mind. You all know what I’m talking about I’m sure.

You’re standing behind some girl at dominos pizza and you have this conversation: “Hey, so which of them do you like”?
You don’t actually care about the flavour! What you’re really thinking is “God damn, you’re hot! I’d like to fling that menu off your hands and make sweet love to you, right here on this counter!” right? Lol.

The vast majority of men are so worried about letting their true desires be known that they get stuck talking about absolute rubbish that goes nowhere.
Men are afraid to be honest with women about feeling attraction and they believe that if they can just befriend the woman, maybe at some point down the line they’ll have a shot at sleeping with her.

Unfortunately, this strategy usually ends up with the guys being frustrated and alone.
The reason why that happens is because when you approach a woman in this manner, we know it’s inauthentic.
Women are a lot more intuitive than men and will know straight away that the guy is not being genuine.

Men feel kind of awkward for trying to make small talks.
There’s always a little voice in their head saying “You’re full of it.”
Guys are also worried about the lady finding out why he’s really talking to her.
And that’s assuming that the guy has even taken the step of starting a conversation.
Most men will just sit around and stare at the women. In either case, it’s a pretty far cry from telling the lady the truth.

Now most guys go out of their way to avoid telling women what they really want. It’s been taught that sex is this dirty thing men trick women into doing.

Men think that they’ve got to go out and buy women lots of drinks, hoping to get lucky. Well for some cheap ladies, it works.
Men have been programmed to think that if he went up to a woman and complimented her on her looks, she’d go mental.

But we love being complimented. In fact most women are extremely flattered to be approached in this manner.

I do actually like it. Lol. But most men worry if she’s got a boyfriend or if the guy actually came with her? Rejection?
If she has a boyfriend, she’ll let you know. That’s if you meet the sincere ones that just hang out with their friends to have fun not the ones hoping to catch a fish. So yes, it’s that simple.

In my little experience, it’s very rare that a woman would get upset over being approached in such a manner.
From many hundreds of such approaches, I don’t think I’ve actually met a woman that was even mildly irritated.

As far as rejection goes: So what? Who cares? Does it really matter what some woman you don’t even know thinks? Think of all the terrible tragedies going on in the world today.

Think about all the stuff that’s happened to you over your life. Can you really tell me that the opinion of a stranger you just met matters to you so much?
We spend ages getting ourselves ready to go out. Do you really think we don’t want you guys to notice we look good?

Let me let you in on a major secret: The vast majority of women are tired of their romantic prospects beating around the bush and trying to be their “friend.” They are even more tired of their male “friends” trying to get into their pants.
When you have the balls to actually approach a woman and make your intentions clear it really gets their attention. It is bold, ballsy, and honest. Even when they have a boyfriend.

So guys, next time you see a gorgeous woman, what should you do? Tell her exactly what you’re thinking and what you want.
It’s not about using pickup lines, it’s about making your intent clear to her. “Excuse me, you look absolutely amazing. I’d love to take you out for a drink some time. When are you available?”

Not all the girls you approach will be interested in you, and you won’t be interested in some of them either, but at least you tried and came from a place of strength.
You’ve made your intentions clear and the conversation is leading somewhere: a date between you and her. It’s not going to be a 45-minute conversation that goes nowhere and at the end she reveals she’s engaged.

As you get more comfortable with interacting with women in this way, more and more of them will be immediately turned on by you being confident enough to approach them in this manner.

By showing that you’re man enough to express your true desires and intentions, not only will she have more respect for you, but she will also appreciate your honesty.
She will either tell you she’s not interested, agree to the date, or engage you in a conversation for a bit so she can determine if she’s interested.
Being up front with women isn’t an exercise, it’s a way of life!
No matter how each individual interaction goes, you manned up, told the truth, and laid it all out on the line like a man and that’s a great place to start! Trust me.
Behaving in this type of authentic manner will massively increase your confidence in all other areas of life as well.

Connecting with women is only the beginning!

Source: Guardian Woman