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How To Build An Effective And Productive Team For Your Business

When you first made the decision to become a business owner, you knew you had to come up with a budget, devise marketing strategies, and focus on customer needs… it never occurred to you what it would take to build a strong team behind your brand.

As important as employees are to every business, hiring them is oftentimes the last thing on an entrepreneur’s to-do list up until they actually need them.

The thing to understand about entrepreneurship is that there’s not one business owner who completely did everything by themselves… they had help along the way.

Employees are the foundation of many businesses, and in order to get the most out of your team and for your business to be successful, you’re going to have to invest in them. Investing in your employees can be done in many different ways. But whether you have a team of 10 or 30, it’s not going to be an easy feat.

When you group different people with different personalities together, there will eventually be some clashings of personalities, miscommunications, and differences of opinions…this are to be expected. But as the owner of the business, it’s up to you to have measures in place so that when conflicts do arise you can handle it with grace and it doesn’t affect the overall efficiency and productivity of the workday.

Nonetheless, whether conflict arises or not, the key to success is to be proactive in minimizing conflict in the workplace before it even happens. To build an effective and productive team, here are some efforts you need to make as a business owner managing your team.

Create a Healthy and Positive Work Environment

Many people don’t realize it but the environment you work in plays a significant role in just how productive you are. If your office area and desk is full of clutter, it can be a huge hindrance to the psyche.

Papers laying around, food, TV, and music are all potential distractions to your employees. But then again, you have to gauge your employees to see what type of office environment plays to their productivity. Maybe providing coffee and snacks in the breakroom adds to their productivity; Maybe lightly playing classical music is something that makes them work more efficiently…

Ultimately, creating a healthy and positive work environment for your team is going to require you getting to know them as well as their likes and dislikes.

Incorporate Team Building Exercises

Productivity within your team is going to rely heavily on camaraderie among the employees. Do your employees get along with each other? If not, it’s typically because they don’t know each other too well. This is when it’s important to incorporate various team building activities.

Team building is an excellent way to help employees get to know their co-workers and boost the overall office environment… plus it’s fun! You can do these exercises outside of the office and at the office as well, but the overall purpose and goal of it is to eliminate any grudges or judgments among team members to create a harmonious and productive work environment.

Understand the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Team

In being the owner of a business, you hired each individual member of your team because they had certain strengths you were looking for. But in hiring them for their strengths, you don’t always find out during the hiring process what their weaknesses are, and because of that, you have to become a mentor to your team and find out their strengths and weaknesses.

By finding out the strengths and weaknesses of your employees, it’s going to help you better divvy responsibilities. Maybe you hired an employee for accounting but discover she’s not good at drafting contracts. This may force you to get creative in your thinking. Maybe you just let her stick to numbers and then let your other team member handle drafting contracts for you…

It’s all very doable, especially if you have a solid team; you just have to have a clear understanding of your employees’ strengths and weaknesses to run your business more efficiently. Having the wrong people handling the wrong responsibilities will only slow productivity down.

Invest in Project Management Software

Project management software is going to be key in ensuring all employees are on the same page, which, in turn, boosts productivity and efficiency. It also allows you to track productivity and efficiency as well. Everything from sales projections to group chats, this type of software is the complete solution for workplace miscommunications.

Source: Baucemag

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What The Coalition of #EndSARS Protest Groups Across Lagos and Nigeria Will Do in the Next Few Days

The Coalition of #EndSARS protest groups across Lagos and Nigeria has released a statement regarding the deprioritization of physical protests for now, and its objectives in the next couple of days which includes, the nomination of leaders to represent protesters, clean up, offline community engagement and more.

Read the statement below:

Following the nationwide address from President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, October 22, we are more resolved to press not just for justice but for a new and better Nigeria where all citizens are safe and can thrive.

Lagos State, where the hotbed of resistance began has been under state-wide curfew imposed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Prior to that, Soldiers attacked peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate and unleashed carnage. We have watched with horror, the ensuing acts of violence, murder, looting, razing and vandalization of homes, businesses and organizations in Lagos State, and we will like to state emphatically that these are not protesters. We completely condemn any form of violence or looting.

For the sake of the wellbeing of our comrades and ordinary citizens being adversely affected by this, we will deprioritize the physical protests, for now. But, for the sake of those who died, before the protests, during the protests, and at the hands of Soldiers at the Lekki Toll Gate — people who the government has largely refused to acknowledge, THE STRUGGLE MUST CONTINUE.

Here are our objectives in the next few days:

1. Clean Up

During our protests, we made a conscious effort to clean up the venues and keep our environment safe for everyone. Following the condemnable vandalizations that took place since the curfews began, we are volunteering efforts towards the clean-up and rebuilding of the state.

2. Online Protest

We will continue to intensify online publicity and protest of the issues and demands made. We will be hosting conversations, sharing articles and amplifying voices of thought leaders in that direction.

3. Offline Community Engagement

We will continue grassroots mobilization and civic education of the masses, providing tools for education to enable them to understand the scale and scope of what is at stake.

4. Timelines

We are putting a timeline together to track actions taken to meet our demands. This way, we know what has been done, what is being done, and what can be ticked off our list. This way, we know if and when the government defaults, and we can decide if a return to the streets is necessary.

5. Strategy

We are building short, medium- and long-term strategies to sustain this momentum and keep this fire that has been ignited by the actions of young people across Nigeria burning. The strategies are pillared on and geared towards Education, Voter Registration, Political Consciousness and Representation for Young People in government.

6. Structure

We will create a structure to strategically consolidate demands, formalize the coalition, galvanize the continued online protest, develop standards for monitoring and evaluation, and continue the mobilization and education of the citizens.

7. Representation

The leaderless nature of this protest but consistent oneness in demands have been part of our unique strengths. As we move towards consolidation and negotiation, it is now pertinent we put forward a diverse group to represent the different coalitions; from celebrities to activists, legal minds to strategists, journalists to entrepreneurs, etc. We consulted far and wide, to come up with these names, and while this may not be exhaustive, it offers us an interim basis to begin the negotiation and consolidation.

The nominees will meet with different protest leaders/blocs across the country/states, and consolidate on a vehicle for continuous demands. They will also track actions of the Government, represent our demands and provide feedback to us regularly. They are:

Names of Nominees at the Federal level:

Click to Vote 

Names of Nominees at the State level: (Lagos)

Click to Vote

Advisory

Due to the decentralized nature of this movement across the country, we nominate a team with experience in leadership and diplomacy, to assist in advisory and other support. This team will be consulted from time to time within the process. The criteria are people with integrity, people who have a vast experience in national issues, and who have a track record of being pro-young people.

Nominees for Advisory Board

Click to Vote

All nominations are provisional. If there are people you think should be on the list, people who have been critical in the success of these protests and can work towards the actualization of our demands, and the ultimate mission — a better government/future for Nigeria, please nominate.

In conclusion, these protests have never been politically motivated. It is not about ethnicity or tribalism. The young people across the country are demanding justice, good governance, accountability and reforms. These protests have no sponsor nor agenda other than what we have stated repeatedly; better governance, accountability and an end to brutality.

To everyone who has lost someone or something, we stand in solidarity with you.

To all our heroes that died before and during these struggles, we say Rest in Power! Your deaths will not be in vain.

It is NOT finished!

On behalf of the Coalition.

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Adanna Elechi: The Weaponization of Poverty & the #EndSARS Protests of 2020

“Thursday is Thursday”

– Runtown

This was all we needed to reach our boiling point and take to the streets finally. This tweet woke up the youth in every state in Nigeria, and, subsequently, in countries across all habitable continents in the world.

This was the beginning of our journey to freedom, our journey to bring hope to the hundreds of families who had lost members to the Nigerian Police Force’s irrational brutality, especially the SARS unit. It was justice for the Iloanyas of the country.

The protest was the best thing I had experienced as a citizen of Nigeria. For the first time in my life, I was proud to be called a Nigerian, especially a Nigerian youth. We, the Soro Soke, Phone Pressing, Indomie, and Coconut Head Generation, were united. The religious and tribal and political lines that used to divide us were non-existent. The constant bickering on social media about gender was on hold; the Patriarchy FC and Feminist Coven sheath their swords as we all focused on a common goal: #EndSARS.

Young people in different states came out in numbers almost every day, sharing food, playing games, praying, and even practicing yoga while still demanding our rights. In all the days people protested across the country, nobody ever complained that a phone got stolen or a car vandalized; people returned lost phones and other items found. We cleaned up the streets each day, celebrity or not.

Our protest yielded the devil’s gift: the SARS unit got scrapped and was replaced with SWAT. Same people, different names. The protest continued, and we were met with more police brutality for protesting against police brutality. Jimoh Isiaq and many others died. Why would you use live ammunition on unarmed protesters? The aim is clear: sacrifice a few and let the rest cower in fear.

We ignored them and protested even harder. We demanded justice for the numbers added to their long list of atrocities. This was when the government decided to play the oldest hand in their playbook. They unleashed their greatest weapon – poverty.

Institutionalized poverty is the greatest asset of the average Nigerian politician. They use it to win elections, fight their enemies, and, in this case, win protests. The government deployed hoodlums to infiltrate the protest, to cause havoc, and blame it on us. These hoodlums attacked protesters, killing a few and injuring many others (RIP Anthony Unuode). They destroyed cars and other properties belonging to peaceful protesters. This carnage happened in the full glare of police officers and other security operatives.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. According to eyewitness videos, these hoodlums were transported with police vehicles, state-owned official buses and, the most shocking, a government-owned SUV complete with a well-dressed security officer. More videos have surfaced showing them being directed on what to destroy and what not to destroy because they belonged to ‘baba.’

One of the hoodlums graciously granted a peaceful protester an interview (celebrity things). He said they got paid N1500 to disrupt the protest by damaging government and individual properties. He also said he had been a victim of the SARS unit, and he had just been released from prison, but he needed the money.

Inmates in different state prisons were freed to discredit the #EndSARS protest and justify what later became the #LekkiMassacre. Military men attacked the most peaceful and fun protesters in the country who occupied the Lekki toll gate. They sat on the ground holding up the Nigerian flag, singing the national anthem while the military shot at them. The Nigerian flag was stained with the blood of the innocent. A courageous young woman, DJ Switch, got the events of that day on her Instagram Live. Many of us watched in horror as she and a few others tried to remove a bullet from the lap of one of our patriots, before he eventually died. Scores died, and the streets of Twitter are currently littered with pictures of missing persons.

Nigerian youths did not deserve what happened on 20-10-20. We were only asking that we stop getting extorted if we are lucky, or killed if we are not, by the police. Did it have to deteriorate to people dying like flies and people losing their homes and businesses?

When you release a beast to solve a problem, you create even greater problems, because you can’t tell the beast when to stop. These hoodlums have gone on a destruction spree, looting supermarkets and other businesses across the states. They have set fire to countless buildings and places. The country is in a state of chaos, and we don’t even know when it will end. I am sure these hoodlums were there peacefully during the protests, until they decided to use the weapon of poverty to pit them against their mates who were equally fighting for them.

Still, on this poverty thing, these people withheld palliatives meant for the citizens during the pandemic. Several warehouses have been discovered with thousands of food items stashed – I guess they were saving it to distribute during elections. They starve people to the point where they can buy their votes with a few packs of Indomie that were meant for them in the first place. One lawmaker justified keeping the palliatives intended for his constituents because he wanted to share it on his birthday, as per birthday giveaway abi souvenirs. They call us the Indomie generation, whereas they are the ones storing cartons of Indomie. Shame!

This country will not get better until we go to the grassroots and educate our brothers and sisters on the need to stop dancing to the tune of these wicked people in power. If not, they will continue to use them to sabotage our efforts for a better Nigeria.

The #EndSARS protest has played a significant role in unraveling the damage poverty and bad governance can cause in any society. It has shone more light on the fact that we are sitting on a keg of gun powder. The poorer the citizens are, the more dangerous it is for everyone. Some people in government have experienced this as some of their houses got raided and even burnt.

Dear Nigerian youth, we have started a movement that has gained international recognition. We cannot back down now. We must continue to demand justice for our brothers and sisters who have fallen due to police brutality. We must continue to fight for those who died protesting and the many whose lives were cut short on 20-10-20 and the days that followed. We must demand the punishment of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity. Most importantly, we have to take the campaign to the grassroots. We have to sensitize and ensure that our brothers and sisters who were paid  N1500, an amount that cannot buy a bucket of rice, begin to see the light. Let them know these people may have stolen their future but they can get it back, if not for themselves, then for their children unborn.

To all the people still protesting internationally, thank you. To the international press who covered what happened, thank you. To the Feminist Coalition, thank you. To all the celebrities and people across the world who lent their voices to our struggle, we love and appreciate you. Na who support us we go watch their film and stream their music.

To the Nigerian youth, thank you! May we continue to soro soke and demand for what is truly ours.

#EndSARS #EndSWAT #Endpolicebrutality #ENDbadgovernanceinNigeria.

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The Istrian region in Croatia produces some of the world’s best olive oil, says experts

In just 15 years, Croatia’s Istrian peninsula in the northern Adriatic has become one of the world’s best producers of olive oil, decorated with top industry awards.

Denis Ivosevic from the Istrian Tourist Board said that Some 15 years ago there were practically no producers of bottled olive oil in Istria and there was no expert verification of its quality. Now Istria has become a region where guests come also because they know what kind of olive oil they can buy.

Manuel Grubic, the owner of an olive oil mill in the town of Bale, said the quality of the oil is based on the work of small family producers. He revealed that the olive harvest is done manually, they are processed immediately and the quantity produced is relatively small.

Miroslav Pliso, a lawyer who started his small olive oil business some 20 years ago, said that a focus on quality production and the industry awards had put Istria on the map with tourists seeking good local gastronomy. The price of the oil is quite high in comparison to the price of an average good quality oil which costs around 100-120 kuna ($16) per litre. We bottle the oil in the quantity of 0.25 litres and the price per litre is around 600 kuna. He also declared that his output is some 2,000 liters of top quality olive oil a year.

In 2020, Istria won the Flos Olei guide’s best region in the world award for extra virgin olive oil for a 6th consecutive year. The guide is compiled by expert tasters.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-croatia-oliveoil/

Article by Vivy LaBelle

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End SARS protesters shut down facilities in Delta


The End SARS protesters on Wednesday shut down the Warri Port of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA as well as critical oil facilities in riverine communities of Delta State.

The Coordinator of the protesters in Warri and its environs, Comrade Israel Joe confirmed the report in a chat with News Correspondents in Uvwie Local Government Area. While noting that the protest is in phases with a section being manned by Ijaw youths, Comrade Joe said that they are shutting down oil facilities in the riverine areas.

He also added saying that, The government cannot be getting oil to develop cities in Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos and the rest of them, yet their villages and communities where the oil is gotten from are being underdeveloped; still suffering from the iron road of intimidation battered by bad water and the creek of thatched houses. He said they will continue the End SARS protests until the Delta State Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa come out to address them on Friday, October 23 at the Effurun roundabout in Uvwie Local Government Area.
Joe threatened a total shut down of all critical facilities if the governor fails to meet with them.

According to him, Protesters are not going to back out of the protest as they do not have any plans to declare a 12-day revolution.  He concludes by revealing that if the government wants to test their resolve, then it should fail to give a public address on Friday.

Source: https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Africa

Article by Vivy LaBelle

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#RubyGirl| “My Passion For Business Started At Age 9”- Joshua Onyinyechi Esther

Joshua Onyinyechi who hails from Ebonyi state is a final year student of University of Abuja
in the department of Biological Sciences.

Oyinye is an entrepreneur and CEO of Gift and Souvenir. She also runs a firm that connects prospective interns to their desired organizations. She shares her Ruby girl story with the team

1. Who is Joshua Onyinyechi Esther?

I’m an entrepreneur with extra sauce and grace, a strong and focused lady who believes I can succeed at anything I set my mind to do.

2. ‎ What is the inspiration behind Gift and Souvenir?

My passion for business. I’ve always wanted to have a business that has to do with problem solving.

3. ‎What is your greatest fear?

Not living purposefully.

4. ‎ How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected you as a student and entrepreneur. What have you been able to learn from it?

As a student it affected me because I’m supposed to be a graduate by now but with the whole pandemic graduating this year is not feasible.

As an entrepreneur the pandemic affected sales, But I’m glad everything is coming back to normal.

I learnt to trust God’s plan.

5. ‎What led to the birth of Internship opportunity?

Internship opportunity is a God given idea.
I noticed how graduates and undergraduates struggle to fit into the right place for interns, most graduate or undergraduate just apply for internship anywhere not minding if it’s in line with what they want to do, simply because they just want to get busy.

That was how interns was birthed, to help connect graduate and undergraduate with the right company that will allow them to grow, develop and advance their professional goals/career.

6. ‎ An accessory you can’t leave home without?

My phone please.

7. ‎How has internship opportunity been able to help people with placement?

It has been helpful to people especially in this pandemic, graduate and undergraduate have gotten paid interns opportunity in different states via our platform.

8. ‎What was growing up in a Nigerian home like for you? Did it in anyway contribute to everything you do now?

Growing up in a Nigerian home is one of the best though it wasn’t all rosy. Because I lost my dad at a very tender age, growing up was just with my mum and siblings..and yes it has contributed alot.

My dad taught me not to be dependent on anyone and it has helped me alot, I started having passion for business at age 9, when I return from school I joyfully hawk pure water and the likes in the market, which made me have a business mindset from early stage.

After secondary school it continued, but this time I applied for a job and I got it which also helped my marketing skills, people management etc today by God’s grace I have a business of my own and all I went through contributed to what I am and do today.

9. ‎What are the challenges you faced when you started the gift shop and internship opportunity? Do you still experience them? And also how were you able to overcome them?

Challenges I faced when I started gift and Souvenirs was sales, before I started the business I had people who were like “oh wow I’ll be the first to patronize you,” but when I started all of them were no where to be found (japa).

I didn’t really make sales when I started, I’ll advertise for one week nobody will even ask me how much by mistake (laughs) but I don’t experience such anymore by God’s grace.

I was able to overcome through consistency, despite not making sales then I kept advertising Because I know people are watching and when they think of gift I’ll come to their mind first because I’m always advertising.

Challenges I faced when I started interns was looking for organizations seeking to engage the services to Interns to register on our website( www.internsopportunity.com) Registration and Job listing is free (Internship Only)

I still experience this, I’ve not been able to get lots of organisations as expected to register on our website, I’m putting more efforts to get them register.

10. ‎If you were to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what would you change?

I’ll change the policy in hospital ( especially government hospitals) that says you have to pay first before doctors attend to you, all fingers aren’t equal and no one makes budget for sickness. Lots of people have been rushed to the hospital on emergency and probably don’t have money at hand to deposit first. Doctors will not touch you until you pay money, they won’t even attend to you to save your life first while your family members run around for money, at the end the person might end up dying.

As president l’ll make provisions too for that.

Secondly about NHIS card which is made available for only government workers will be accessible also to those who can’t fully pay their bills, the less privileged.

Provisions will be made for sickle cell warriors/people living with disabilities.

Good water and electricity will be fixed in some villages where people drink dirty water to survive.

11. ‎Mention 3 women who inspire you and why?

My Mum, Mrs Nike Adekunle, Ma Esther Ijewere.

My Mum is a strong woman, she has a large heart, despite what life throws at her, she never gives up. I’ve seen her fight so many battles and still standing tall.

She trained my siblings and I right from childhood when we lost our DAD. Not all mothers can do that, some will just share their kids to different family members. But my Mum stood her ground, held us close we are what we are today because of God and her.
I’m grateful for her.

Mrs Nike Adekunle is a goal getter, she is so humble despite all her achievement. She gives listening ears always, she inspires me alot. She made walking in purpose for me easy. And I see myself in her always.

Ma Esther Ijewere is a strong woman, I admire her alot.

With her story she is still making impacts and touching lives.

I love her passion for humanity.

12. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Next five years, I see myself at the top controlling businesses, and owning a shoe line.

13. ‎If you were given the opportunity to address a group of young females five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them? Not to let anyone pressure them, not even social media, they can succeed in anything they set their mind to do.

Be grateful for the small and big wins!

It’s okay to make mistakes, mistakes are part of success!
Never allow your background put your back on ground.
No matter what life throws at you please keep moving forward, lastly ever depend
on anyone financially.

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Meet Muna Onuzo-Iyanam, The Start Up Doctor Who Has Trained Over 2000 Nigerian Youths On Business Ethics And Branding

Muna Onuzo-Iyanam, is a brand and business strategist with over 14 years professional experience, working with diverse organisations as a consultant and learning and education facilitator to develop 360 degrees branding strategy, especially for startups.

She has coached and trained and mentored over 2000 Nigerian youths in the ABCs of business ethics and on the importance of image, branding and etiquette in business. Muna’s expertise include cross-cultural communication, human capital training and development, new/digital media and CSR strategy development and execution.

Muna is the founder of Gazzelle Academy Vocational Centre, a first-rate skill acquisition centre, approved by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) approved vocational centre which trains artisans and entrepreneurs.

Muna is currently the SA, Technical Planning, Research & Development to the Minister of State for Education in Nigeria.

Muna Onuzo is also a certified corporate etiquette, cross-cultural communication, international protocol and business image consultant. She is the Principal Consultant at Personnelty Fit Ltd. She obtained her Etiquette and Protocol certification from The Protocol School of Washington.

Muna holds a bachelors degree in Mass Communication from Imo State University and a masters degree in Media and Communication from the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University.

She’s the President of the Nigeria chapter of Foundation for Women in Film and Television – an International NGO spread over 44 countries. She is a sitting Board of Trustees member of the Society for the Performing Arts of Nigeria – an award winning NGO helping the Nigerian youth to live out their dream through dance and the Arts.

We celebrate Muna for her work in helping Nigerian youths develop both practical, entrepreneurial and employability skill that will give them a fighting chance to live a more productive life.

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How Aisha Raheem-Bolarinwa is Helping Farmers Grow Their Business Through Farmz2U

Aisha Raheem-Bolarinwa ,  co-founder of Farmz2U, a digital platform that prevents food waste by helping farmers plan their crops.

Aisha made headlines in 2019 after she made the shortlist for the 2020 edition of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. This September, she was announced as one of the runners-up.

How Farmz2U works is that farmers tell the application how much land they have, what crops they want to grow, what their budget is, and even their target profit. Farmz2U then calculates how many seedlings the farmer should get, what fertiliser and pesticides to use, and provides training guides and videos for certain crops. Farmers can also find out where there is demand for their product, track orders and invoices, and find storage locations. Farmz2U even allows users to access financing, insurance, and receive weather reports and warnings.

Aisha, a strategy consultant, developed Farmz2U after a health scare prompted her to eat more healthily, which in turn exposed her to the challenges faced by the food industry. She became determined to reduce food waste and improve the nutritional intake of other people.

Farmz2U has already partnered with two commercial farmers as well as with the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture’s farmer support programme to access its network of smallholder farmers.

Farmz2U is working to create another app that will include a nutrition management platform for health-conscious consumers who can create meal plans and shopping lists. Users will be able to buy fresh produce directly from farmers who are registered on the Farmz2U farm management platform, creating additional markets for local farmers.

Aisha is an Economics graduate from Queen Mary University of London and she cut her teeth in business consulting and strategy in a variety of firms in London.

Apart from the Prize for Engineering Innovation, Aisha’s Farmz2U received a £5,000 grant from  ShellLivewire in 2016.

Aisha is helping farmers farm better with tailored agricultural expertise and access to market and we’re rooting for her!

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Meet Adeola Shasanya, The Nigerian Woman Encouraging Women & Girls to Embrace STEM

Adeola Shasanya, is the co-founder of Afro-Tech Girls, an organisation with the aim of inspiring and encouraging more girls and young women to embrace STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Across the world, women remain underrepresented in STEM fields and this is especially true in Nigeria and so many African countries. In June 2014, Adeola and two of her friends came together with a vision: a world where the number of women in the STEM industries has risen and women feel welcomed and appreciated for their efforts and achievements. They realised that one way to do this was by encouraging more young girls to take up STEM subjects at secondary school and university and stick with it even after education. That was how Afro-Tech Girls was born.

Afro-Tech Girls holds STEM events across the country for secondary school students as well as supply “STEM at home” kits to women and girls.

Growing up, Adeola was always found tinkering with gadgets attempting to fix them. She also loved watching science/tech themed cartoons. In school, she particularly enjoyed science and math and did very well in them. Leaving secondary school, she got mentored by a senior family friend who had just completed her degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. After winning the student prize award in Applied electricity, she had the desire to further my knowledge by studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering which enabled her appreciate technology.

Adeola has gained work experience in project management and consulting in both engineering and technology. She’s currently the Project Manager, Digital Skills for Africa at Google.

Adeola’s engineering degree is from Covenant University, Nigeria, and she also has a masters degree in Renewable Energy and Clean Technology from the University of Manchester.

Adeola is one of the 50 women spotlighted in Tech Cabal’s Tech Women Lagos series profiling 50 women in the Lagos technology ecosystem from different backgrounds and at different stages of their technology careers.

In 2019, Adeola won an ELOY award for her contribution to ICT and Technology. In 2017, Afro-Tech Girls won the SME 100 Nigeria, 25 under 25 Young Entrepreneurs Award in the Technology and Cybersecurity category.

We celebrate Adeola for contributing her quota to making STEM education accessible to women and girls and we’re rooting for her.

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I Failed My WASSCE To ‘Punish’ My Father For Forcing Me To Study Science – Ama Oduma Odum

Popular Kumawood Actress; Ama Oduma Odum has made an interesting revelation about why and how she failed her Wes Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

I failed my WASSCE to ‘punish’ my father for forcing me to study science - Kumawood actress (video)
I failed my WASSCE to ‘punish’ my father for forcing me to study science – Kumawood actress (video)

According to the beautiful actress, her failure to pass the WASSCE was a predetermined decision to more or less teach his father a lesson that he could ‘take the horse to the riverside but could not force it to drink the water’.

Ama told Zion Felix on the ‘Uncut’ Show that her father compelled her to study science at Senior High School against her will and passion, all because he wanted her to be a nurse or a doctor at all costs.

Although she completed Juaben Senior High School in 1997 as a science student, Ama said she learned the course under duress, disclosing she had yearned to study General Arts since she had a passion for poems and drama.

In a bid to ensure she did not pass the science course which was imposed on her, the actress revealed that she abandoned classes to have fun at some drinking joints while her colleagues were studying.

She expected to have her father change his mind and allow her to choose General Arts when rewriting the examination but all to no avail.

Ama further revealed how chasing her dreams and following her passion was such a dealbreaker for her that she had to leave her adamant father’s house at a point in time to enable her to have the freedom to do what she desired.

Watch Ama Oduma Odum in the video below as she makes all the disclosures:

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