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Utibe Akwa is a young graduate who took a different path from the bandwagon syndrome of Labour Market Dependency (LMD) and has proven that it pays off to sometimes be your own boss, the native of Ibiono Ibom LGA and a Post Graduate Student of Economics in the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state began her journey into the entrepreneurial world few years ago as an undergraduate, with the production of widely-used house care products, body care products, hair care product and insecticide.
Like a butterfly stuck in a chrysalis, waiting for the perfect moment, she was waiting for the day she could burst forth and fly away and perch on the basement of fame, that moment came when her story went viral on Facebook few weeks ago when she officially launched her “Unique Milky Custard” brand, the first of its kind in the history of Akwa Ibom State.
The young entrepreneur and business woman who is into production of over 30 cosmetology products shares her inspiring story with me in this interview.

Growing up
My childhood prepared me for this. The orientation I received while growing up culminated to making and shaping me into who I am today. In this respect, I may say education plays a very minimal role. This is so because education never made me this self-reliant, but the orientation I had gotten.
As far back as my primary school, I had always wanted to be an entrepreneurial mogul. I had flare for innovations and had envied some entrepreneurial kingpins like Dangote. It was here I nurtured my thought for self-dependency.

Meet Me!
Utibe Akwa is a persistent, committed, goal-oriented fellow who executes and impacts knowledge with passion. She has HND in Business Administration and Management from Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic with an award as the best graduating student in Nov 2015. She is currently undertaking her Post Graduate(PGD) studies in Economics with The University of Uyo, Uyo. She is a Certified NIM, CPM,and undergoing ICAN program. Utibe is the youngest street Entrepreneur, a CEO of Utytrends Nig, who is into production of over 35 cosmetology products and the newly launched product “Unique milky Custard”. She teaches and offers training across the 31 LGA in Akwa Ibom state, with over 200 participants in each LGA. She is an educator, a street Entrepreneur and an Innovator.

Starting my entrepreneurial journey as a student
The yardstick is simple, and that has to do with my take-off age. It’s on record that my entrepreneurial strides began at an age as green as 13, with bead making, way back in my village, Ibiono Ibom LGA.
I had long ago started as a teenager and, and this was the yardstick for the tag “Youngest entrepreneur” and I took the giant stride into the university as well.

Being the young manufacturer of a custard brand
Unique milky Custard is my newly launched product, a Custard powder that is rich in formula (milk+sugar+salt) rich in vitamin, rich in protein. I launched this product on the 30th of March2018.
I was inspired to do this when I discovered the Gap in Custard consumption. I felt a need to address the issues and stress of buying milk and sugar after making Custard. I had to create something new, by adding these ingredients to my custard production to make it different from ordinary custard in the market. The drive behind this was to fill in the Gap.

Challenges
No human venture exists without challenges. Mine is not exceptional.
One of such challenges I have faced overtime in the course of this business is finance. As the demand for this product is getting high everyday and so many super markets and shops have been demanding for my products, I am limited as I am yet to be certified with NAFDAC and SON and other relevant agencies. Another challenge is lack of machinery, getting machines for my productions as to produce in larger quantity as well as ameliorating the stress of producing it manually.

Other Projects and Activities
Aside production of unique milky custard, am also into other prospects including trainings, organizing Entrepreneurial seminars, and production of cosmetology products

Greatest Reward
The greatest reward Is that I have been able to touch lives, reaching the apex of my passion, able to affect the society in a very special way, be an inspiration to Nigeria youths and feel so fulfilled by motivating and encouraging the youths to right against dependency syndrome after graduation. My Reward also lies when I turn back to see that I have been able to trained and raised manufacturers in over 35 cosmetics products.

Giving up
Yes, I nearly gave up November 2017 when I first introduced my products to the market. At this time, all colleagues of mine and friends turned to ridicule me that as the best Graduating students, I should be working in a financial institution and/or any of the multinationals, rather than producing liquid soap.
But giving up isn’t and has never been an option for me. So I poached on with the faith that my desire flies to enviable heights. Today I am there! I don’t allow myself to be worked up nor discourage, but press towards the mark .

Where I see my brand in the next next 5 years
Five years is even too much. In the next few years I see my brand to be among the best 3 producing firms in Nigeria and beyond with good equipments and qualified staff, with branches across different states in Nigeria. My Brand will be known at national and international Level.

Who and what Inspire me
My source and all strength come from the Lord our creator, the comments, encouragements and reactions of people inspire me most. My mum serves as an inspiration to me. Mostly, my unborn children and my would-be husband are my inspiration – l would always want them proud of me.

Being a Woman of Rubies
I am a woman of Rubies because I act and serve as an inspiration to many. I add value to my family, my community, my state, my nation as a whole.I kick against the syndrome of depending on government, parents and guidance for job, but I have risen to the faith of my greatness knowing very well that once the passion is right everything is possible.

Final word for young female entrepreneur​​

1.Determination (2) consistency and (3) Persistence. It is one thing to embark on a prospect, it’s another to remain on top gear of the prospect. That said, one would realise that the business environment in our contemporary society is thorny, unfriendly, competitive and challenging; thus, it takes only resilience, persistence and passion to sustain and thrive up to one’s aspirational levels.

Message for women all over the world
Believe and unlock the strength of a woman that lurks inside of them. Women are great creatures laced with mystifying but unfathomable strength. When tapped, this strength can change their fates and fortunes for good and dazzles the world. They should, by all means, be self-dependent and self-reliant, by creating their desired world with the strength of their God-given potential. They should do well to inculcate good virtues on their kids, which would further affect the succeeding generation.

When Nice Nailantei Leng’ete was eight years old, she and her sister ran away from home at 4 AM and hid in a tree to escape ritualised female genital mutilation. She and her sister received lots of punishment and beatings for trying to avoid the ritual. Eventually, her sister gave up and got the cut – for Nice to escape it. The next day she went to her grandfather, a Maasai elder, and convinced him that the cut was not a necessity. He listened, and allowed Nice to continue going to school.

(Photo: TedxAmsterdamWomen/YouTube)

Nice Nailantei Leng’ete then decided that it was not enough to just save herself, she had to fight for others too. She fought to get an education so that she could help change the socio-­cultural structures that continue to effectively oppress women and female well-being.

At 27, she started working to negotiate with elders in villages and rural communities across Kenya to convince them that alternative coming-of-age ceremonies will be healthier for girls and better for communities, and her work as a project officer with Amref Health Africa has saved an estimated 15,000 girls in Kenya and Tanzania from the cut, as well as from child marriage.

She is on 2018 TIME 100 list of the World’s Most Influential People

Nice is the only Kenyan to be named in the list.

Culled from konbini.com

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some Pregnant women during the second half of Pregnancy from around 20 weeks or soon after baby is delivered. On this episode of Ariyike weekly hosted by Nigerian Media Personality – Ariyike Akinbobola, we talk about things you need to know about Pre-eclampsia in Pregnancy. Our guest host, Nigerian Radio and TV Presenter, Shine Begho Usanga shares her story of how she survived Pre-eclampsia in 2015. She also talks about a Project she is working on to help Pregnant women in Nigeria. Watch and Subscribe.

 

“Making the World a better place starts with you. If we could all do for one that which we wish we could do for everyone, then the World would surely be be a better place for us all. You don’t need to be super rich to touch lives positively, kind gestures as little as dedicating your time to read storybooks to Children in the Orphanage near you would go a long way to those Kids. Go out there and change one Person’s World.” – Ariyike Akinbobola.

She wrote:

“For years I have battled with very very problematic skin.it shocks me when people see me now and compliment my skin tone.

It took me years of experimenting, dedication and hard work to get to where I am today.

My skin used to be a huge source of worry for me, I drank all the water in the dispenser and exercised everyday and nothing still changed till I started reading up about my skin type.

I found out I had sensitive combination skin with cystic acne.

In my skincare manual I would be giving secrets on how to get rid of cystic acne before they surface .. I’m extremely excited about this new business venture.
I’m turning my obsession for skincare to a business .thank you for your continuous support
MOCHEDDAH GLOW COMING SOON”

 

See her Instagram post below

Nollywood actress Omoni Oboli who turned 40 last Sunday, April 22nd, has launched a soup kitchen in honor of her late mother.

Apart from announcing the release of her book, Omoni Obolia lso took time out to remember the less privileged. She spent the better part of her birthday launching her soup kitchen Lizzy’s Kitchen in honor of her late mother.

She shared lovely photos from the first outing of the movement and can’t wait for more outreaches.

She wrote on her Instagram page:

“My 40th birthday was AMAZING!
Yesterday we launched a soup kitchen in honor of my late mom. It’s a feeding outreach program which is an initiative of The Omoni Oboli Foundation. We fed over 1200 children yesterday in Makoko and it was incredibly mind-blowing. This is a weekly outreach program and we’ve only just begun. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of seeing this vision come to life. Thanks to my friend and family that made it and special thanks to @knorrnigeria and @nunumilkpz
I finally did this mom, I know I have made you proud. I wish you were here. I will always miss you.”

 

View her post below.

 

Child Rights Activist and the Executive Director/Founder of Morna International Children’s Foundation (MICF), Bukola Afolabi Ogunyeye, has won an award from Baobab Awards under the category of “Community Building”.

Baobab Awards is a Hungary based Organization with Affiliation in London.

While sharing the exciting news on her facebook page, she said:

It was double celebration for us in my family yesterday as I received an International award from Baobab Awards under the category of “Community Building”.

Baobab Awards is a Hungary based Organization with Affiliation in London.
It feels so good to be a recipient of this award. This is my first award in my Humanitarian work.

You see ehn, It is difficult to run a cause in a Country like Nigeria and be “straightforward” with it cos money doesn’t come in like that, yet you have a burden, and if you choose to do it without compromising in anyway, be sure you can never make money from it. You will sweat seriously.

NGO is not business, I can say that categorically but it is possible to make it a Business venture for those who want to do it that way. Me, I am not like that. This NGO work is like Slavery sef, but it is a good kind of slavery you enter into yourself because there is a burning passion in you to do something for the cause of Humanity.

Getting rewarded in this manner is a huge encouragement for someone like me who don’t make money from what I do yet I carry the work on my head like gala.

I remember sometime in June last year, I got a call from a woman who said she had got my contact from a School owner. It was one of the Schools I have been at to speak and empower the children against Predators somewhere at Ketu. She asked for our website address that she needed to see it first then arrange a meeting with me.

I agreed to meet her, we met at Chicken Republic and we ate “chicken periperi” with chips all on her own expense.
A big woman, highly connected, she told me about some International Organization who fund NGOs with credible activities through some Consultants and how they are about to fund NGOs. She said the money would be coming in quarterly. She mentioned the amount and the “sharing formula”, what percentage would go to the “Consultants” abroad, her, and me.
Sincerely, I didn’t have any issue with the sharing formula ‘cos I don’t know the people in the Abroad, they only wanted to help but I asked to know the name of the “International Donors”. I wanted to know the source where the money was coming from?
Here was dollars about to be wired into our account and our own share would be about one million Naira in Nigeria currency, which would be coming in quarterly, yet I was still asking questions? A poor NGO that has no money?
That first amount was enough to take care of at least 10 seminars which we hold in the Foundation. It meant that about 3.5 million Teenagers would benefit from the money. I had done serious mental calculation, the Foundation really needed the money but I was not desperate.

I wanted to know the source ‘cos every Donor should have a name and should be verifiable online just like our activities are online on our website which led to the meeting at the first place..
They said they didn’t want me to go through the back yard door and agitate with the organization. Lol…… Fine. I let it go.
I am sure the woman would be wondering what kind of person I am, person see free money, she didn’t jump on it?
I didn’t even bother to ask her about it again. I will not soil my name because of money. It is the Foundation’s account the funds will go into, not theirs and I am the one EFCC will come and arrest if the fund was not a clean one.
Haters will now have the mouth to say, Ah! Those NGO people, that is how they do money laundering and they will be saying they are doing NGO.
That was how I made “haters score 0 and I scored 100%”………

I am writing this alongside this award because amidst our very low resources, we have been imparting greatly and our effort is now being recognized.
Faith Ogochukwu Silver , thank you so much for the nomination. We don’t know each other beyond Facebook,(I met you for the first time yesterday) we have never had any form of private conversation, yet you nominated me for this?
May you shed tears of joy for the rest of your life……Tears fell from my eyes that day you in boxed and told me about this award. *Coversface*
So Bukola Afolabi Ogunyeye is now an “Award winning” Child Rights Activist. You can also say an award winning Bitter Nigerian feminist, everything goes. We are alright after all.
And………. this came at the right time. It came at a time it would seriously boost something I am working on. Yipppiiieeeeee!
It is true that God can NEVER forget our labour of love.
So I dedicate this award to the NIGERIAN CHILD……….
Eyin temi, let us celebrate this great feat.
We are going to dance to Yinka Ayefele. We will dance and “ju di” .
B’eru ba mo nu ro ni, a dupe, B’e ru ba mo nu ro ni a dupe
Baba o sheeeeeeeyyyy
Baba o shey!
B’eru ba mo nu ro ni a dupe
d:t:l:m:s:f:r: d:d:d:r:m
(Olorun ayo) Jah Jehovah! Oba ale wi le se, iwo lo fi lokan
bale wipe kin ma beru
Alagba wi, Baba wa gba mi o ee
Iwo lo sore ana, ore esi mare, Lodun ta wa yi
Ida ju to po, wipe wa si se t’ola
Baba wa gba ko so o
(Olorun ayo)
Ohun to ba wu kaiye wi,, ohin toba wu koso
Emi o ma wo, Eni to baka, Sebi ohun loni rora
Kin sa ma te si waju oooooooo

25 years old Chiamaka Deborah Motilewa recently bagged her doctorate degree from Covenant University, thus making her the youngest Nigerian to achieve that.

Motilewa was awarded her PhD degree in business administration at Covenant University and she shared her certificate on Twitter. She also stated that she is the youngest to get a PhD at the university.

The 25-year-old who was excited to receive her certificate took to Twitter to share her success story.

She wrote:

“It’s finally official. Hello Dr. Motilewa🙏🏻🙏🏻
This journey tested me mentally, spiritually and physically.
But it was absolutely worth it. At 25, I am the youngest PhD holder produced from @CUHEBRON” and one of the youngest from any Nigerian University 

 

Dr. Debbie|TheVolunteerNG@itsdjDebbz

It’s finally official. Hello Dr. Motilewa🙏🏻🙏🏻
This journey tested me mentally, spiritually and physically.
But it was absolutely worth it. At 25, I am the youngest PhD holder produced from @CUHEBRON and one of the youngest from any Nigerian University

 

It was 7 years ago as a house officer (intern) at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), thanks to my consistent bad eating habit; a large doughnut and a bottle of soda for breakfast, a pack of biscuits (HobNobs) and juice during call hours – I gained weight overtime and decided to join a gym. I’m not sure this decision was influenced by the weight gain as much as it was influenced by the fact that the nearby gym I discovered was really clean, had a shower more like a jacuzzi (running water was a nightmare every now and then in LUTH) and good music too. It had a really nice ambience.
So off to the gym I went and I was consistent too. The trainers made me go so hard (I ended up with a swollen knee cap one of those days and a compulsory bed rest to go with it). Some of the routines really stretched me and I got compliments saying I was really flexible after a yoga class, which felt good *wink* but. . . . . I was not losing weight. Though a medical doctor, I did not know much about weight loss and nutrition so after three weeks of going hard at the gym I weighed myself and had gained weight. Say what!!!! All that energy I was putting in, how come? The trainer eloquently explained to me in his ‘Britmerican’ accent that I was building muscle hence the weight gain. According to him, in the first few weeks of intense physical activity (I’m sure he meant hard labour), you don’t lose weight instead you build muscle and then after a while you start losing weight. What did I know? I agreed with him.
Like me 7 years ago, I’m sure you can comfortably name 3 people you know who have pretty gym clothes/ensemble, never miss a day at the gym but have still not lost weight. So if going to the gym or exercising is very crucial for weight loss, how come most of the people in there are not losing weight?
To at least lose one pound a week (which for sustainable weight loss is the most ideal), you need to create a deficit of 500 calories everyday. That brings it up to 3500 calories at the end of the week.
The truth is:
1. You can’t ‘out exercise’ your bad food choices. You see, if it was as easy as go to the gym and eat healthy, nobody will be struggling with their weight. Worse still, we have a limited capacity to control what goes out. Most experts/studies suggest you burn an average of 100 calories after running a mile and you burn more calories while working out if you are in a larger body. It is HARD to keep up with burning 500 calories every week.
2. The concept of ‘calorie in calorie out’ should not be mistaken to mean that you can expend as much calories as you consume. You cannot burn in one day the 2500 calories or more you consume in a day.Also bear in mind that all calories are not equal.
3. Weight loss is science and as such relies on a minimal calorie deficit to compound in weight loss over time. Emphasis on minimal because if you create a huge calorie deficit, your body quickly responds by slowing down metabolism which means you stop losing weight. It is even worse when you are ‘going hard’ in the gym and cruelly restricting calorie intake.
4. After physical activity, most people really feel famished and may just need to drink water or snack on an equivalent of one boiled egg to feel better . However, our brains trick us into rewarding ourselves with food for a job well done so we eat even more consoling ourselves in the fact that we will ‘out exercise’/spend that tomorrow. Sadly, that is a failed formula. What happens is even though you are burning 100–150 calories daily during exercise, you are probably eating an extra 250 calories and not letting that calorie deficit take place.
Now we have established one basic fact — if your nutrition is not properly cared for, going hard at the gym CANNOT aid weight loss. Note: most people will lose weight by focusing on their nutrition without intense physical activity but no one can lose weight by focusing on intense physical activity alone.

Imagine having to take stock of everything you ate with the intent to burn it at the gym the next day. Take this image I found on Google for example, let’s say you’ve had your regular meal and for snack, you opted for tortillas, coke and oreos. What would your life look like at the gym tomorrow?

I so don’t want to be you.
Now think about it — Would you rather spend 3 hours in the gym or choose your foods wisely, eat mindfully and watch your portions? You Choose!
Need help figuring out how to win with portion control? Join my Facebook community — Healthy Yummy Mummies (trust me its not exclusive to mums). I kicked off a portion control training series this week and we would round it off over the weekend with a portion control challenge.
Remember, eating too much of any meal or snack even if you think its super-healthy can mean the difference between feeling great about your progress and being frustrated about all that effort you put in.
PS: I was at LUTH last year and at least 3 people walked up to me and said, ‘did you work here before?’ As soon as I reply ‘YES”. They narrow their eyes, give me a look over and say ‘but you were chubby then’. Lol! I guess that was a mild word for saying you were bigger/in a larger body/fatter then. I did take it as a compliment for a job well done and most importantly without a gym membership.

 

SHORT BIO
Dr. Ezinne Meribe is the Lead Wellness Coach and founder at Zinnyslifestyle. Having successfully won the struggle with being overweight and loving her body, she now leverages her professional qualifications and personal experience in empowering women to OWN & LOVE their bodies and live in it fabulously. Her mission is to liberate women from living in bodies they’d rather not wake up in. As a Medical Doctor and Public Health Specialist, she continues to promote preventive medicine as the number one way to combat the severe health system constraints in developing countries.

She runs a refreshing Facebook community of over 14,000 women – Healthy Yummy Mummies; where mums can lean on each other while exploring through what a healthy lifestyle means for them and their families. She understands the influence mums have on the community because when you positively influence one woman’s lifestyle, you influence her children, her husband, her siblings and ultimately her parents.

You can connect with her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/zinnyslifestyle/ or Facebook www.facebook.com/zinnyslifestyle/

Nollywood actress, producer, and scriptwriter Omoni Oboli turned 40 yesterday, April 22nd and she released her first book, “The Stars are Ageless”.

The actress announced this good news on her Instagram page as she celebrates her another milestone in her life.

She wrote,

”THE STARS ARE AGELESS
You can now add author to my name!!!Been working on this baby for a while and she’s finally here! Thank you, Lord! 40 sure looks good on me! Thanks to my publishers @narrativelscape we burnt the midnight candle on this one! Thanks to everyone that worked tirelessly to make this happen! Love you all
Copies available for sale from tomorrow. I can’t keep still.”

See her post below.