Esther Ijewere

In Interviews&profile November 3, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

Meet Udeme Mfon-okon, the woman who quit banking for pig farming

Mrs. Udeme Mfon-Okon is a pig farmer who recently emerged as the winner of the Diamond Bank Building Entrepreneur Today (BET) Award, the bank’s initiative to ensure that entrepreneurs in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are properly trained and equipped with business knowledge and capital to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria. In this interview, Mfon-Okon talks about her experience as a pig farmer before and after BET. Enjoy.

Tell us about your educational and career background
I had my first degree from the University of Uyo where I studied accounting and did my MBA at the University of Calabar. I am also an alumnus of Lagos Business School (LBS), where I did a Senior Management Programme. I was in the banking industry for 13 years and I left Stanbic IBTC as a manager.

At what point did you decide to quit banking for piggery farming?
I left the bank in 2012 and went into exporting charcoal and Shea butter. Though the returns were good but the rigours was too much for me and I couldn’t cope with it, so I decided to go into farming because I had always loved it and I decided to try my hands on it. I had a piece of land somewhere, I thought of doing poultry because I have a sister-in-law who does poultry. But when I ran into a friend of mine, he said that he had gone into poultry business and got his fingers burnt. He introduced me into piggery since that was what he was doing and I followed him to his farm. I loved it the moment I saw it and I decided to go into piggery farming in that instant.

It was interesting when I saw my friend’s pig farm, I never knew much about pigs, I just knew there was puck and I used to eat it, but never knew anything about its rearing.

How did you start in terms of funding?
I started with my savings and got 60 animals, then I rented five rooms initially, but when I realised that the business was something I loved and would like to continue, I then got my first Pen. However, I usually fall back to my husband for money when mine finishes and I had a lot of support from family and a lot of friends.

Has it been a very lucrative business? What are the challenges of doing piggery and livestock farming in general?
Yes, the business has really been lucrative. One thing about pig farming is that you have to stay in it for you to get your returns. It is not something that you give yourself a timeline saying ‘within six months or a year, if I don’t make my money, I am leaving it.’ You will not reap the benefit of the whole thing. You have to stay in it to reap the benefit.

One of the major issues of livestock farming is getting quality feed for them, what happens is one day you’re able to buy corn at a certain price and by the time you go back it is a higher price. And if you’re doing it as a business, you’re watching your bottom line also, so what we do is, we try to find different alternatives that you can feed them with, so if there’s no corn what can you use alternatively? If corn is not in season, if it is too expensive, what else can you use to feed? You have to have a wide range of things to feed your animals.

Feeding and taking care of livestock is not a child’s play, how did you get the funding to expand in a short time?
I got the help of Diamond Bank eventually but before then, I had grown. The secret is you have to remain focused and know what you are doing. You have to plan, that is how I was able to grow like you have said. You need to have proper plans financially for you to be able to expand. So, at the beginning of the year I do a budget; this is what I am thinking I should be able to do. I know the number of animals I have, I know the number of sows (female pigs) I have, so I am expecting that this females should provide a certain number of animals for me within a given time. At the same time, I have an average idea of how much I spend on feeding every month, so I ensure that I have that money available and that was why I said when I use my money, I fall back to my husband’s money, family and friends. I actually took loans but they weren’t expensive loans, they were interest free so I could actually keep and run for as long as possible.

Tell us about your Experience at the Diamond Bank BET
Initially when I applied for the Diamond Bank BET grant, it was all about the money for me, I was just interested in collecting N3million and coming to expand my business. I didn’t even know we were going to go for training at the Entrepreneur Development Centre (EDC), but on getting there, I realised that there was so much I did not know. Initially, I thought I was doing really well and I knew a whole lot, because I did so much to get my business to where it was at that time. But from the first day of my training, my mind just shifted and I realised that, if I take with me what I have learnt from the training, my business will get better.

I learnt so many things like strategy and branding. I never thought branding was important in pig farming because I had my customers walking in without so much effort to source for customers, so I didn’t think that branding would be important. But it turned out that branding is a strategy you can just tweak in your business and there would be an amazing transformation. The first month I attended the training and I implemented one of those things, I made a savings of N270, 000 just that first month.

So it is something that Diamond Bank has provided and we all need to key into it, but unfortunately, they might not be able to extend it beyond 50 people but so long as they implement whatever they learnt, it would be a wonderful experience for them, because their businesses will definitely change for the better.

So I would encourage people, even if they are not going to for the Diamond Bank EDC 1, get some kind of entrepreneur training because it would turn your business for the better. That training alone has impacted my business and up till now, I still go back to my notes once in a while to get information to stream my business processes and work on my human resources. I even advice friends around to take a course in the EDC on human resources just for their staffs and I give advice from what I have learnt because it is a very exciting and mind-blowing experience and Diamond Bank do not know the gravity of positive impact they are having on people’s lives with the BET.

Kindly tell us how they can access the BET fund
Right now the portal is opened for BET 7, you just log in, you upload your 1minute video stating what your business is about. The video has to be concise and captivating, so that when they are selecting people for the process, hopefully you would get selected. Once you get selected, you go for training at the EDC and you just might get picked.

What are the EDC selection criteria?
I really did not know the criteria EDC used to make selections, I am sure they have their guidelines. What you just need to do is put out your best footage and with that I am sure you will get picked.

Is piggery business very time-consuming? How do you handle diseases?
Initially it was time-consuming because you have to be there to set your structures properly but after a while, once you have proper business operations, it is no longer time-consuming.

As per diseases, what we do is more preventive, because once you have an outbreak, you lose your animals and you don’t want to get into that. So we do preventives by making sure our pen is always clean, make sure you treat your animals, give them their vitamins when giving them their food. Also, on a monthly basis, there are some medicines we give them and once you are giving them healthy food, the idea is that your pigs will be fine. I actually had an outbreak last year but it was quickly contained, we were able to quickly contain it

Who are your customers? Tell us your supply chain?

We have a lot of customers right now but my major customers come in from Benin Republic to buy. We have customers that come in from Warri to buy and we also have customers that supply restaurants.

What advise would you give anyone who wants to go into this business?
Well, I would say you should plan properly, because initially when I started, I didn’t plan well and I ran into financial hitch. I had a little extra money so I just boomed and started expanding, forgetting that I am going to feed this animals for a couple of months before they get to maturity for me to sell them out and because of that, I had cash flow problem and that was when I had to run to family and friends to borrow.

If you were not doing this, what would you be doing?
Right now I don’t know, I have given it a thought many times and nothing has come to mind but perhaps teaching. I could be a teacher.

Interview by: Maria Diamond for Guardian Woman.

In self development November 3, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

Chukwuneta Obi: A note to every woman

I thought this message necessary after hearing a young lady’s account of how her supposed boyfriend’s sick fantasy made a mince meat of her self-esteem. Unfortunately, that is what seems to obtain with a lot of ladies out there. Ladies who are consistently allowing someone’s ‘sick fantasy’ destroy any semblance of self-esteem left in them.

When it is not his obsession with an oversize backside, it’s the mountainous ‘front side’. The unfortunate ‘ish’ is…ladies who should know better are letting themselves feel unworthy, even with their ‘modest endowments’.

Isn’t it for the sole purpose of fulfilling some of these sick fantasises of the menfolk that the beauty industries are flooding the markets with ‘add-ons’ like Silicone brassieres, bum and hip wears- meant to add size to a woman’s backside and hips.

Anyway…back to the gist. They had just started going out and prior to their first ‘real meeting’ (you know what I mean?), he had always told her that he fancies women with extra backside. She felt lucky because her friends have always told her that her protruding backside is enviable. Come the day they made love, she asked if he liked what he saw (especially her back side). Guess what his response was? It was with a bored expression (she said she will never forget that expression he had on his face-so fast) on his face, that he shrugged and said, “it’s okay. It just doesn’t shake.’’

This statement made her self-esteem come crashing so hard, such that whenever she sees fellow women with similar endowment, she begins to wonder if hers measures up-in the ‘shaking department’-even when her friends commend her natural endowment –she still says to herself ‘’but it does not shake.’’

How did she come out of this? The very thing her first guy didn’t appreciate in her was one of the things that sent some other person over the moon –in her physical attributes. It was then that she finally said to herself, ‘’wait a minute, I am actually beautiful the way I am and anyone who thinks I must be in a certain way to be appreciated/accepted-obviously does not deserve me.’’

This singular realisation was the beginning of the end of that affair with the first guy. She said that the funny thing about this character is that she liked him enough not to dwell on his ‘barely larger than a giant groundnut’ sized balls. Now that the door of her feelings has been firmly shut in his face, she wonders why he has not hurried after those with ‘shaky behinds’.

Another lady even told me about how a particular character she was latching up to for ‘true love’ made it categorically clear (as a FORE WARNING, actually) that -if any lady that has interest in him is not endowed with a pair of CHEST PLUMS that are as FIRM as ripened oranges-such a lady should not just bother coming close.

I could not believe that a lot of women still allow themselves to listen to these trash-all in the name of FINDING ACCEPTANCE/LOVE.

For real?
As a rule of thumb…no relationship will ever hold water with me if it’s all about fleshly desires. There must be substance. I can’t imagine finding myself in a relationship that’s defined by the pleasures that another derives from my body and related services (winks).

I won’t ever be able to get over that feeling of being JUST ANOTHER PLAY THING. I hope every woman out there begins to add VALUE to herself, if any man who claims to want a serious affair with you can’t seem to look beyond your body-please have a re-think about such a relationship. You deserve to be appreciated for the beautiful and wholesome soul that you are and not just a plaything.

Yes, after the steaming bedroom sessions…what other substantial claims can you make about that relationship you find yourself in? Does it add value to your life in any way or are you just a ‘relaxant’?

Some of us will rather be in a worthless relationship than risk being alone. Hello! If the wrong person in your life isn’t shown the exit, there may not be a ‘way in’ for the right person.

As you evaluate that relationship you are currently embroiled in, I leave you with the words of Dawn Raffel …”Letting men determine who we are is the negative hinge that turns desire into vulnerability, changes our bodies from sites of pleasure to sites of betrayal, and transforms solitude into loneliness. I think that when people say they’re lonely, what they’re really saying is that they don’t like their own company. And something should be done about that, because if you don’t like your own company, then you’re the victim of whoever passes by.’’

Source: Guardian.ng

In Interviews&profile November 2, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

Invest in yourself and increase your value so you can be valued – Uzoamaka Okorie

Uzoamaka Letticia Okorie serves as the Managing Director of the bespoke cleaning servicing company, Nikolasjay Global Services Limited. Uzoamaka is a result driven, self-motivated and resourceful MD with a proven ability to strengthen management teams in order to maximise company profitability and efficiency. Possessing excellent communication skills and able to establish sustainable and profitable relationships with customers and stakeholders. With her Human Resources Background she has served in various executive management roles from Fine and Country (International) West Africa, MTN Nigeria Communication where she was the Human Resource Advisory Executive to three departments in one and two Divisions within the Business. Her more than 15 year career spans from HR Management with Lotus Capital Limited and Quantum Communications Limited, Program/Administrative coordinator with FATE Foundation to her Customer Service skill delivery in the Airline Industry.

Uzoamaka holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany from the University of Lagos and certified HR courses with Cornell University, USA. She is Happily married with kids. She shares her story in this interview.

Childhood Influence

I would say yes. I grew up watching my Dad excel in the corporate world even as he sought ways to make a difference, add value and give back to his community. He did not just talk the talk but he walked the walk. He started successful multiple entrepreneurial ventures and had a balanced family life.

Meet Uzoamaka

If I have to describe myself, I’d say, dynamic, relentless, and unapologetically a lover of the most High..

Nikolasjay Global Services Limited

Nikolasjay Global services ltd was born out of a need to add value and impact my generation. We are a multi faceted boutique company catering to the environmental services industry. We offer a wide range of services, from janitorial and cleaning services to the manufacture and retail of consumer products.

Challenges

line of work? – A constant challenge in the industry is Human Resources. Sourcing and retaining competent staff is a continuous balancing act.

Other project and activities

At NikolasJay, we have many projects in the pipeline that we are very excited about. We just launched a line of Multipurpose liquid soap that comes in different fragrances. We also have other projects that would be ready by next year God willing. Truly exciting times for us.

Greatest Reward

There is an old saying that referrals are the best complement. It is truly rewarding when I get referrals from a satisfied client.

Where do you see your brand in the next five years?

In the next 5 years, by His grace we plan to establish ourselves in the industry as the one stop shop service provider for everything related to janitorial, environmental and Dry cleaning services.

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?

Oh yes… dare I say every other month lol, however, it’s a feeling that lasts but a moment. Giving up is NEVER an option.

Who and what inspire you to be better

My children inspire me to be better. I want them to see that through hard work and perseverance, they can achieve and accomplish their hearts desire.

What makes you a woman of Rubies

My desire to see other women grow and flourish in their respective fields, supporting each other and making a generational impact.

Any final word for young women all over the world?

Invest in yourself and increase your value so you can be valued…

In self development November 2, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

JOHN OBIDI : CHOOSE YOURSELF

Some years ago, a gospel rapper came to perform at my church. He wasn’t a big name but I’d come across his songs somehow and I LOVED THEM.

I’m a HUGE FAN OF RAP MUSIC, so when I love a song, I memorize the lyrics. When he performed that Sunday, I didn’t rap along though, because packaging. I just nodded to the beat and smiled while he did his thing.

After church, I didn’t talk to him or anything. I went home.

Weeks later, this rapper posted a contest on his Facebook Profile. He dropped a line from one of his best singles and promised a recharge card to any fan who knew the next line.

Excitedly, I dropped the lyrics to THE ENTIRE SONG from memory.

What should have been a WOW moment soon degenerated as he began insinuating that I must’ve googled the lyrics in order to cheat at the contest.

At first I was furious and yelled (in my heart), “Dude, you’re not even big enough for any website to have your lyrics. Don’t hype yourself”

And then the still small voice that I’ve come to recognize over the years said, “Think. Why do you think he’s so adamant? What if he doesn’t think he’s good enough for his ENTIRE SONG to be memorized by a fan?”

In that instant, entitlement was replaced by understanding. And then, empathy.

Thankfully, my angry retort hadn’t yet made it from my brain to my keypad, so I sent him a DM calmly explaining how much I genuinely admired his music.

He sent me the 200 Naira recharge card, but I wasn’t the only winner that day.

Many people think that money and fame will solve their problems. But I can tell you for a fact that there are wounds and insecurities that cannot be covered by mere currency.

The billionaire you envy, secretly feels insecure about his big belly.

The runway model whose body you want, hates the way her eyes are positioned.

The public speaker you adore is pissed at his receding hairline.

That successful businesswoman and philantropist is afraid to find love because she might be taken advantage of financially.
Insecurities will always be around us, but they don’t have to be yours.
Be kind to yourself. Be your own biggest fan.

You can learn this for free. Watch Donald Trump.
Love yourself first, for you cannot pour out of an empty cup and you can only truly give (love) of your overflow.

CHOOSE YOURSELF.
– J.O.

In self development November 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

16-Year-Old Mo Odegbami Creates “Childishzine” Magazine For Her Peers

Given how amazing millennials are as a generation, it should come as no surprise that the next generation are following suit.

People are really about the ‘for us by us’ movement, and when you want something that is not made available to you, the solution these days is to just make it yourself. This is why 16-year-old, Mo Odegbami, with a team of friends – Aima Aig-Imokhuede, Molly Johnson, Tolu Faromika and Yasmin Birch – got started on Childishzine, a magazine that caters to their demographic. Childishzine is a platform created to showcase the work of different creatives from poets to photographers. On their website, they spoke about why they created the magazine:

“We created this in order to showcase the photography, poetry and the general art of young people who may not be well-known in the arts community.

We work to discover the most unique and talented people to feature in the Zine creating a fresh atmosphere to enhance the experience for our readers around the globe.”

This group of teenage girls believe very strongly in the beauty and relevance of art. Through Childishzine, they would like to help other young creatives like them get their work out there. The first issue is available foe download and purchase.

Follow @childishzine on On Instagram for more info.

Source : Konbini.com

In Career Gems November 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

Nollywood Actress Nse Ikpe-Etim Is Taking Her Talents To Hollywood

Best known for her roles in Nollywoodblockbusters such as Fifty, The Meeting and Phone Swap, Nse Ikpe-Etim’s talents are about to be exposed to an even wider international audience.

She is set to star alongside Oscar nominee, Eric Roberts and other popular actors in upcoming political drama Lone Star Deception. Directed by Don Okolo and produced by Nkem DenChukwu, the movie tells the story of a politician, Stuart Sagle (Eric Roberts) who is leading in the race for Governor of Texas. A fling he had with a prostitute threatens to derail his campaign, which puts a second candidate, Tim Bayh (Anthony Ray Parker) into play, and Tim finds himself as the first black gubernatorial candidate in Texas’ history.

It is not typical to have Nollywood actors in Hollywood movies, and following Genevieve Nnaji’s role in Farming alongside Kate Beckinsale, this is another big win for Nollywood. We hope that this pushes the entire film industry to strive for even more growth.

The movie is set to be released in the US by August 2018. We don’t know if or when it will show in Nigeria but we will keep our ears to the ground.

Source: Kobini

In Interviews&profile November 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

The Hollywood reporter lists Mo Abudu among 25 most powerful women in global television

The Hollywood Reporter has released its annual list of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television and Mo Abudu is the only African woman listed, amongst those from North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia. The Founder and CEO of EbonyLife TV is being recognised as an influential woman in the media industry for the second time.

The category recognises female executives from around the globe who are rewriting the rules of TV, during a time when “women have to work twice as hard for the same recognition” as men. The article describes Abudu as a woman who “has been at the forefront of media innovation on the continent and whose goal for the coming year is to successfully produce Africa’s first sci-fi TV series.” The first time she was included in this list was in 2013, immediately after the launch of EbonyLife TV.

Since those early days, EbonyLife TV has created over 4,000 hours of original, high-quality content, including landmark drama series The Governor, Sons of the Caliphate and Fifty (the series), along with the first pan-African talk show, Moments, with different versions hosted in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. EbonyLife Films made its debut in 2015 at the 59th BFI London Film Festival with Fifty, the highest-grossing Nollywood movie that year. In 2016, EbonyLife co-produced The Wedding Party, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become the biggest movie in the history of Nigerian cinema.

Ms. Abudu does not take the recognition from the renowned entertainment magazine for granted. “It’s an honour and privilege to be acknowledged again by The Hollywood Reporter. I am proud to represent Nigeria and the thousands of women in Africa, striving to make their mark in a male-dominated industry,” she said.

The Hollywood Reporter publishes its list of Most Powerful Women in Global Television annually, with luminaries deemed by its editors to have made a significant impact on what audiences are watching worldwide and how women are represented on TV.

To see the complete list, click here: https://goo.gl/Xghfas

In this article:

In Career Gems November 1, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

Active projectile empowers 100 women with training, seed grants

The Award winning organisation, Active Projectile, recently held the maiden edition of its Women Empowerment Programme, which was free for women of all levels and backgrounds.

Held at the Royal Event Centre, Obafemi Awolowo Way Ikeja, Lagos for one week, it featured a round-up online training on setting financial goals and the need to have a business plan, facilitated by Mrs. Sodeke, a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, the creative director of Every Wear and Accessories and the founder of Indispensable Woman Academy.

Participants also got soft skill training on entrepreneurship, building self-confidence and health and safety tips from the director of the group, Adesola Oyinloye-Ndu and Femi Dasilva of Safety Record.

The women were also taught various skills such as make up artistry, gele tying, crocheting, introduction to cloth beading and stoning, introduction to sewing, tie and dye, making of coconut oil and so on.

A WhatsApp group has been created to accommodate 20 women who are being targeted for support with seed grants and further training.

Future projects of the organisation include commissioning of a permanent vocational centre for skills acquisition to include vocations in science and technology to learn coding and Robotics across Nigeria, with Lagos as the headquarters.

The founder Oyinloye-Ndu said it is her hope and dream to train about 1000 women in various vocations across the country over a period of five years and at no cost to the participants.

Lagos DSVRT, GabLotto, Funtuna Water, Safety Record and Busy Bees Travels Deals supported the event and the next session will take place December 18 to 20, 2017 in Lagos. It would be a two-day free baking training for 100 women with a one-day family funfair.

In Interviews&profile October 28, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

The ability to communicate in sign language has drawn the deaf naturally to me and made me share their world – Ayodele Eizabeth

Ayodele Funmilayo Elizabeth is a Nigerian born and a Lagos based practicing entrepreneur. She attended Yaba college of Technology where she obtained O. N. D in Science Laboratory Technology and H.N.D. in Chemistry, which gave her a share in the manufacturing industry of which she runs a venture that manufactures industrial and domestic products. She also possesses a diploma certificate in Desktop publishing among other skills.

Elizabeth is a problem-solving, highly intellectual and innovative individual motivated by compassion and love. Elizabeth’s entrepreneurial strength has been a source of inspiration to many.

Having gone through various vocational and leadership trainings of which she became an alumni member of the Advanced Daystar Leadership Academy. She started occupying the leadership role at the age of 17 when she became the managing director of an I.T/ computer institution. She had since then been engaging in the business world. Her desire for knowledge and her versatility nature led her into learning sign language which she has since been utilizing to lessen the isolation of the deaf. Elizabeth love for humanity and equality led her into advocating for inclusion of deaf persons and encouraging people to embrace the use of sign language.

Elizabeth love for humanity and equality brought her to advocating/proposing for the inclusion of deaf persons into every sector including programs/conference which was honored and led to having deaf people in attendance at mega and prestigious conference like ‘Live Your Dream Africa’ and ‘Dynamic Youth Assembly’ . She and her team also organize monthly program to empower the deaf intellectually and socially. She was recently interviewed at the Ambassador Radio show ,Unilag F.M

She is the founder of Beyond Limitation Initiative, an initiative that is passionate about bridging the gap between the deaf and the hearing. She shares her story in this interview.

Childhood Influence

Yes, I remember during my childhood how my mother and everyone around will repeatedly say the wisdom and creative qualities I demonstrated were uncommon for children my age. I grew up seeing my mother defending the cause of others and her stand against any form of injustice and oppression despite her widowhood.

Meet Ayodele

Ayodele Funmilayo Elizabeth is a transformation catalyst, passionate about humanity (especially equality and justice), entrepreneurship and innovation. She has featured on various media platforms too

Inspiration behind Beyond Limitation Initiative

Beyond Limitation Initiative is passionate and burdened with bridging the gap between the deaf and the hearing, kicking against the deprivation of the rights of the deaf (in rents, entrepreneurship, services, education, health, social life etc).

One experience stands out. After I had developed my ability to relate and connect with the deaf, at one time I saw three deaf persons communicating with one another in front of my office. I got excited and approached them. We became good friends till date. However one of them named Tunji ( not a real name) became so close to me that he will visit my residence almost everyday.

Unknown to me, Tunji (not real name) needed a friend that hears his heart. He needed someone who could understand the language of his heart (sign language), he was apparently tired of shrinking his thoughts on paper.

The saddest part of his story was how he became deaf and the discrimination he suffered from there on. I asked myself “what if it happens to me, will I suffer same?” What would become of the deaf in the next generation? Is life becoming better for them?

My advocacy for people living with hearing disabilites

Although I didn’t have any relatives associated with hearing disabilities neither am I one, but the ability to communicate in sign language has drawn the deaf naturally to me and made me share their world.

However, other disabilities are apparent and easily assisted than the deaf while the deaf can do anything except hear, they can also be more independent than other disabilities but ironically they suffer the high side of discrimination. Also, communication plays a vital role in our daily life but a fraction of our citizens have been disconnected from their world due to communication barrier which can be minimized if the hearing could embrace sign language.

Who and What Inspire me?

My greatest inspiration comes from God in whom I draw strength. My mother and the deaf world are also sources of inspiration to me. Lately, Mrs Oginni Folusho has been inspiring me through her love for humanity and her compassionate heart.

Greatest Reward

The Joy derived from serving humanity especially when I see the desired change been effected. The smiles on the faces of the deaf and the stories of liberation of some of them are my rewards too. I believe that everyone has his/her quota to contribute in making the world a better place. Therefore, I would say my greatest reward comes from doing so.

Challenges of Running my Organisation

The present challenge is the low awareness of the plights of the deaf by the hearing communities and inadequate funding. Although an average Nigerian is emotional towards people with disabilities but there is need to do more than playing emotion. We have to take deliberate actions towards making life better for them rather than leaving them to the mercy of the government and NGOs alone.

Giving up is not an option

No, I believe that your strong WHY will determine how far you go in the pursuit of your dream. While we don’t choose dreams but dreams choose us, it is our responsibilities to live up to the size of the dreams instead of giving up. Every challenge I have encountered has given me another opportunity to learn and grow.

I am a Woman of Rubies

The God-factor, optimism, problem-solving and being purposeful makes me a Woman of Rubies

Advice to Women

There is a seed of greatness in everyone, no matter who you are, there is something in you that the world needs, so see the abilities in you rather than the disability. The only limitation you have is the one you place on yourself. Tap into the great endowments you possess and make your world proud. It is not going to be easy but with God, you will triumph. The greatest tragedy is not the inability to hear but the inability to heed. Your humanity status counts more than your hearing status.

In Career Gems October 22, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

UN ANNOUNCES JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG NIGERIANS

UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has disclosed that there are 37 career openings for young Nigerians in the world body.

Mohammed disclosed this, weekend, at a Cultural Night organised by Nigerians working at the United Nations Systems.

She said the openings are available via the Junior Professional Officers’ Programme, including internship for young graduates.

JPO is a programme for the young people to come and grow their career at the UN and it has 37 positions for Nigeria – one for each of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

The JPO programme provides young professionals with hands-on experience in multilateral technical co-operation, and is one of the best ways to gain entry level positions within the UN system.

JPOs are sponsored by their own government, which fund their placement in one of a range of UN organisations.

“Whenever there are opportunities, try and pave the way for the young ones; you are getting old and we want to see the young ones in the system”, she said referring to older Nigerians.

“We need to give the youth the opportunity because if we don’t give them the opportunities, they can easily fall victims of crimes.”

According to Mohammed, the Nigerian employees at the UN system are getting old and there is the need for the Nigerian youth to be allowed to come into the system.
She said: “Home really does need us; there are leaders and we are trying with the professionals that we see in the United Nations.

“The work we need to do is not just to the world but also to remember that at the root of all that, you are only as good as where you come from.

“And it’s really important that we remember, with what we do here, what we can get back home, that we can encourage those at home, and inspire them.

“It’s not just what we do for the world. Can’t we take those expertise back home?”

The UN too official further condemned what she termed alarming gender-based violence in Nigeria, saying it has increased in dimensions that one could never imagine.

She said: “When I look back home and I see that there are women that are coming back from Boko Haram captivity, they come back with a type of violence that many, for the rest of their lives, can’t recover from.

“But I also see that what is worse is the kind of violence that is visited upon the young girl.

“She is indoctrinated and convinced to tie a bomb around her and blow it off; that’s violence against girls; that’s violence against women.

“But what I wanted to say was that as we look at the gender-based violence initiative that we put a spotlight on our own nation; we all have a part to play.

“I know we would spend some money in Nigeria on this initiative but we all have a part to play individually and collectively in trying to bring it to zero.”

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