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Esther Ijewere

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‘BANKS THAT GIVE WOMEN UNATTAINABLE TARGETS SHOULD BE SANCTIONED’ – FLORENCE ALABI

Mrs. Florence Omolola Banji-Alabi who was born in Owo, Ondo State, was recently decorated as Fellow Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN). She attended Lagos Anglican Girls’ Primary School, Surulere, Lagos and Imade College, Owo in Ondo State.  She attended the then Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo now (RUGIPO) for her National Diploma in Accountancy and obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State. She was an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria.

She did her youth service programme with the now defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria in 1991, and also worked there for one year before joining Union Homes Plc, the mortgage arm of Union Bank Plc where she was until February 2008 when she moved to the then Oceanic Bank Plc for few years, before joining the family business as a director (Mortgage Services) in Banji Alabi and Co., a property development and financing firm. In this interview with GuardianWoman, she talked about the challenges in the banking sector and suggesting that core professionals should be allowed to run the sector.

What are your views on the banking sector?
Banking in Nigeria ordinarily is a good and thriving profession. However, looking at it critically, I am compelled to ask if we are truly practicing banking in Nigeria the way it is practised in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe, the U.S. and other genuinely developing countries. The real ethics and culture of banking is not here. The universal standard of how banking is run is clearly absent here.

If you go to some other countries, especially the United Kingdom, you would have walked past or driven past before you know that banks exist in a particular place. But here in Nigeria, it is the mansion or structure that is the bank and not the services. Here, you see a lot of fortune being invested in a building that is going to house a bank.Besides, the type of marketing practised abroad is different from what you have here in Nigeria. What is done there is e-marketing, not the kind where in Nigeria, ladies in mini-skirt and other provocative dresses are sent out to go and market. This strange marketing culture is made worse when these ladies are given unattainable targets. They also face harassment here and there. I think this is not how banking should be done.

Giving target is not the real problem. Target is good in the real sense of it, because target motivates to achieve results. The way targets are given and the kinds of targets that are given, the conditions attached to these targets and the way these girls go about pursuing these targets, leave much to be desired. I know of banks, but I don’t want to mention their names, where girls were told that if they don’t meet their targets, a sizeable percentage of their salaries would not be paid. So this makes most of these girls to throw away all forms of morality and decency to do anything to achieve their targets. This is what gave rise to the sudden indecent and provocative dressing that has now become the way of life of most of these marketing ladies.

What is the solution to this indecency?
I am of the view that the regulatory bodies must begin to intervene so that morality, etiquettes, social and national values are not sacrificed on the altar of crazy modern banking as some want to believe. But like I have said earlier, this is not how modern banking is done elsewhere, this is largely peculiar to Nigeria. These bodies must let bankers know that they have other binding responsibilities to their environment and the society at large. While I would not be calling for a particular dressing code, as it is the case today in some tertiary institutions in the country, at the same time, the well known decent and elegant dressing culture in the sector should be upheld. These bodies should also design a mechanism to detect, discourage and even sanction banks which give unattainable targets, of course, after failure to heed warnings.

Do you think the mortgage sector is fulfilling its role?
The problem with the mortgage sector is that while people want to obtain mortgage loans, the interest rate is too high. If you want a mortgage loan in Nigeria, I can categorically tell you that there is no bank that will offer you less than 26 per cent interest; that is high. A lot of people cannot afford to take a mortgage loan in Nigeria. If you go abroad, you will notice that the interest rate is very low. That is why they can afford it, and it is in different categories.

Abroad, there are mortgages of 20 to 30 years, but in Nigeria, it is not so. If you take mortgage loan in Nigeria, pray that you will be alive to pay up the loan. In other parts of the world, governments intervene in strategic and essential sectors like this. In such places, governments promote shelter, but in Nigeria, it is not so. In Nigeria, we are using short-term investment to finance long-term investment. Government should intervene and save the mortgage sector. That is the only way to guarantee shelter for most people in Nigeria.

What are your thoughts on the on-going reform in the banking sector?
Regulators and operators alike need to be sincere about the reforms they are putting in place. In the spirit of the reforms, we must ensure that the right person is put in the right place. For instance, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) came with a policy making it mandatory that some key positions in banks must be held only by professional bankers, but very sadly, this is not being enforced. So, if we want the reforms to impact very well on the system, then all these policies must be enforced. Professionals should be allowed to run the banking industry. Appointing people into key positions should not be on the basis of god-fatherism, or ability to mobilise certain funds for a bank. Before you know it, this group of people are pushed into the management, they now become management staff. If professional bankers were allowed to do the job, then banking would be what it is supposed to be.

How did you meet your husband?
My husband, Barrister Banji-Alabi and I grew up together at Owo. He is a very close friend of my elder brother, Mr. Dare Aruwajoye, and therefore a very regular face at our house in Owo. But at that time he never noticed me, maybe because I was very young then. After my ND programme, I was to do the compulsory industrial attachment, so my senior sister, Mrs. Bisi Anifowose, suggested that I should go and see Barrister Alabi who was then working at Guinness Nigeria Limited. When I got there, he was amazed that the little girl he used to know that time, that himself and my brother were sending around to buy drinks for their friends, is now a very big girl. He proposed to me and I was shocked as I always looked up to him with respect as a senior brother.

But one thing is that he was one of the best-dressed guys at that time in Owo and, therefore, was able to attract to himself a lot of admirers. He was simply the best-dressed person around and at every occasion that I met him, he stood out as the most sophisticated and most celebrated. He lives a life of celebration. He is an incurable optimist. He swept me off my feet and I fell for him despite initial protests from my senior brothers.

What’s your advice to young girls?
Please don’t give up on your dreams. I know too well the feelings of frustration one passes through in waiting times for a manifestation of a desired state or what is often referred to as a break in life. Many people continue to pass through this at various stages in life. What will you do? Will you abandon the desire and settle for a lesser portion, or would you decide to go for the real deal? I keep meeting people who “sell” their destiny and happiness for sometimes a temporary fulfillment. My advice is, don’t let go of your destiny once you’ve discovered it. Run away from married men; look for young guys with great potentials. Please do not sell your destiny and happiness for temporary fulfillment or monetary needs.

What is your take on women in development?
I think so far in Nigeria, it has been a deliberate policy that women must be carried along in everything, including politics. Although the level of women’s participation in politics is still low, in my own profession, banking, they have been very visible there, and nobody can take them for a ride any longer. We are, however, looking forward to ladies becoming governors and becoming president in Nigeria.

Interview by:  Ijeoma Thomas-Odia

For : Guardian

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TIWA SAVAGE, WAJE, ABISOYE AJAYI-AKINFOLARIN AND LOLA OMOLOLA LISTED AS ONE’S 2018 WOMEN OF THE YEAR

These wonderful women have been recognised for their work and craft and using it to add value to the world in , Music Star Tiwa Sage, Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin and Lola Omolola have been listed as ONE’s 2018 Women of the Year.

The ONE Campaign is an international, nonpartisan, non-profit, advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support policies and programs that are saving lives and improving futures.

According to ONE, the women went above and beyond gender equality this year to make life better for women.

Nollywood actress, Bisola Aiyeola and singer, Waje were honourably mentioned for the fantastic work they did this year campaigning for women.

TIWA SAVAGE

Tiwa has worked with breast cancer screening projects, helped build schools in her hometown, and advocates for community-based social projects. She’s also a supporter of the Vote Your Future campaign.

ABISOYE AJAYI-AKINFOLARIN

With her Pearls Africa Foundation, which offers free classes and programs for girls and young women, Abisoye won the 2018 CNN’s Heroes Award. Through her organization, she empowers girls living in poverty and many of the girls she’s mentored have already produced their own apps to combat issues, like poverty and female genital mutilation, in their communities.

LOLA OMOLOLA

Nigerian-American activist Lola Omolola is the founder of FIN, a private Facebook group that connects nearly 1.7 million women from across the world. She began the group in 2014, searching for a way to create mutual support with other Nigerians after the kidnapping of over 300 girls by the Boko Haram. The group quickly grew into a hub for women’s issues, offering its members a safe outlet to discuss the struggles they face and connect with other women who share those experiences.

Honorable Mentions

Bisola Aiyeola is a Nigerian actress, ONE Ambassador, and winner of the AMVCA Trailblazer Award at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

Waje Iruobe is a musician, film producer, and ONE Ambassador advocating for transparency and accountability.

Source:woman.ng

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“I HAD TO GET MY PERSONAL JOY BACK, AND THEN THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE” SUSAN KELECHI WATSON, “THIS IS US” ACTRESS.

Susan Kelechi Watson 37, is a Jamaican American actress best known for her character “Beth Pearson” in the NBC drama series “This is Us”. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frame. What is particularly fascinating about the series is Susan’s sterling interpretation of her character which is arguably the ‘star’ of the series. Speaking on life before getting the role in the series, Susan says:

 “A month before I booked This Is Us, I was like, ‘Maybe I should move to Montreal and work in a coffee shop. I had friends who were praying for me. I was leaning on a support system to believe for me when I was finding it difficult to still believe the dream for myself. All of the sudden I just believed again, like, I didn’t come this far for it not to happen. I’m going to enjoy this again. It’s the best thing I have to give. So I had to get my personal joy back, and then things started to change.”

Speaking on the reception, audacity of hope and belief her character has given to the black community, she says:

With my representation of a black woman in the world today, there’s such a powerful response from my community about what it means to have black representation on television. That response is so overwhelming and so strong that I just have to express my own gratitude for it, because I understand the necessity for it. I grew up with that need. I still have that need. I’m thankful that I get to fulfil that need for so many.

Then there’s the aspect of me as a woman and the camaraderie. They just feel like I’m their best friend; this character’s their best friend, and so many women say, “I’m just like you.” Or the goal is to sort of be similar to Beth; it gives them a way to kind of strategize, and helps them to move through their life.

Also, we talked about adoption on the show, and now to be able to talk about fostering, it’s really just such a great opportunity to open that door to that conversation as well. So many people have been through fostering, they understand the complications that come along with that, and so appreciate this story line, and I’m so thankful I get to be a person who represents that.

So I feel really good about what she’s offering people, whether it be a representation of being an African-American woman in this world, her representation as a woman, of being a woman that other women can identify with, and also of being an advocate for fostering, and for kids who think that maybe they won’t have a chance later in life.

Susan is a Bachelor’s degree graduate of Fine Arts degree from Howard University and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program.

Culled from Deadline Hollywood

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IBIDUNNI IGHODALO FOUNDATION FETES MOTHERS-IN-WAITING

Childlessness in Africa is a major issue that no woman wants to experience, as the period of waiting comes with so much anxiety.And a foremost event planner, Ibidunni Ighodalo, through her Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF), has decided to help couples with the problem of conception to have children of their own with assistance from the foundation.

The IIF recently held its second outing where couples were selected by ballot to determine who would undergo the programme for the year. The theme for this year’s edition was Maa Gbe Temi Jo (‘I will carry my own and dance).

Couples began to arrive the venue as early as 8.00 a.m. and before noon, the Agip Hall of MUSON Centre was filled to capacity. The first event was for couples, selected from different states across the country, to meet with a team of medical experts to ascertain their medical viability through a series of assessments and pre-tests. The foundation then pays to a certified fertility clinic that is in strategic partnership with the foundation in the country for fertility services such as In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Frozen Embryo Transfer and Intrauterine Insemination to be performed on them.

Ighodalo said: “Couples face a lot of challenges in their period of waiting to conceive. It is the reason the foundation is committed to going with them on this journey believing that together, their hopes will be turned to happiness. Last year was a good year and it will be better this year. Somebody got pregnant last year just by practising what was lectured here. Knowledge is power!”

Several fertility specialist doctors presented topics on infertility and how to overcome it, either by just doing what was said or by actually partaking in the assisted ways to do so.

A gyneacologist, Ogundiran Bridge from the Bridge Clinic, spoke on fibroids and pregnancies. He told participants that contrary to the saying that what you don’t know will not kill you, the opposite is the case: “Fibroids are common tumours in women worldwide, which is also the cause of infertility in many women. Though some may have symptoms and some may not, but based on study, six out of every 10 women may have it. While some people may get pregnant with fibroid, some women may not be able to conceive depending on where the tumours are located. So, eventually, not everyone may need IVF, as all you need to do is to remove the tumours and get pregnant.

“Nobody knows the cause of fibroid but based on study, obesity has been associated with it. When you are obese, the chances of conceiving are lean.”Bridge also cited diet consisting of plenty preservatives, hypertension, family history for not conceiving for long as causes of infertility. The symptoms, according to him, are abdominal pains, swelling and infertility.However, he said the best solution is to do a medical check up and remove any lump in the stomach if necessary to avoid complications.

Dr. Oluwatoyin Bode Abbas spoke on “How To Handle Infertility’ and the challenges that come with it. Abbas said infertility is a diagnosis like any type of sickness, but people here see it as a special kind of sickness that no one should be associated with.

According to her: “Stigma comes in different forms such as public stigma, where nobody invites you to their children’s birthday parties, neither will anyone wish you happy Mothers’ Day because you have no children. Self-imposed stigma where some women carry a long face and an unpleasant attitude just because they don’t have children.”

According to her, the government is not left out, as they structurally stigmatise couples by not having health insurance big enough to cover the cost of infertility treatment. She advised couples to find treatment and not to isolate themselves but speak out and focus on the positives, saying, “We need to start thinking differently because our parents in those days adopted children but today when it comes to putting pen to paper to adopt, it becomes a problem.”

Dr. Mini Iyizoba spoke on fertility health, saying: “The basic things people forget while waiting is they can freeze their eggs, times are changing and people are marrying at later years than before.

Former Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Muiz Banire, who also had a traumatising waiting period said: “My experience was just for three years, but it was like forever. People put a timetable by saying things like, we are coming to eat rice o, and they put immense pressure on couples without knowing.

“They will give you all sorts of advice, telling you places to go to for solution as well as if it is automatic and couples keep going up and down without a solution. But I think the way forward is belief in God; don’t stress yourselves and above all, trust God.”He, therefore, urged the men too to also accept the fact that they could be the ones with the problems instead of putting the automatic blame on the women, as it is always the case.

While Head of Department of Psychiatric Lagos State University (LASU), Dr. Rotimi Coker, spoke on the psychological effect the period of waiting has on a couple, Dr. Oluyemisi Adeyemi-Bero spoke on surrogacy.Pastor (Mrs.) Ruth Essien brought another dimension to the programme as she spoke about things that Africans will normally term as taboo. But above all, she advised couples to be peaceful in their marriage, as it contributes a lot to conception while waiting.

Source: Guardian

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WHEN I LAUNCHED #GROWYOURGRAM I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE BIG- EMILY WALE-KOYA

Emily  an infectious motivational, cum transformational speaker, and business consultant who’s on a rampage to arm individuals and organizations with the tools needed for them to build lives and businesses they are completely obsessed about. She ventured into entrepreneurship from her university days and has garnered over 16 years experience in business.

Her first digital product (an audio recording) made her Six figures within 2 weeks. She wrote her first book in a week and with a 4 month old baby in hand.Today, she’s the proud founder of The School Of Personal Branding, her online school where she sells e-courses around business, digital marketing and personal branding.

Emily has been interviewed by notable outfits across the country and presently one of the biggest sensation on Instagram, helping young women and men alike build your page and  make money while at it. She’s happily married to Adewale Koya; her biggest support. Together they have Olamide, Oladimeji and Olajumoke Wale-Koya.

The #Growyourgram initiator shared her inspiring story with me in this exclusive interview

Growing up

I was all shades of shy as a little girl. I had very low self esteem as a child even up into adulthood. So, NO NO NO, my childhood and what I’m doing right are just two opposites.

Meet Me

I’m Emily Wale-Koya, an infectious speaker, revivalist, life and business coach, and author.  I’m a proud wife to one proud husband (lol) and a joyful mother to three children, ages 8, 5 and 2, who steal my breath away on a daily basis..I run an online training, coaching and consulting business that gives me the rare opportunity to do work that I really love and one that is financially rewarding.

I’m the founder of Nigeria’s first personal branding school; the school of personal branding, where we sell online courses around personal branding, business and personal development.

I’m a die-hard when it comes to going after success that I believe in. This pursuit keeps me constantly hungry and open for ideas that can and will take me and other women global so that we can seen, heard, paid and celebrated for the brilliance we bring into the world.

My work

I train, educate, coach and help women in Nigeria and across the globe embrace, package and promote their special gifts, expertise, and experiences, so they birth ideas that can cause a change in the world and at the same time, bring them financial independence. We do this by powerfully leveraging the internet and social media, especially Instagram™.

16 year’s  Experience entrepreneurial journey

“Entrepreneurs are job creators and they are the ones who will change the world”.

The above sentence became clear to me one day while I was at youth service in Cross River State.  Someone was invited to facilitate a session on entrepreneurship and after he spoke, another facilitator came up to do another session. This second facilitator came from a bank and was a banker. And after he spoke, his team and him started taking down names of people who wanted to write the banks test in order for them to get a job in the bank.The crowd was huge, the queue for this was long and I got so pissed and walked away… While at the camp, I started thinking about ways to get a job.. and being a self motivated person, I started psyching myself that “I AM  A JOB TO MYSELF, I CAN CREATE A JOB FOR MYSELF”.

To cut a long story short, while serving in Calabar, I decided to offer free trainings to guest houses and hotel staff. I even issued certificates after the training to people who attended.

I finished serving and then started buying and selling under-wears from bank to bank, house to house, at churches, etc. I stopped that business and went on to start a magazine publishing business, which I also stopped in 2013 after having my second child in the US and taking a long break from business.

Today, I’m running and growing an edtech company which is at the core of my existence on earth. We sell courses, ebooks, virtual coaching programs, physical workshops, etc.

Business ChallengesI would say being a one man business. It takes a lot to start and stand! I’m everything to everyone; accountant, managing director, marketer, trainer, coach, receptionist, etc… Although I have a digital team who works on my online school, not having physical staff yet is a challenge. But I’m on the verge of hiring some

Unstable internet connection is also an issue. My business is online 24 hours, so when the internet fumbles, it affects us seriously, as we almost can’t do anything and have to wait till it’s restored.

#Growyourgram

Truth be told, when I launched #growyourgram, I knew it was going to be BIG from DAY 1. I sketched the plan on paper and even though I didn’t put every aspect of it down, I knew it would explode in no time. The singular reason being that there was mad hunger by people on Instagram to learn and use Instagram for business.

I was bent on making a mark on the Instagram platform. I was exhausted watching others play big. Most importantly, I was keen on helping women in business build powerful brands and businesses on the platform.

We are currently working on the second version kicking off in January and I bet you, it will be massive.

Inspiring Feedbacks

Reading feedbacks from people who tell me how I helped them grow, win, and push. In fact one person sent me a DM on Instagram telling me how I helped her stop a suicide she was considering since she lost all she had; business, husband, money in the bank and reason to live.Things like this are priceless to me and I will make them happen again and again.

My brand in 5 years

As an edtech company, we will be operating globally and earning in foreign currency. We will be financially empowering at least 1000 women who are unable to speak good English language, or understand the internet, earn solid income by helping them create and sell their own digital products.

My personal brand on the other hand will be one of the most influential brands on Instagram™ and I will use it in return to rewrite the narrative for African women and open even more doors for us all.

Advice to young Entrepreneurs

 They should come up with ideas that have capacity to go global. We truly as a nation need to come off importing more than we create. So if it is a physical product or a digital product, they should please ensure their ideas can become international products. Also, they should check if there is even a market for their idea before they launch. They should embrace the internet and use it as a platform to test their ideas and eventually promote the product or service they want to offer their market.

My Motivation

The pursuit to be all that I’ve been created, designed and assigned to be by my God.

 Also, the pursuit to ensure my children have access to the best lives, education and access kings and queens should have.

Being a Woman of Rubies

The confidence, courage and determination I have to be all that I can be and the passion to help other women achieve same.

 Advice for women all over the world

The time and season to RISE is now! The internet is availing us as women so much to do with it. If you are a woman reading, I beg you to delay no longer. STOP letting fear, laziness, lack of adaptation to change, self-limiting beliefs, and approval from others stop you. Truth is that if you might miss this particular bus, you might be hurting yourself. And yes, another bus will surely come, but what if that bus isn’t headed in your direction? I advise you get on this bus (internet/social media) now and take over the drivers seat.

Using technology to your advantage!

If you have a passion, gift, skill or story that can impact even if it’s only 10 people, please go all out and start using social media to promote it and yourself.

Women are raking in millions of naira working from home. Some are influencers who companies pay between N500,000 – N3,000,000 simply because they have what we call “social influence; aka, social capital).

Again, this is the time and season for the woman to rise and shine.

{May the women of rubies stand up and be counted}!

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SIJU YUSUF: BLOOM WOMAN

#Bloom is a hashtag my friend recently started using when discussing (with) women and I understand perfectly why she has become obsessed by the need to see the womenfolk flourish.

Yesterday, I was further steered into analyzing what exactly my friend is on about. I was watching a movie, of a flourishing woman, who would rather be relegated and have her partner take the limelight. She wished, prayed and acted. Consulted all sorts of people to make this happen.
Women deal with a lot of unhealthy emotions and now, thoughts. It is perfectly okay to wish well for others but do not, I repeat, DO NOT wish any less for/on yourself.
 ‘Love your neighbor AS yourself’- This was said with the expectation that you have loved yourself first and foremost.
Do you know the saying that the sky is big enough for all birds to soar? It’s literal meaning is not only in birds but also humans (notice how this is human and not gender specific?)
It beats me to see women lurking in the shadows or wanting to.
To you, woman;
You are created with enormous potential. Your powers are phenomenal. Your wisdom is unprecedented. You are not an after thought creation, you were created to fill a palpable, conspicuous void. You are created with a purpose.
Stop lurking in shadows. Stop taking the backseat when the best has been reserved for you. Love yourself!
Approve of yourself. Bloom woman, bloom!
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‘I STARTED WITH ZERO CAPITAL FROM THE FLOOR OF MY LIVING ROOM’- IFEDOLAPO OKEWALE

Ifedolapo Olayemi-Okewole is the CEO of Hadassah Bridals, a complete bridal outfit based in Lagos. A graduate of Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and a World Bank Scholar, she relocated from England back to Nigeria to start her business, a journey she describes as tough. Recently opening a mega bridal showroom in Gbagada, she talks about her journey to the top, rising from running the business out of her living room with practically no capital and the use of the internet and sheer will to succeed. 

Tell us a bit about yourself and background?
I am the CEO of Hadassah Bridal House, one of the fastest growing bridal houses in Nigeria. The business started as a strictly online home-based business but it has grown and opened its first showroom in Gbagada, Lagos. I have maximised the use of the Internet and social media in growing my businesses. I am a World Bank Scholar having completed the Certificate In Entrepreneurial Management at Enterprise Development Centre, Pan African University under the Women X program. I am a graduate of Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University and I have professional experience in banking, HR and customer service both in Nigeria and the U.K.

You recently opened a new mega showroom, how did that make you feel?
Wow, a sense of relief and fulfillment. Taking a step that is higher than the last usually requires a lot of determination and energy. I am glad that this has finally become a reality. We have created a strong online presence for the brand and a lot of people want a total, satisfying bridal experience from us; this is what we are hoping to create with our flagship store in Gbagada. This business has really evolved. It has grown from our living room to this showroom that we are currently using. I remember our first bride vividly and we have since inception, attended to different brides from all over the country. Our first shop was in a shopping complex and I struggled with myself before getting there and I had less than five wedding dresses to keep on the rack. I tell you, the journey to growth can be a big stretch.

Why bridal fashion, how did you get into it and which field were you in before?
Well, the business started as a result of the experience I had when I was shopping for my own wedding. I was a young busy executive and my career at that time didn’t afford me the luxury of moving around shops for my wedding gown. I was working in a bank in Abuja and shopping in Abuja is quite different from Lagos where you can walk into Lagos Island market to shop for everything; moreover, I didn’t really have the time to do so. I bought virtually everything online. I knew at that time that there would be other people in my shoes as well. I wanted to help people shop for their bridal needs irrespective of their location. I used to work in banking, HR and customer service and I did these both in Nigeria and England.

What are some of the challenges you have faced and how did you overcome?
One of the first challenges I faced was getting customers but the Internet came to my rescue. We’ve been able to attend to different customers from different parts of the world from our little corner in Lagos. Understanding what brides wanted was also a challenge but with careful study, we gradually got around it.

What has been the highlight for you so far?
My highlight is basically the reach that we have. I am very excited every time a new customer calls or sends us a message that she found us online especially those from outside Nigeria. I have seen our products travel to different countries in the world. This year alone, I’ve had brides from Germany and the USA who came to get married in Nigeria and they got wedding gowns from us. It’s really a beautiful and humbling experience. At a point, our international logistics partners were asking us how come we were shipping wedding gowns from Nigeria to places like Switzerland and so on. This shows me the power of the Internet and how far we can reach the world.

What makes Hadassah stand out from other bridal houses?
I will say our reach. We want potential brides from everywhere find affordability at their fingertips. We have a Live chat system on our website which runs 24 hours a day. This helps us promptly attend to and process inquiries from our potential customers. We also ensure that our business has a presence on so many platforms online and this helps to boost our visibility. I’ve heard customers say they keep seeing our name everywhere; we want to be the first and most lasting impression on the minds of potential brides searching for their dream wedding gowns.

How did you raise capital to start out?
This business started with near-zero capital. Our first sets of transactions were basically pre-orders. Clients paid and we got their wedding gowns for them. We gradually grew from this till we started having wedding gowns and accessories on demand.
The Nigerian bridal business is quite saturated with a lot of substandard goods, how do you intend to maintain standards?
We always ensure quality checks on our products before they are sent to our customers. Also, we have worked with credible suppliers over the years in order to ensure a consistency in the quality of our product offerings. Even though the market might become compromised because of the economic conditions, we have decided to keep serving our customers without bias.

What should we expect from you in the next couple of years?
We are looking at the brand growing and expanding to major cities in Nigeria and across Africa. We are also looking at a boost in our supplier base so we can attend to a wider section of the market. I also see myself empowering more women to start up their own businesses and leverage the power of social media and the Internet for this. I currently do this on a low scale but I’ll be doing more. It can be a lonely road running a business especially if you are starting from home, but I want to show other women that it is possible and achievable to not only do so but scale up from there.

Interview by: Tobi Awodipe for Guardian Newspaper

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ACTOR & MBE HONOUREE BECOMES FIRST PERSON WITH DOWN SYNDROME TO GET HONORARY DEGREE FROM A UK UNIVERSITY

 

This actor and campaigner’s story is an inspiring one.

Sarah Gordy, 40, with Down Syndrome has become the first person with the condition to receive an honorary degree from a UK university.

The University of Nottingham on Wednesday honoured Sarah with a Doctor of Laws degree at a ceremony at University Park campus.

Sarah had earlier in November, became the first woman with Down Syndrome to be made an MBE.

She’s starred in British TV show “Call The Midwife” and is a very active campaigner for people with learning disability.

“If I believed all the things that people said I couldn’t do, I would not have done any [dancing, acting and campaigning],” she said during her acceptance speech

She adds: “Don’t listen to doubt… believe in yourselves.”

Sarah’s mother, Jane Gordy said of her daughter: “As far as I was concerned Sarah was going to have every experience there is and if she wants to do something, just do it.”

Watch Sarah below:

 

 

Source:Bellanaija

 

 

 

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#MONDAYMOTIVATION | ENITAN FACOS : 5 WAYS TO BEAT  MONDAY BLUES

Everyone ’s productivity is affected by your Monday Blues. “When you’re unhappy at work, it makes it very difficult for those around you to be happy, and oftentimes just one worker with a case of the Mondays can spread the doldrums to the whole team.”

Here are 5 ways to beat (or avoid) the dreaded Monday Blues:

1. Identify the problem. “The first thing to do is to ask yourself what’s wrong,” Kjerulf says. If you have the Monday Blues most weeks, then this is not something you should laugh off or just live with. It’s a significant sign that you are unhappy at work and you need to fix it or move on and find another job.  if you only suffer the occasional bout of mild Monday Blues, then you can do some things to successfully cheer yourself and others up on an otherwise dreary Monday.

2. . Prepare for Monday on Friday. “Mondays can be extra stressful from work that has potentially piled up from the previous week and, for many, can be challenging to jump right back in.

To help combat that Monday morning anxiety, be sure to leave yourself as few dreadful tasks as possible on Friday afternoon, Friedman says. “By taking care of the things you least want to handle at the end of one work week, you’re making the start of the next that much better.”

If you do have any unpleasant tasks awaiting your attention Monday morning, get them done as early as possible so that you don’t spend the rest of the day procrastinating or “feeling as if there’s a black cloud hanging over your head,” she says. “Make that uncomfortable phone call, resolve that outstanding issue, or clean up that mess that’s waiting for you. You’ll feel a lot better once it’s over.”

3. Make a list of the things you’re excited about.“We often look at the week ahead of us and think of all the tough stuff we have to do and the difficult tasks ahead of us,”  “Turn that around. Sunday evening, make a list of three things you look forward to at work that week. This might put you in a more positive mood. If you can’t think of three things you look forward to, that might be an indication that you need to make some changes.”

4. Get enough sleep and wake up early. Go to bed a little early on Sunday night and be sure to get enough sleep so that you wake up feeling well-rested, Friedman says. “If you’re only running on a couple of hours of sleep, it’s unlikely that you’re going to feel good about going anywhere when the alarm goes off Monday morning.” Although it might seem counter-intuitive, waking up an extra 15 to 30 minutes early on Monday morning can actually make going back to the office easier.

5. . Be positive. Start the week out with an “attitude of gratitude,” Kahn says. “Take time to recognize and appreciate the things that you enjoy about work.”

This starts before you even get to work. To pump yourself up on your way in to work, try listening to your favorite songs, Friedman says. “Think about the type of playlist you would create for a workout, and incorporate that same upbeat, high-energy music into your morning preparation or commute.”

When you get to the office, do your best not to be a complainer–and keep your Monday morning grumpiness to yourself, Friedman adds. “In the same vein, don’t listen to other people’s Monday gripes. Creating or contributing to a culture of complaining is no way to improve your attitude.”

 

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BUKOLA OGUNYEYE: DON’T MARRY A MAN THAT HITS YOU

Don’t marry a man who has slapped you just “once” in your relationship.

Don’t marry a man who has another lady or ladies in his life while in a relationship with you.

Don’t marry a man who has a character you are not comfortable with.

It is annoying when ladies say “He will change” . Like really?

Listen, Courtship/ Dating is a period for you to know the character, behaviour and values of your would-be Husband ( this post is for Ladies)

Whatever you can’t condone in marriage, whatever you can never put up with in marriage, don’t EVER accept it in your relationship.

Keep moving!

Having it at the back of your mind that a man will change is nothing but stupidity.

If a man will ever change, it is going to be for the worse!

One of the annoying mistakes single ladies make is saying that “No man is perfect”, “He will change” Let me marry this one”.

These are the things worthless Ladies tell themselves. It is worthlessness to settle for just any Penis ( man).

Me, I can’t deal. If you say ” No man is perfect and you go marry an idiot in your quest for marriage, be ready to face the consequences.

In 2017, we should be making a head way and be doing it differently. Enough of stories that touch.

If only Ladies can be wise.

If you are in a relationship where your so called Boyfriend or so called Fiancee is slapping or beating you, you should go have your brain examined!

We don’t want you to bring your Sob stories to us later. Please spare us that shit.

When I talk about marriage , some people with shallow brain will think I hate the Institution of marriage. No, I don’t. Rather, I hate how the desire to marry has made fools out of many women / Ladies.

I can’t comprehend it at all.

If you don’t want to divorce, then you have to be sane and open your eyes clearly now that you are not yet married to that man.

I know shit happens in marriage. I am very aware of that.

That is the reason I will always be very open to divorce and would also Advocate it anytime any day!

Some Nonsense person will say, She is advocating Divorce when she is married.

You see ehn, for that to be popping up in your brain, I don’t think your head is correct at all. #straightface

But………. can Ladies be honest with themselves when it comes to their choice of a Life partner?

Some divorce would never have seen the light of the day if only Ladies refuse to accept shit during courtship!

Many cases of divorce could have been averted.

For the life of me, how do you manage to still stay in a relationship with a “Mike Tyson”?

Some type of men should never have a single goat in their life, let alone a human being!

How do you manage to be in a relationship with a Philanderer?

I was thinking no matter the love Juliet has for Romeo, the moment Romeo, raises his hands to slap Juliet, that love must die immediately but what do I know?

Some men should never be able to get a wife. They ought to remain in their father’s house  wifeless and an object of ridicule for being Gorillas  but these set of men still get wedded every Saturday and their Bride would be smiling like an idiot all over the place. Mtcheeewwwww!

What is wrong with the brain of these Ladies? Is  that how finished they are ni? Is that how worthless they are?

The desire to have a man in your life at all cost is capable of making you become a worthless specie. It will also land you in trouble.

You can’t throw caution to the wind  and expect it not to get messy and messier later.

Ladies, if no one has told you, I am telling you now – Don’t marry a useless and Irresponsible man.

Be single. Singleness is not a disease.

Choose to be single if there are no decent guys again.

Emmmmm, they will come and tell me now ; See o! “she is in her husband’s house but she is telling us not to marry.

Issorite!

Singing in Lagbaja’s voice –

Oju re a ja

Oju re a ja

Pararararan pi ran pa, parararara pin ra……………

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