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#PROFILE| MEET FATOUMATA BA, THE BRAIN BEHIND JUMIA.COM

Fatoumata Ba is a 29 years old successful entrepreneur from Senegal.  She hacked her father’s computer at the age of 9, created her first email address at age 11, and built her first website at the age of 16. She has a Masters Degree in Management, Strategy, Marketing, Finance, from Toulouse Business School. She is the Founder and Group Chief Marketing Officer of Jumia. She first launched Jumia Ivory Coast, an online retail platform supported by Africa Internet Group. From 10 employees in 2013, to more than 300 in 2015, Jumia Ivory Coast became the fastest growing African e-commerce site with more than 500,000 monthly unique visitors buying more than 50,000 products.

She later on took the reins of Jumia Nigeria, the largest e-commerce site on the continent in market share, employees and revenues. She has partnered with more than 30,000 vendors and brands, including Apple, L’Oreal and New Look. Jumia spans across 9 verticals (Mall, Market, Food, Travel, Deals, Cars, House, Jobs, Pay) and 23 countries in Africa. She is member of Jumia Executive Committee after having served as Founder & CEO of Jumia in Ivory Coast from 2013 to 2015, and Managing Director of Jumia in Nigeria from 2015 to 2016.

She is also the brain behind Rocket Internet; the largest, fastest and most successful international online venture builder. Since 1999, Rocket Internet has built over 100 companies in 43 countries and had over 40 successful exits. Rocket Internet’s ventures includes Citydeal, which was merged with Groupon, Alando, which was sold to eBay Europe and global Fashion ecommerce leaders Zalando & Dafiti. Rocket Internet was also an early investor in Facebook, Linkedin and Zynga.

She has been featured on CNN, Forbes, etc. Some of her awards includes, Choiseul 100 Africa Economic Leaders of Tomorrow, Forbes Africa 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30.

 

Credits: Linkedin, Forbes, google.com

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“IF SOMEONE TOLD ME FIVE YEARS AGO THAT I WOULD BE RUNNING A BLOG I WOULD HAVE LAUGHED IT OFF” – AMAKA BENSON

Amaka Benson is an energy economist, mummy-blogger and author of recently launched children’s cookbook Micah’s Meals. She tells NIKE SOTADE how she ventured into full-time blogging, which has recorded a phenomenal success within the SHORT time she started, essence of her new book and more

Background

My name is Amaka Benson. I am an energy economist, mummy-blogger and more recently author of Micah’s Meals. I have a wonderful, loving and supportive husband, Yomi. We have been blessed with two beautiful children, Micah and Eliana. Our son Micah, is three years old, a strong-willed but sensitive little foodie. Our daughter Eliana, is eight months old and she is a very happy and gentle baby. I hold a first degree in Chemical Engineering from the University College London and a M.Sc. in Energy Studies with a specialisation in Energy Economics at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy. In 2014, I started the lifestyle and parenting blog, Maky’s Corner and I recently published my first baby/toddler cookbook, Micah’s Meals.

Leaving the Oil and Gas Sector to go into blogging 

The decision to become a full time blogger didn’t happen overnight, I moved to a new country and we were expecting a baby soon after. It was a high risk pregnancy so I wasn’t able to return to work immediately. At the same time, I was working on publishing my first book, Micah’s Meals. The truth is I never compare my career as an energy economist to blogging and writing. I am thankful because I never approached blogging as a “career” or a means to make money. I simply wanted to share my story, but in a short period of time, my brand grew immensely. My children don’t see me going to an office everyday, but my son knows there are different kinds of jobs – I have an office at home, which I work from and I try to be a strong role model for my children as well as show them that unconventional work can also be meaningful.

I make it a point to stay up-to-date in my field, in case I decide I want to return to full time employment. It also helps that my husband is in the same industry – it makes for insightful work/dinnertime conversations. And, as time permits, I still seek out opportunities to consult on projects in my area of expertise.

Why Blogging

If someone told me five years ago that I would be running a blog very much centered on faith, pregnancy, motherhood and family, I would have laughed it off but becoming a mother, especially after experiencing difficulties, drastically changed my perspective on so many things. The truth is, I started blogging because I wanted to share my pregnancy testimony and I decided that a personal blog would be the best platform to do so.

My Target Audience

I don’t focus on a “target audience” – my blog, my story, my experiences are for everyone, regardless of age or sex. Having said that, I’m especially strong with women aged 18 – 34.

I started my blog with no expectations of a large readership, if any but the support has been overwhelmingly positive! In the first couple of months we already had over 300,000 views on the site. I feel so blessed that so many women open up to me and share their stories and testimonies. I connect with amazing women from all walks of life and have discovered a new passion in life.

Large Social media audience

I am blessed because I have been able to build my audience organically by doing the things I already do without focused intentions. By doing the things I love that come NATURALLY to me, it is humbling to know that I have been able to enrich and add value to my audience.

Micah’s Meal

Micah’s Meals is a weaning guide and recipe book for babies, toddlers and beyond. It is more than a cookbook; it is the quintessential guide to a baby’s IMPORTANT first years of feeding. From the introduction of solid foods at 6 months, Micah’s Meals provides information on taste, texture and what foods to avoid in order to help make the transition to family meals easier for babies and toddlers.

I personally think every mum is busy but Micah’s Meals is not just for mothers. It is for parents and caregivers too. To make things simpler for parents, Micah’s Meals also includes weekly menu plans and tips for cooking in bulk, so you don’t have to spend hours everyday cooking. With the menu plans as a guide, people can make dishes in batches and store a variety of nutritious, tasty meals. Micah’s Meals is an invaluable guide that is suitable for both the novice and experienced cook, it is the perfect addition to every home.

Challenges of Parenting for the 21st Century Mother & How I balance it all 

The Bible says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” So for me, juggling parenting with my career is learning about how best to manage my time and the opportunities God provides and blesses me with.

 

I need to balance quite a few roles but the roles I consider most IMPORTANT in my life are my roles as a wife and mother, especially the role of raising our kids to be wholesome and well rounded in their vital formative years. I try to be superwoman some days but I am honestly still learning to “balance” my ambition with my roles and responsibilities as a wife and mother. Ultimately I am a work in progress, subject to continual reflection and reassessment.

Meet Maky Benson

I believe in loving myself for who I am, keeping an open mind to the rest of the world. Not letting the noise of other people’s opinions drown out my inner voice. I believe in not worrying about things I can’t change, enjoying the little things in life, never giving up hope, trying to be the best I can be at everything and living without regrets. More IMPORTANTLY, having the courage to follow my heart and intuition.

My Faith

My faith has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember – through school and into adulthood, though there have been times along the way where I have drifted and needed to re-align myself with God and rededicate myself to him.

Life has taught me that sometimes, you have to grow into your passion, it’s not something you are necessarily born with – sometimes you have to cultivate, curate, and discover what it is that makes you tick. It’s one of the reasons I find doing things so incredibly IMPORTANT; discovery, skill and mastery are as essential to happiness as many other things.

What have been the challenges of breaking into the blogging world?

The biggest challenge I faced was finding and starting a niche – when I started blogging as a new mum in 2014, there weren’t a lot of mummy bloggers. I created a platform to make women comfortable to discuss their setbacks, triumphs and the everyday joys that redefine their notions of motherhood. As a result, I got a lot of comments like “what is she going to tell us about motherhood that we don’t know” or some people weren’t comfortable with me being so open about my experiences and challenges. Through it all, these challenges have helped me grow into the person I am today and I thank God I’m able to keep doing what I love regardless of the trials I may face.

How I relax

I love to do a couple of things. Listening to gospel music and reflecting on life is very relaxing to for me. I also love reading motivational and inspirational books – for my Christian life, family, marriage and parenting. Other times I love going to the spa, getting facials, getting my hair done and so on. Things that make me feel and look good.

What I want to be remembered for

How I want to be remembered? I want to be remembered as the woman who gave her all. Giving less than 100 per cent effort is not an option for me. I give my all in everything I do – you only get one chance at life, and I’m going to make the most of it. I want to be remembered as the woman who inspired others to reach their goals – I hope that’s the mark I leave on the world. I want to be remembered as the woman who never lost her faith. I’m a very positive by NATURE, and I think a big part of that is knowing that there’re things beyond my control and God has always got a plan for me. If I didn’t have that to hold on to, I don’t know where I would have been. I want to be remembered as the woman whose heart was full of love. I want to be remembered as the woman who lived with no regrets. Obviously, living without regrets doesn’t mean I never messed up or made mistakes, it just means that in those times I learned something. I also don’t want to get to the end of my life and wish I had done more with it – I want to live an extraordinary life. I want to be remembered as a wonderful mother and wife.

Finally, I would like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the world, who accomplished her dreams, pleased God, and did what God created me to do on this earth.

 

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CANCER SURVIVOR & OAP ADENIKE OYETUNDE LAUNCHES AMPUTEES UNITED

As the world commemorates World Cancer Day, we join hands together with everyone who has felt the blight of this horrible disease. We continue to hope for a cure and pray that this scourge will be eliminated.

As a community, Women of Rubies chooses to join the fight against cancer and its deadly effects. In that light, we are proud to announce that On Air Personality, Adenike Oyetunde is launching Amputees United – an initiative to provide support for amputees.

Adenike is a cancer survivor who continues to live her life like it’s golden. We shared her story in 2016. {Click here if you missed it} Adenike lost her right limb as a result of cancer but she has managed to live a full and wholesome life – inspiring people daily through her story.

Through Amputees United, she plans to provide support to amputees. She writes about life has been in the 11 years since her diagnosis and the amputation of her right limb.
***
It has been eleven full years of living without the use of my natural right limb. And I’m wondering what if?

Honestly, I guess you’re wondering if I ever just hoped it all never happened.

I had, earlier on in my journey asked, what if? What if it never happened? What if it was all a dream, a very scary one too.

Yes, I had wished it was a dream. I had prayed to be woken up from that dream, but that hasn’t happened; at least not yet. I’m never shy of stating that. Oh please, don’t come at me with your ‘Christianese’. I miss my leg. I wish they were still together. I wish my hour glass frame *sneezes* was all together coordinated…See shape now!

What if, I never had to undergo the gruesome experience during chemotherapy?

What if my hair never had to fall?

What if my mum didn’t have to be humiliated, because, this one neighbor had made fun of her only child having one leg now?

What if I didn’t have to meet that one scary doctor, who I still believe may have had an interesting fetish, where all his girlfriends have one condition or the other? He clearly wanted to add me to his list.

What if I did I didn’t have to burden my friends to always pick me up, or drop me off after classes?

What if everyone didn’t have to scream at me, the first day I got on a bike?

What if the doctor who told me it was cancer, had been just a little nicer?



What if I didn’t have to watch my dad (my hero) cry, after we were informed?

What if we didn’t have to believe the hospitals weren’t sure with the diagnosis?

What if I didn’t have to waste so much time, and money moving from place to place, hoping the solution will come?

What if we didn’t have to finally see my leg get as large as a basketball, simply because we refused to amputate it?

What if we had the money to fly me abroad? Would my leg have been saved?


What if the government provided subsidized cancer treatments, and we didn’t run out of money as a family?

What if I didn’t need blood transfusion and that ex didn’t say no to donating blood?

What if it didn’t cost so much to have a limb made for me in Nigeria?

What if these limbs were as good as they look, at least, a number of them, now; back when I needed one?

What if I wasn’t denied access into banking halls, because of my prosthetic leg?

What if I didn’t get the stares, I didn’t get the many questions?

What if I didn’t get the – are you sure you will get married like this? Can you get pregnant?

What if I didn’t have to wear an attachment daily – my limb?

What if, after eleven years, I wasn’t just tired of wearing my limb?

What if you or your loved one, have been recently told that the only way out, will be to amputate that limb?

What if I didn’t have to fight the battle for my mental sanity all alone, by myself; for so many years unending?

I wouldn’t want them to go on this mental journey alone. I will love to help them wage through the storm, because honestly, I went through this, that I may help them on their journey.

We at the AMPUTEES UNITED INITIATIVE would love that you allow us hold hands together.

Let’s hold hands till you come to terms with your new reality.

Let’s hold hands, so you don’t have to suffer depression.

Let’s hold hands to inspire one another.

Let’s hold hands, so they know we can, despite our journeys.

And for this, my – what ifs, aren’t as valid, as they once seemed.

Please send us an email if you’ll like to join us on the journey. (Amputees ONLY) Please send your emails with your contact and stories.

Source: Bellanaija

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THE INSPIRING STORY OF SARAH , THE 60-YEAR OLD BRIDE WHO WAITED 30 YEARS FOR “MR. RIGHT”

The inspiring story of a new bride, Sarah, has been trending on social media since Saturday. Sarah is a 60-Year old bride who waited 30 years for “Mr. Right”. She never compromised on what she wanted and two years ago, her Mr. Right walked into her life.He proposed in 2016 and  the couple got married on Saturday.

The bride’s wedding dress vendor had quite an interesting story to share about meeting Sarah.

She wrote:

60 years old and a first time bride, as in she’s never been married…Dang! She looks good at 60!!….#goodgenes #healthyliving…I remember the first time we met and she told me her age…I was like #hollymolly!!! #abasi mbok…..#unbelieveable ……she went on to tell me how she’s been waiting for ‘Mr. right’ since when she was in her 30’s and he never came. And so two years ago, he finally appeared and proposed in 2016 …..#God is good…#delayisnotdenial. My dearest aunty Sarah…I celebrate with you and may God bless your union…. from @bridesnmoreikeja…. #itsnevertoolate….. more pictures of our youngest and latest bride in town coming

See more beautiful photos from the wedding below.

Picture credit : Bellanaija

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“THE BOOK IS STILL HERE AND I’M STILL PROMOTING” – TOKE MAKINWA , TALKS ABOUT WRITING OTHER BOOKS

Toke Makinwa was recently in Ghana to promote her book “On Becoming” and she had a chat with MyJoyOnline TV’s presenter as she talked about the need to write a book, helping other vulnerable women with her book, the fact that she was still promoting the book even with a pending lawsuit and more.

The media personality also talked about possibly writing other books, the difficulties of dating again and much more.

Watch below.

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MORE CHILDREN ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN ONLINE PORNOGRAPHY, SURVEY REVEALS

Greatly concerned with the safety of children and their use of social media, a group of people, Project Open Eyes, came together recently and conducted a survey of over 2000 children in select secondary schools in Lagos State, to understand how they make use of digital devices to access social media.The survey, the first of its kind in Nigeria in terms of content and scale, targeted children between the ages of 13 to16 and was conducted in the light of the fact that children are increasingly owning mobile devices, using the Internet and joining several social networks that might be harmful to them. The goal of the survey was to have relevant facts relating to what children are exposed to online and how they react to it.

At the end of the survey, nine out of every 10 of the teenagers sampled said that they own mobile phones that can access the Internet and said phones were bought for them by their parents. Others got theirs from friends or boyfriends and girlfriends.

Enquiries into what they use the Internet for showed that academics/research and entertainment are the main reasons children go online. Other reasons include playing games, watching videos and movies, listening to music, and downloading content. Many of them also say that they go online to read news, read biographies of individuals that interest them, and some of them blog.

The children were found to also be heavy social media users. Altogether, they use over 70 social media networks, chat apps and even dangerous dating sites. Facebook is the most used social network among the children surveyed followed by WhatsApp, then Instagram. 34% have a Twitter account and 35% use BBM.

Interestingly, while Facebook’s policy is that only people 13 years and above could join, most of the children surveyed had joined the network by 8-9 years. This simply means that they lied about their ages in order to join. Furthermore, nine out of every 10 that have Facebook accounts say their parents are aware.

More worrisome is the fact that 77% of the children say that they do not know all their Facebook friends but were willing to hook up. Not surprisingly, 68% of the girls surveyed said that a male stranger had tried to start a conversation with them online. When asked what they do when strangers contact them online, at least one in two girls say that they first discuss with the strangers to find out what they want, 30% of them say that they sometimes block the strangers and just 12% of the girls say that they always block or ignore such advances.

At least one in two girls surveyed say that they have received an offer to date from someone they have only met online. One in every five girls that have received such offer has said ‘Yes’. The implication is that 13, 14, 15 and 16-year-old girls are dating persons that they have never seen face-to-face and their parents don’t know and seven out of every 10 of them say that they would not allow an adult read their chats or messages.

It was also found that many of these young ones are exposed to pornography. While 72% of the girls have seen pornography online without looking for it, 67% of the girls have experienced same. However, 46% of the boys and 24% of the girls surveyed have intentionally visited a pornographic site or accessed pornography online.

One out of every two of the girls surveyed say that someone online had tried to have a sexually explicit conversation with them. One out of every eight of the boys surveyed say that they have been asked online to send a nude picture of themselves while one out of every four girls said same. 7% of the girls who had received such requests admitted that they had sent a nude picture of themselves to someone online they do not physically know.

One in two of the teenagers surveyed say that they use social media daily while one in five claim they spend over seven hours online daily. Only one in four children say that their parents place some form of restriction on their mobile phone use. 92% say that their parents are on social media and 8% of the children whose parents use social media, say that their parents’ use of social media affects time that they should devote to them.

One out of every three of all the children surveyed think that social media negatively affects time they should spend studying. 12% of the boys and 2% of the girls report that they have been involved in online betting and dubious deals online that their parents do not know of.

 

By: Tobi Awodipe for Guardian.ng

 

 

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SINEM ONABANJO : BEYONCÉ DON GET BELLE; WETIN BE YOUR OWN?

There are only so many ways Beyoncé can outdo herself when it comes to breaking the internet, and yet she continues to wow the Beyhive, her throng of ardent fans, and the rest of us mere mortals. For who can forget the surprise video album drop of 2013, or the more recent Lemonade she released on Tidal in April 2016?When it comes to pregnancies, she is even more creative in the ways she unveils her baby bump. Who can ever forget Mrs Carter ending her 2011 MTV Video Music Awards performance of “Love on Top” which ended with her unveiling her bump. The announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for “most tweets per second recorded for a single event” on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and “Beyonce pregnant” was the most Googled term the week of August 29, 2011.

This week’s Instagram announcement must have certainly come after month of deliberation from Queen Bey on how else she can top the first pregnancy revelation. After all, how can you beat your own master stroke, delivered, of all places, live on stage? “I know,” I can almost hear Beyoncé’s eureka moment, “What’s better than one? Have two babies! Jay, we have got to put back two embryos!”

On Wednesday afternoon the news that Beyoncé is expecting twins was all over social media, and the Beyhive went bonkers, so much so that in less than eight hours after sharing the incredible news, Bey broke the record for the most liked Instagram snapshot of all time, while Beyhive Twitterati got in formation with half a million tweets in 45 minutes.As I scrolled down the #Beyoncé feed, aside from the genuinely hilarious gifs portraying all sorts of excited expressions, I noticed the number of people who were congratulating Beyoncé and tagging her – and I am not talking about model Chrissy Teigen who tweeted, “But really. Congrats to my best friend Beyonce I love you so much. Hive forever” – without the need to tag the singer.There is nothing wrong with feeling joyful at a time we all desperately need a tiny bit of joy in our lives, even more so now than ever with the dwindling Naira, the soaring USD, the man-baby with his tiny hands within reach of the nuclear button, Britain telling Europe to kiss her backside… Behaving like Beyoncé is your third cousin twice separated and you are already planning your outfit and picking Babygro for her baby shower?

“Some of you moving like Beyoncé’s kids will be your cousins. Calm down” tweet by @JamzLdn sums up my thoughts better than anything else. There is no denying that we are ruled by celebrity culture and with the ascent of social media since the mid-Noughties, there is a new breed of young people out there, who are under the illusion that they are closer to their favourite celebs than they could ever ask for. What we often forget is this fabricated intimacy. Celebrities and their PR machine are the master manipulators of the make-believe world populated by the Beyhive, The Navy (Rihanna’s gaggle of fans), Swifties (Taylor’s of course), Beliebers, Directioners and all the other fandoms whose names I do not care to list.

While some of us may be intoxicated, albeit briefly, with this sense of intimacy, make no mistake: the celeb is always in control. And there is no other star that embodies this power better than Beyoncé. She shares with you the parts of her world she chooses to see, with her silence defies those parts you may have accidentally been privy to, and moulds all that you may have seen or ever hope to see into the narrative she will promote, which in the end means more record sales, more ticket sales, more endorsement deals, higher net worth.

Controlled illusion of intimacy with increasing returns is the new power game social media has made possible. Yet, millions of people look through a screen and feel Bey is their girl and they will be having facials together, or paint the town red with Riri.

What is more when Nigerians are so exuberant in their celebration of non-Nigerian stars, there is another contentious issue as was raised my my good friend Lami Phillips on Instagram the day after Bey’s news. Sharing a photo of a very naked Beyoncé’s from the star’s maternity shoot, Lami asked on her Instagram, “I wonder what would happen if one of us Nigerian female personalities did this?”

Here are a few responses that struck me:

“Haaaa! Apostle will hear of it!!!”

“The celebrity will be torn to shreds with mean words and statements…”

“Hahahahaha they will say you are possessed – its the devils work”

“Naija especially, they’ll say it’s a taboo as a pregnant woman to even open your tummy let alone this. Pregnant women wearing tight clothes get judged gan sef.”

And last but not least:“They will say you guys copy too much and you have forgotten this is Africa. How dare you a married woman pose naked, they will question your husband, they will say you want attention if your career is not doing well. The comments will be degrading and horrible. A lot of Nigerians don’t show tolerance to their own.”

What we don’t tolerate in our own whom we’d call every word under the sun why do we celebrate in another with such boundless joy? All I keep thinking is, “Beyoncé don get belle; wetin be your own sef?”

Source: Guardian.ng

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#INTERVIEW | I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROJECT FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHERS IN NIGERIA POSITIVELY THROUGH MY WORK – ABISOLA IJALANA, FOUNDER, M12 PHOTOGRAPHY

Few years ago, Abisola Ijalana did not know that her decision to take a photography training during the Daystar Skill Acquisition Programme would set her on the path to becoming a sought after and an  award-winning photographer. A graduate of the University of Ilorin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. During one of her several trainings in the United States of America (USA) on Newborn, Baby, Children & Maternity photography. Abisola  had the privilege to receive training by U.S based, world renowned baby & maternity photographer, Kelly Brown & Susy Martinez and since then the Founder and creative director of M12 photography have been unstoppable. Bisola has impacted lives through her craft and supported several social causes .. The 2016  reciepient of the Eloy Awards Female photographer of the year shares her inspiring story with us in this interview.

Childhood Impact

Growing up I did not know I was going to have a career in photography. However I have always loved the works of art and anything that shows creativity. I also loved taking pictures of myself growing up. I worked briefly in a marketing communications company before my university graduation and this exposed me to the creative industry. After I graduated from the university, and I needed a career as an entrepreneur, photography easily appealed to me, since it is part of the creative industry.

Abisola Ijalana!

I am Abisola Ijalana, a young Nigerian female entrepreneur from Ogun State in Nigeria. I run M12 Photography (@m12photography), a maternity, newborn, baby & children photography specialty brand in Nigeria. My photography journey started when I enrolled for the Daystar Skill Acquisition Programme (D-SAP) in 2010. At the end of the programme, I underwent further training in photography with Quartz Fotography, run by Mr. Leke Adenuga. I hold a Bachelor of Science (B.sc) degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ilorin. I am a graduate of the British Council, Creative Enterprise Programme. I am also a graduate of a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management (CEM) from the Pan-Atlantic University. I was one of the 12 female photographers selected for a one month training workshop for female photographers in Nigeria in 2011, organized by the German Gothe Institut and Camara Studios. The workshop was aimed at developing the photography skills of female photographers in Nigeria.  I was also a participant in Women in Management & Business (WIMBIZ) Mentoring Training Programme in 2012. I am an award winning photographer, Female Photographer of the Year (ELOY Awards 2016) in Nigeria. I  am married with two boys.

Inspiration behind M12 Photography

When I finished my foundational photography training in 2010, I decided to start my photography career. I and my husband decided to choose the name M12 Photography for the business name. M12 Photography was formed with the intent to provide qualitative and customer-driven photography services. It initially was not a photography specialty business. I covered different photography assignments from corporate to social events. With time, M12 Photography has evolved into a photography specialty brand focusing on maternity, newborn, baby & children photography.

Being a recipient of Goldman sachs 10,000 women scholarship

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Scholarship programme is to empower 10,000 women in developing economies. The Pan-Atlantic University is the partner in Nigeria and it is being run by the Enterprise Development Centre of the university. To qualify for the scholarship, I went through a screening process at the university. At the end of the exercise I was chosen together with some other women entrepreneurs & awarded a scholarship to undergo a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management (CEM) programme.

Passion for Child Photography & its Profitability

The funny thing is that I did not start my photography career as a baby & children photography specialist. I started my career shooting weddings, parties, corporate & other social events. With time I discovered I had a passion for shooting babies. I recall when I had my first child, early in 2011, I was new in photography then, I was taking my child to another studio to have a photo shoot like 1months, 2 months shoot etc. I wanted to create a mile stone photography of him. I gradually began to develop interest in this field of photography.  I also noticed that no one was serving the baby/children photography market as a specialty like it is being done in the USA and in some parts of Europe, and I decided to carve a niche for myself by focusing on this market segment. While it is okay as a photographer to be a generalist, shooting different photography jobs, I feel it is better to be known as a specialist in a particular field of photography. You must be known for something.

Children photography requires a lot of skill and patience. I have trained myself to be an expert in this field. I have also learnt from renowned baby & children photographers outside Nigeria.   In terms of profitability, I will say it has been profitable. People will pay you if you provide value. I put in my best to provide value for my clients. I get a lot of business referrals from satisfied clients.

Being the Recipient of ELOY Awards Best Female In Photography In 2016

I am very happy with the award. It tells me that everything we do in business and in our personal lives, there are people who are watching. It means we need to put in our best into anything we find ourselves doing. I am inspired to continue to improve on the quality of my work and my service to my clients, my fans and my community. The award also shows that female photographers are being recognized in Nigeria. I want to thank the judges and everyone who voted for finding me worthy of the award.

Reward

I will say the Female Photographer of the Year Award at Eloy Awards 2016. It is my first award and I appreciate it. My clients, fans & followers had the opportunity to participate in the process with their votes. It is heartwarming when you know that people appreciate your work and your contributions to the photography industry.

Challenges of Being A Child Photographer

Shooting babies & children comes with its own challenges. Majorly, especially when I started the specialty was making them stay calm for a photo shoot. Some babies tend to be cranky and uncooperative. Some older children can be hyperactive during a photo session, so getting them to stay calm and focused can be challenging. It requires a lot of patience on the part of the photographer to shoot babies and children. Depending on the child, in some few hours I am done with the photo shoot, but in some cases it will take much longer hours. Sometimes I have had to reschedule a shoot because the child was cranky and uncooperative throughout the session. As a specialist in this field, with training, re-training, practice, patience, dedication I have mastered the art of posing and shooting babies & children.

What stands me out!

I will say the creativity I put into my work and my chosen photography specialty. M12 Photography is a reference brand for baby & children photography in Nigeria. Sometimes I get referrals from my fellow photographers who refer their clients to me, because they have recognized my expertise in this field of photography. Baby & children photography has given me a unique identity which has made me stand out of the pool of photographers in Nigeria.

Other Activities & Giveback Projects

I am a facilitator on ‘Newborn Photography’ at the annual edition of the Nigeria Photography Conference & Expo (NIPHEC) and also a contributor for Bella Naija Living on www.bellanaija.com, a leading blog in Nigeria. I have also trained some young women who have shown interest in learning photography under our internship programme. I have been part of some social causes. My photography works were on display at a public exhibition in Lagos in 2014 titled “Battle Scars” organized by Sebeccly Cancer Care and Support Centre, Goethe Institut and Camara Studios. The event was aimed at raising awareness about cancer and raise funds for the treatment of cancer patients. The proceeds from the sales of the exhibits were donated to support cancer patients’ treatment. M12 Photography has also supported some other social cause programmes in Nigeria as part of our social responsibilities.

Do Nigerians Appreciate Female Photographers Enough?

Female photographers in Nigeria are making giant strides in the industry. Growing up, photography was a male dominated industry, but now we have quite a good number of females in photography. This means we are beginning to appreciate female photographers in Nigeria. There is no gender discrimination in terms of getting photography jobs in Nigeria. The successes recorded by some of the female photographers in Nigeria has been a source of inspiration and motivation to a lot of aspiring and current photographers and the general public.

One Person I Wish To Capture with My Lens

TY Bello

My Passion Makes Me a Woman of Rubies

I have passion for what I do. I have been able to project female photographers in Nigeria positively through my work. I have excelled in my chosen career and I am a role model to some young women. I believe what I do has inspired a lot of current and aspiring women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

Final word for women all over the world

Let us continue to do great things. Let us make great impacts in our chosen professions. Let us continue to support each other (#women supporting women). We need to support to each other before we can effectively reach out to the government and other institutions to support women. Let us continue to create platforms that showcase and celebrate women doing great things in our society.

 

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In Career Gems By

“I WANT TO REDEFINE FILM” – KEMI ADETIBA , AS SHE COVERS TODAY’S WOMAN’S NEW ISSUE

It’s 2017 and TW’s cover girl is talking and dreaming BIG just like they are, as their tenth-year dawns!

A real game changer with impeccable pedigree, Oluwakemi shares on getting the gig for ‘The Wedding Party’, the monster hit movie she recently directed; the awesome inspiration of a life long experience of positive feminine power within her family; and her desire to inspire many women to BE, through her project The King Women.

She says “It is a passion project about very strong women…They are accomplished, but there’s a back story to it.”

With an inborn knack for storytelling recognised by her NY film school professor, Kemi showed Nigerians and the rest of the world a taste of it, in her last feature film.

Read all about why this is just the beginning for her, as well as the emotional story of her personal insecurities and battle with fibroids…

Today’s Woman is out on the streets NOW at newsstands & vendors nationwide!

Source: Bellanaija

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