Women of Rubies, Author at Women of Rubies

In Inspiration January 27, 2020 By Women of Rubies

HERE ARE 7 POWERFUL WOMEN IN THE FINANCE SECTOR IN NIGERIA

This women are committed financial executors in their various leadership positions. Their top notch skills and vast experiences explains just how good and powerful they are.

1. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala –

She has served twice as former minister of finance and a coordinating minister of the economy.

A highly respected and influential global leader, economist and policymaker. She had consistently made Forbes’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the World and one of the Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine.

She has also held several key positions at the World Bank, including as Managing Director.

2. Arunma Oteh – Ecobank board member

Arunma Oteh has a 33-year career ranging from finance to banking and international development. Oteh was treasurer of the World Bank from 2015-2018, and the former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria 2010-2015. She recently joined Oxford University as an academic scholar at St. Antony’s College and an executive-in-residence at SAID Business School. Ecobank also recently appointed her as a non executive board member.

3. Zainab Ahmed – Nigeria’s Minister of Finance

Zainab is an accountant by profession and became the Minister of Finance following the resignation of, Kemi Adeosun the then former minister last year. And also Minister for Budget and National Planning appointed on August 21, 2019 as the two ministries were brought under her as one, making her the de facto Minister of Economy. She was previously the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.

In over 30 years of her career, she has served the in various high ranking positions.

4. Aishah Ahmad – Deputy Governor, CBN

Aishah Ahmad was appointed Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) , she leads the sound promotion of financial system in Nigeria; as one of the principal objects of the Bank as specified within the CBN Act. She is a member of the Governing Board and Committee of Governors at the CBN and Chairman, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) – a not for profit organization.

Prior to her appointment, Aisha was the Executive Director, Retail Banking at Diamond Bank. Her experience cuts across top financial institutions in Nigeria including Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC and Diamond Bank.

5. Ibukun Awosika – Chairman, First Bank Plc

Ibukun Awosika is the current Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc and the first women in such a position. As a reputable businesswoman, she is the CEO of The Chair Centre Group. The companies in the group include: The Chair Centre Limited, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited, Furniture Manufacturers Mart an so on.

She is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), . Ibukun chairs a number of corporate and not-for-profit boards.

6. Toyin Sanni –

Toyin Sanni was the immediate past Group CEO of United Capital Plc and now founder and CEO of the Emerging Africa Capital Group, a Nigerian-based financial services provider.

She is a prominent Investment Banker, Previously she has been the CEO,UBA Trustees, CEO, UBA Global Investor Services,MD/CEO, Cornerstone Trustees & AGM at FBN Trustees, a part of the FBN Holdings group.

Toyin leads a multiple award winning group who provide advisory & capital raising solutions for infrastructure & development across Africa. She is also a public speaker and an author.

7. Sola David-Borha –

Sola David-Borha is the current Chief Executive, Africa Regions at Standard Bank Group, the former CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc and the former CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank.

She previously held executive roles which included acting managing director of IBTC Chartered Bank Plc and executive director of CIB (excluding South Africa).

She was described as one of the finest bankers of her generation by Former Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Atedo Peterside

Currently, she serves as the vice chairman of the board of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and has held this position since 2015.

In fashion&style January 27, 2020 By Women of Rubies

This Is How Ami Colé’s Founder Is Building The Next Great Beauty Business

Senegalese born, Harlem-native Diarrha N’Diaye is launching her own line of products . She kind of hinted at this in her 2019 interview with BN Style.

In an interview with Byrdie.com she opens up about why she decided to start and building a beauty business.

On her inspiration for starting Ami Cole

“For a very long time, I didn’t know beauty outside of this bubble,” she says. “The idea of my mother’s shop was to transform someone into their most beautiful self, and that’s what I saw. Girls would travel to our salon with their cut-outs and Hype Hair magazine and that was our pinnacle of beauty. It wasn’t until I hit the ‘real world’ where I realized that wasn’t represented.”

On her industry experience (as a social media strategist at L’Oréal and on the product development team at Glossier)

“We were afterthoughts, even in terms of formulation,” she shares. “Many vendors catered to the same people and brands. So out of habit, distributors are creating products in a certain shade range (catered to light skin), and then throwing in a darker shade to accommodate a ‘woman of color.’” N’Diaye adds, “The formulations didn’t have us in mind from the beginning. I always felt like I was being squeezed into a space. There wasn’t much thought about how we influence culture or how we influence spend.” “Many times, I was the only one on a team of 50, or even 100, having to explain why the brand’s key messaging or particular imagery was not appropriate for us. I am black, yes. But, I don’t represent every single experience. I felt very tokenized in some instances, but also felt the need to also be an advocate for all of us. It was a tough space.”

On why she started Ami Cole

“People want their skin, but better.” Her initial collection is set to provide a skin-enhancing tint, an illuminator, and a lip treatment. “I thought it was important to offer these products because there aren’t a lot of options. I loved Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, but they didn’t offer my shade until two months ago. Brands weren’t giving me the tint I wanted. Each of the products are going to have a skincare first approach.”

Credit Bellanaija

In Interviews&profile January 26, 2020 By Women of Rubies

ABIMBOLA CRAIG ON ‘NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE’

Abimbola Craig is up with some relationship advise for the unmarrieds though.

While addressing a fan who asked, “How do I communicate no sex before marriage to my boyfriend without sounding off?”. She shared her thoughts on the question, saying, “sex has to be communicated. There are no in-betweens. Nobody should pressure you into doing what you don’t want to do. If and when you decide to, you should communicate that to him as well but on your own terms.”

Watch her vlog below:

In Career Gems January 26, 2020 By Women of Rubies

GHANIAN MUSICIAN MZBEL’S CAREER DROPS

Ghanaian female musician Mzbel, cries out about the state of her career in music, saying her involvement in Politics has affected the promotion rate of her songs.

She was an avid supporter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 general elections.

For 16years she has been a hit but has been experiencing a few support from fans after her political involvement. According to her, an attempt to promote her song three years ago failed, which has made her to put music on hold for now.

In an interview she had with Graphic Showbiz, Mzbel said, “Music is kind of on hold for now. The main reason is that when I released Tongues, promoting it was difficult. It was right after the general election (2016) and I had shown my face as to whom I supported, so, there was hatred. I went for a nationwide tour but it still didn’t work.”

“As things stand now, if I release a song, I won’t be able to promote it and I won’t get gigs because of political reasons. I have about 11 or 12 songs to be released, so, I put them on my website,” she stated.

Mzbel has chosen to focus on her pub located at Tema West at the moment.

“At the moment, I am focusing my energy on my pub and other things,” she said.

In Interviews&profile January 25, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Rita Chidinma: Managing Older Domestic Help

I was recently chatting with a friend who was narrating her ordeals with her new domestic help – an older woman who just resumed work during the yuletide season. According to Nene, she was still getting to know the help and so didn’t have many errands for her yet. However, she had noticed some ‘funny’ (for lack of a better word) behaviours from the lady.

The lady insisted that the prefix, ‘auntie’ be added to her name whenever she was being summoned or addressed. Then she dragged her feet to do the dishes if she didn’t take part in the meal (even if she had previously been given the agreed one meal during her work hours). What’s more? The lady was always sleeping in one of their spare rooms – without permission o! So to get her to actually do her job in the house, you had to go find her, probably wake her up, then have her stretch and drag her feet to do the task.

Now wait for the hilarious – and at the same time annoying – part: the lady would bring food and other perishables to store in Nene’s freezer without saying a thing to her! When Nene goes to grab a drink or something from the freezer, she’ll then see some strange containers staring back at her.

The problem was that my friend, Nene, was finding it really difficult to talk to the nanny or call her to order due to the age gap between them. This made the lady get away with a whole lot of unacceptable behaviours. I kept asking Nene: why employ someone you can’t speak to? She said she didn’t know it was going to be like that and that some of the people she had spoken to about it were having similar experiences. I started encouraging her to either sit down and have a polite conversation with the nanny or have her replaced. As you can guess, she decided to follow the second option.

This got me wondering, is this like a thing with some older helps? They’ll apply for jobs sometimes with tearful eyes and lots of pleading and then turn around to become a burden on the young mother. I once had a nanny who wouldn’t greet unless she was greeted first, her reason being that she was older than I am. I remember having to endure all sorts before finally letting her go, while promising myself to never hire an older help again.

As a young mom, don’t hire a domestic staff you can’t talk to or call to order when they’re out of line. You should learn to see your home as your workplace, and having to guide or call your employees to order once in a while shouldn’t be such a big deal. Some of these older helps are always quick to use the age card to confuse you. Resist, Haha. They are there for a purpose and just like in any conventional work environment, everyone should be able to do their jobs while not seeing a mild reprimand from their “bosses” as disrespectful or undermining.

This does not erase the fact that some older helps are actually really nice, professional and efficient, but if you have one that is a thorn in your flesh, then let go of her immediately.

Everyone should be able to work amicably if roles are defined from the very beginning. Have you ever had a bad experience with your older domestic help? Please share.

Written by Rita Chidinma

Credit: Bellanaija

In Entertainment January 25, 2020 By Women of Rubies

MEET SARAH SANNI THE GIFTED MURALIST-PAINTER

Sarah Sanni is an inspiring young woman, a computer science graduate who quitted her job to chase her dreams.

“I wasn’t happy at my job, so I resigned thinking I needed a change of organization but in the process of applying to other companies and going for interviews- one day, I painted my room and my friend saw it and wanted something for her room. After designing hers, she posted it online and a couple of her friends saw it and requested wall paintings too. I did it and got paid even though it was peanut at the time but I felt overwhelming happiness and that was when I knew that this was what I wanted to do.”

She was born in the northern part of the country, grew partly in Ibadan before moving to Lagos much later. Her family are currently in support of her career,

“My mom was in total support from day one. My dad got into it after one or two of his friends called him from abroad that they’ve seen his daughter’s works at one place or the other. Some other family members did not think it was a viable business but everyone just went along with the dream and now it’s all full time support from everyone”

Her inspiration came from the northern tattoo used to adorn brides called Laali. While growing up as a child, she admired these designs and draw them on paper.. The Laali is a temporary henna tattoo used to adorn brides in the Northern part of Nigeria, particularly popular in the Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups across West Africa.

She went on from Laali sketching to drawing cartoon characters, making comic books ancient artworks from the Old Bini Kingdom, as her appetite for drawing and art

To upgrade her skills, she got some books on arts. Now her core inspiration comes from anything around her,such as beautiful people, plants, lines and geometry, abstract patterns and cartoon characters for kids (Ben 10, Disney Princesses, Dora, Angry Birds, etc.).

She has worked with some notable brands and celebrity like, the Ice Cream, Molfix, Toke Makinwa and others.

“I would advice an artist who is just starting to be ready to work hard, to be strong emotionally because there could be some setbacks, to be persistent and consistent because it’s also very easy to give up. To be prayerful (I know they say Nigerians are too religious but prayer helps and it works). Lastly, to be passionate about the art – except, of course, it’s a hobby then you don’t have to take it too seriously” she advised.

In Inspiration January 25, 2020 By Women of Rubies

11 Affirmations For You To Attract The Right Energy Into Your Life

Positive affirmations will set you on a more successful life. Our words and thoughts are powerful enough to control our lives. We need to constantly feel our minds with the right thoughts.

Doing so will enrich our lives, and enable us live to our full potentials that God has designed for us. We need to speak life into our present environment if we desire change.

Check these reaffirming and positive statements from Pinterest recite or write them down for yourself to improve your mental health and manifest your life below.

1.“I manifest everything I desire.”

Speak dream and goal with confidence. When you align your goals and dreams with your actions, you breakthrough will happen.

2. “I am worthy of my own love, admiration and undivided attention.”

You need to love yourself right. Self-love is the best love and without it, you can lose yourself. Continue to remind yourself that you are worthy of all the love that is given to you, but

2. “I love abundance and prosperity and I attract it naturally.”

Speaking your blessings into existence is important, but you need to have a welcoming mindset to receive. Doing so will open you up to a lot of opportunities and happiness.

3. “I am enough.”

Never compare yourself to someone else, they are not you, they don’t have what you have and that’s your super power.

4. “I choose to own my inner abundance and the wealth of who I am.”

No one should define who you are. Take control of your life. Self-control is essential to been prosperous in life.

5. “I release anything that drains me because I do not accept toxicity in my life.”

Toxicity and bad vibes drains your energy and creativity. Put them away by all means, and seek peace.

6. “I can and will. Watch me.”

You can do anything you put you mind to do. “I can’t” should never be in your language. Stay in the mindset of “I can”.

7. “I am constantly recreating myself, and that is okay.”

Yes, embrace change, be spontaneous. Its okay to seek new things and new, instead of being rigid and stuck. That the pathway to growth.

8. “I am a beautiful soul that radiates a vibrant and beautiful form. All is well in my body and mind.”

Your spirit lives inside your body, but it’s reflected as you interact with others. Continue to feed your body and souls with positivity so people can feel the king or queen that you are within.

9. “I attract success by being my authentic self.”

Be your self, you do not need validation to be you. Be real, and improve in becoming your best self.

11. “I am a magnet to positive energy. Good people, divine opportunities, and wild ideas gravitate towards me.”

You are what you attract. Let your light shine, good things are you portion.

Remember above all, changing your words can change your life. And you have the power to uplift your spirit.

In Health January 24, 2020 By Women of Rubies

#RUBYGIRLS| “THE DESIRE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE DRIVES ME” – CHIOMA FAVOUR UZOMA

Chioma Favour Uzoma is a fifth year Pharmacy student of the University of Benin. She is the first of three girls.

She is passionate about the future of Nigeria and improving its health sector which made her start a Health and Wellness website (MedBlogNigeria) where she is a content creator. She advocates for healthy living through her organization named The Medvocacy Initiative Africa (TMI Africa).

She is an entrepreneur at Dainty Cakes and Event. She is also a fashion and beauty enthusiast.

Let’s meet you. Who is Chioma?

Chioma is a fifth year pharmacy student of the University of Benin, the first of three girls. I am a Christian, content creator at MedblogNigeria, an entrepreneur at Dainty Cakes and Event, Founder TMI Africa @t.m.i_africa and Member of JCI.

I am very passionate about the future of Nigeria, everything that goes on wrongly in this country affects me in a very strange way and I intend to contribute to scalable and sustainable impact in this nation, and in Africa at large.

Who and what inspires you?

The persons who inspire me the most are young Nigerian women who are doing exploits in their various fields. The likes of Toby Lordwilliams,founder of girlhub Africa, Dr Chioma,Cassie Akide, Pharm Onyekachi etc., and older women who have conquered their spheres such as Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Bukky George and of course my Mum, She inspires me a lot.
I love these women so much, and whenever I feel discouraged, I simply look at their pages on Instagram, see what they are up to and sincerely, I’m pumped back up.

The desire to be successful in life also drives me.

One accessory you can’t leave home without?

My small bag of course.
Because I get to put all my tiny stuffs in it.

What is your biggest fear?

This Girl is fearless.
I believe God has not given me the Spirit of fear and this has kept me going.

You own a Health and wellness website (MedBlogNigeria) with pages on Instagram and Facebook (Medblog_ng) where you help inform people’s health decisions. What prompted you to start this? And what do you plan to do differently in the health sector through your website and other platforms?

Well, I actually started them because I love writing and I love searching for information (My friends literally ask me for details to any gist circulating online and I always have the details). I have been writing since my secondary school days and it has become part of me. Also, being a Pharmacy student, people naturally assume you know the answers to all their health problems, so they bombard you with questions.
It was only natural for me to incorporate my writing skills which is also a passion for me into my profession, hence the birth of MedBlogNigeria.

I also found it as a way to bridge the communication gap between health personnels and the general public. Now you don’t have to go to a Pharmacy or a Hospital to get certain health information, just turn on your data, ask a question, drop a comment and your questions are answered. We simply inform the health decisions of the general public which I think is a great idea.

Your best quote?

Do it afraid, do it unsure, do it uncertain but do it anyway!

You are a versatile young lady with so many things on your hands. You are also an entrepreneur who bakes and sells cakes also. How do you balance the demands of all of these with your academics?*

The truth is, it is not an easy task but I am someone who is very passionate about anything I do. Passion drives any human.

I’ve also learnt to manage my time, to do the right things at the right time, maximize my holidays, have the right support system and these have helped me thus far.

Which city/ country will you love to visit soonest?

That would be Paris. I studied French all through my six years in secondary school, I would love to practice my French speaking skills.

If given the chance to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what will you change?

Inasmuch as I think a day is quite too short to make any meaningful changes in a country like Nigeria, I guess I will quickly rewrite the national budget and present a more inclusive one where the basic needs of every Nigerian is prioritized, I would allocate more funds to the health sector which I think is at a pathetic state currently.

As a pharmacy student, you advocate for healthy living for individuals through an organization you run “The Medvocacy Initiative for Africa (TMI Africa).” Can you shed more light on TMI Africa? Its activities, aims and achievements so far?

TMI Africa is an organization of young medical advocates and volunteers. We encourage youths especially those who are medically inclined to actively promote health within their immediate environment and to the general public.
We engage in online health campaigns, dissemination of health information, health outreaches in schools through collaborations and partnerships.
Although we are just starting out, we engaged fully and effectively in the cervical cancer campaign online and it was very helpful to many as a lot of people became aware of the disease and tips for prevention.
We hope to achieve more in coming months.

What was growing up in a Nigerian home like and how did it contribute to the path you have chosen?

(Laughs) I think we all know what growing in a Nigerian home is like.
My home was a special case because my parents were really strict on my sisters and i due to fact that we were girls, they didn’t want us to “spoil.”
But we thank God because it is part of what has made me the woman I am today and I’m grateful.

Where do you see yourself/your brand in the next 5 years?

I am passionate about entrepreneurship because I believe that every economy that we admire has a viable private sector to boast of. If we are going to see sustainable changes in the Nigerian economy, the private sector has a huge role to play and I want to be at the forefront of that in the health and beauty space.

If you were given the opportunity to address a group of girls five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them?

I would advice them to maximise their social media. I say this everyday that this social media thing we see is way under utilised.
My social media is one of my biggest influences. I follow smart, intelligent, purpose driven individuals who inform my everyday life. My Instagram account is really boring to an average youth because i follow more content than glam.

I would advice them to Cherish their relationship with God because ,he is the ultimate giver of Life, wisdom and prosperity.

Lastly, I will advise them to be focused. Most of the things we care so much about currently are so irrelevant. Focus on things that matter to your future.

Thanks alot, Rubygirls for this interview, I’m truly honored!

In Inspiration January 24, 2020 By Women of Rubies

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE AYANNA PRESSLEY REVEALS SHE HAS ALOPECIA AND SHE’S AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER

Congressional Rep. Ayanna Pressley got very candid in a new interview with The Root, where she revealed that she has alopecia, unveiling her bald head for the first time and confirming what we already knew, she is truly beautiful.

Pressley said she just became aware of her condition recently. “In the fall, when I was getting my hair retwisted, is the first time that I was made aware that I had some patches. From there, it accelerated very quickly,” she said in the interview.

The Democratic rep is known for her signature twists, a style that has become intertwined with her political brand, a symbolism of freedom for Black women professionals everywhere. She said she decided to come forward to the public about her condition because she “thinks it’s important that [she’s] transparent about this new normal.”

Alopecia areata, the condition Pressley has been diagnosed with, is described as an “autoimmune disorder that makes the body attack its own hair follicles, causing hair production to slow down to the point that hair growth may stop,” according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

I was completely bald. And in a matter of hours, was going to have to walk into the floor [of] the House Chamber … and cast a vote in support of articles of impeachment. And so I didn’t have the luxury of mourning what felt like the loss of a limb. I was missing [my mother]. I was mourning my hair. I was mourning the state of our democracy. I was mourning my mentor, Chairman Elijah Cummings. It was a moment of transformation, not of my choosing. But I knew the moment demanded that I stand in it and that I lean in.”

While she is still adjusting to her lived experience, Congresswoman Pressley is embracing this moment and is experimenting with different hairstyles and wigs. “One I call ‘FLOTUS’ because it feels very Michelle Obama to me, [and another] I call ‘Tracee,’ because it feels very Tracee Ellis Ross to me,” she said.

“I’m trying to get to a place where I give myself the space to be, to find joy in options,” Pressley said.

Thank you for your vulnerability and your transparency Congresswoman Pressley. We hope that you find support from this community, knowing that you have truly liberated others through your story.

Credit BOTWC

In Inspiration January 24, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Women of Rubies

HERE ARE 7 POWERFUL WOMEN IN THE FINANCE SECTOR IN NIGERIA

This Is How Ami Colé’s Founder Is Building The Next Great Beauty Business

ABIMBOLA CRAIG ON ‘NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE’

GHANIAN MUSICIAN MZBEL’S CAREER DROPS

Rita Chidinma: Managing Older Domestic Help

MEET SARAH SANNI THE GIFTED MURALIST-PAINTER

11 Affirmations For You To Attract The Right Energy Into Your Life

#RUBYGIRLS| “THE DESIRE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE DRIVES ME” – CHIOMA FAVOUR UZOMA

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE AYANNA PRESSLEY REVEALS SHE HAS ALOPECIA AND SHE’S AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER

Eniola Aluko: The journey to Aston Villa

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