Nollywood divas, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Monalisa Chinda, and Mary Uranta recently took to their respective Instagram pages to share new photos adorning their native attires to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Rivers State. Putting up a photo of them together, Ibinabo said:
It’s Rivers State Golden Jubilee…come celebrate with us #soulsisters #togetherweshine #onelove❤️ @monalisacode @maryuranta@charlesgranville @walteranga@realoraye @danielkdaniel@memrysavanhu @charlesnovia
Forbes Afrique dives into the world of the Business of Luxury in Africa, a business Forbes describes as a billion dollar industry in Africa, with Jennifer Obayuwana as the cover star.
In West Africa, that market is ruled by Polo Limited, a 30 year old business responsible for the proliferation of luxury goods. With locations in Nigeria and Ghana, Polo Luxury is at the forefront of luxury sales in West Africa. Despite the economic outlook in Nigeria, this is an industry that has maintained consistency in the African Sector.
On her special approach to management and women leading differently than men: Firstly I would say being a good listener. While a majority of decision-making rests
with the leader, there is so much to learn from one’s teammates when you patiently listen to their views and opinions. Secondly, I would say service. All great leaders (women alike) should serve others. This is at the heart of Polo Luxury’s success as a
whole. In response to the latter part of the question, I strongly believe that women lead intuitively. In my opinion, Women in high-level positions exhibit the same leadership behaviors as their male counterparts.
Full interview on Forbes Afrique
In the Forbes Afrique cover story,
Cartier Africa CEO, Alessandro Patti says,
“We (Cartier) see Nigeria as a strategic market with great potential. Being very satisfied with the results with our partner Polo Luxury Group, it was natural to opt for a long-term vision. In 2016, a Cartier watchmaker area was installed in the Polo Avenue at Hilton’s multi-brand in Abuja. Over the years, Nigeria and Cartier have developed a strong relationship and we are proud of the development of our activities. Our clientele is made up of connoisseurs looking for the know-how, beauty, creativity and elegance that make Cartier’s success. As far as watchmaking is concerned, generous diameters and complicated movements are preferred.”
The second season of the show will kick off in a couple of weeks and it has been revealed that singer Yemi Alade will be replacing 2Baba as one of the coaches on the show.
She will be joining Patoranking, Waje and Timi Dakolo who reprise their roles as coaches who critique contestants’ performances and guide their teams of selected artistes through the remainder of the season whilst also competing to ensure that their act wins the competition.
According to the M-net West Africa team, 2Baba has left the show to pursue other commitments.
Are you excited for season Two of “The Voice Nigeria”?
Auditions for the second season of The Voice Nigeria recently held across Nigeria in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu, and preparations are in top gear for the show’s return to television.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is on Instagram!
According to the author, she has been tasked by her nieces to open an official Instagram page and with it, she plans on kicking off a project to ‘Wear Nigerian’.
Quite exciting!
She says:
The Nigerian government’s disastrous economic policies have led to a reduction in the value of the naira and therefore in disposable income, a change in values, a disorientation of the middle class, and most of all, to a debilitating sense of uncertainty.
If we are to grasp for a silver lining, then the ‘Buy Nigerian to Grow The Naira’ rhetoric is one.
In that spirit, I recently decided to wear mostly Nigerian brands for my public appearances. (Before, by the way, President Buhari declared ‘Made in Nigeria dress’ days.)
In the past few weeks, I’ve bought more Nigerian brands than I ever have in the past. I’ve discovered new names. I’ve been filled with admiration for the women and men running their businesses despite the many challenges they face. I’m particularly interested in ‘inward-looking’ brands, those for whom dressing Nigerian women is as important as other goals.
I’ve changed quite a few dodgy zippers, been disappointed by some poor quality fabrics, and been impressed by some detail-oriented finishing. Overall, I love the clothes, their cut, their whimsy, their color, their flair, their ability to make me feel like myself. Their makers, from designer to tailor to button-fixer to okada-delivery-person, deserve to be supported.
At the suggestion of my very au fait nieces Chisom and Amaka – who think Aunty is a hilarious luddite dinosaur (and they have a point, sadly) – I am now on Instagram at chimamanda_adichie documenting my ‘Wear Nigerian’ project.
~CNA
See some of her fab style below.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @The_LadyMaker
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @Nuraniyastudios
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @LolaBaej
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @Greyprojects
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @KareemAmak
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @GozelGreen
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @Fashpa
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @EricandAnna.ng
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Outfit – @Dzynbabe
OAP Uwanma Odefa is out with a new Vlog where she shares her thoughts on love, life and everything in between, and this time she’s sharing 5 places to find true love.
She says:
Thanks to Banky W and Adesuwa who have shown that true love can be found anywhere, including your DM! Though they’re not the first, they’ve made sliding into the DM of your crush less tasteless. Let’s examine 5 places to find true love in the 21st Century.
https://youtu.be/3Kg6WG_o7dE
Virginia Ngozi Etiaba made history as the first female Governor of Anambra State.
She was sworn-in after the then-governor, Peter Obi, was impeached by the state legislature for alleged gross misconduct.
Virginia was governor from November 2006 to February 2007, after which she handed over power back to Peter Obi when an appeal court nullified the impeachment.
Born on the 11th of November 1942, Virginia had her primary school education in Kano, before proceeding to Gombe State, for her Teachers Training programme.
She holds qualifications that include the National Certificate of Education, Bachelor of Education (Hon.) and a Certificate in Information Technology.
For 35 years, she worked as a teacher and headed several schools in Kafanchan, Aba, Port Harcourt, and Nnewi.
She retired from the services of the Anambra State Government in 1991 and founded the Bennet Etiaba Memorial Schools, Nnewi. In March 2006, she resigned to assume the position of the Deputy Governor of Anambra State.
Etiaba is the only person who served as deputy governor, governor and then deputy governor again, in the same administration.
She was a member of many associations and a mother of six children.
Source: woman.ng
The developed countries integrate and engage their youth in the mainstream development and governance processes. They believe that these young people, in particular, have the power and responsibility to stand up and take action to achieve unity and sustainable development in their countries.
While resisting the temptation to start rolling out names of many young people, who have changed the world today, there is no doubt that the passion and commitment to creating scientific breakthrough and social change, demonstrated by these young individuals, remind us how much the youth achieve when given the right opportunity.
But it is a twist in the tale in Nigeria where the youth are never given the chance to exhibit their innovative and leadership skills. For instance, we see many university graduates (even with First Class Degrees) being churned out but end up wasting away or gallivanting on the streets while others do dubious ventures.
The plight of the youth, in Nigeria, is very disturbing!
As part of Women of Rubies’ collaborative work with NGOs, we are delighted to introduce Sandra Okeleke, the President of ‘Passion for Self Discovery Initiative’. We interviewed this ‘young activist’ to discuss some of her NGO’s most iconic campaigns and her quest for a better Nigerian Youth.
Meet her and her kind of ACTIVISM:
Okeleke Ifeanyi Sandra is my name – born to be ‘MAD (Making A Difference)’. I’m a graduate of Mass Communication from the prestigious Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (Abeokuta, Ogun State) and also, a BSc student of Crescent University where I’m studying Mass Communication.
I’m the Founder of ‘Passion for Self Discovery Initiative’ – it is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Our aim is to create an atmosphere where youths can thrive in every facet of life while contributing positively to nation building. We also help our youth to discover their talents, nurture it and put it into use. There is this gap we help to bridge in the literacy level between the rich and the poor. So far so good, we have seen our impact as we continue to help the youth develop patriotic, entrepreneurial and self-reliant spirit.
A Gender-Based ACTIVISM?
No! Our organisation is not gender based – it is for both male and female.
Getting involved and her MOTIVATION:
The alarming increase of unemployment in our society was what motivated me and I strongly believe that when we teach these young ones how to be self-reliant, this problem would be reduced to a minimal level.
On facing the ‘youth stigma’ as the President of an NGO since young people are often dismissed in the ‘running of things’ simply by virtue of their age:
Youth stigma is inevitable and I am one of its victims but I have learnt to go for what I want and never accept “No” for an answer. My passion, to make a difference, drives me on – always!
The value young people bring to ACTIVISM:
Young people actually bring lots of value to activism for reason being that the entire society looks up to us to be ‘MAD’ and so, as a youth, when you ‘Make A Difference (MAD)’, the society appreciate you and want to reckon with you.
On funding her NGO:
Funding? That’s a major challenge for a young lady wanting to make a difference – I must say it hasn’t been easy at all. I am a student (a corps-member) and running a Non-Governmental Organisation without a good paying-job – you know what that means! Well, in spite of all these commitment, some people share my vision and would always support financially when the need arises; more so, my family and friends are not left out, especially my fiancé, who has been of tremendous support in all ways.
Her NGO’s campaign she is most proud of:
I can’t readily pick one or call to mind but generally, I am proud of all our campaign as we have identified the hidden potentials in young ones and helped them to grow in those areas, and the results have been wonderful.
On issues limiting the chances of the Nigerian youth and her advice:
My advice to the younger generation, any time and any day, is for them to discover who they are, discover their passion and work on it and I tell them, they would never regret doing so.
On thoughts to give up on her project:
Many times, I have felt like giving up, especially due to lack of funding. There are times we have had projects (already prepared and everything is set) but there was no money to carry those projects out and we had to cancel them. Such experience breaks the heart and I’ve often felt like quitting but each time that feeling arises, something in me reminds me that so many lives would suffer if I take such a decision. That reminder has always been my driving-force.
The MONEY or the MESSAGE?
We are more concerned about the message – our work is like that of a teacher, who does the highest job and gets the least payment. We want a society, free of unemployment and as such, there would be absence of crime and other
Nigerian female wrestlers at the ongoing 2017 Senior African Wrestling championships in Marrakech, Morocco, have won eight medals.
The gold medallists are Mercy Genesis, 48 kg; Odunayo Adekuoroye, 55kg; Aminat Adeniyi, 58kg; Blessing Oborududu, 63kg; Kemeasuodei Dressman, 69kg; and Gofit Winnie, 75kg.
The silver medallists are Bose Samuel, 53kg; and Bisola Makanjuola, 60kg.
Source: Woman.ng
Nobody is going to tell 10-year-old Kheris Rogers (@Kherispoppin) that her black isn’t beautiful. After being bullied for her flawlessly radiant and deeply hued skin tone, the 10-year-old mini mogul clapped back by creating a t-shirt line boasting the ingenious phrase, Flexing In My Complexion.
Kheris first made headlines back in March after photos posted to Twitter by her older sister Taylor went viral. The photos showed Kheris absolutely seeerving up a fierce, melanin popping pose alongside a casual aloof stance– both inherently flawless.
After amassing tens of thousands of likes and retweets, Taylor showed her baby sister the hugely positive comments referring to her as “beautiful” and calling her skin “gorgeous.”
The comments embedded a new confidence in young Kheris, who not too long ago, had transferred schools because of the immense bullying.
“She started to notice she was different,” Taylor told BuzzFeed News. “She would cry a lot, and talk about how she doesn’t like her skin tone.”
After social media support helped her see her innate loveliness, Kheris and big sister Taylor decided to flaunt the Flexing In My Complexion phrase on t-shirts for all of us worldwide to enjoy.
“She was obsessed with the comments,” Taylor said. “So many people’s comments gave her a positive outlook on her skin. It gave her reassurance.”
Reassurance can often be necessary for those within ethnic communities who know all-too-well the complexities that lie within colorism. In basically all communities of colour, lighter complexions have been historically deemed “better,” wrongfully downplaying the radiance of dark skin.
With ambitious and optimistic youth acting as the face of positive change for not only tolerance, but praise of individualism, we can all feel one stop closer to rectifying sad, sad views that falsely claim black is not beautiful.
You can support Kheris and her family’s work in promoting diversity in beauty by copping your Flexing In My Complexion t-shirt here. You can also follow Kheris on Twitter and Instagram, as she is sure to be a stand out character in the years to come.
Source: Konbini