Women of Rubies
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DISCOVER YOURSELF BEFORE YOU SAY YES TO A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL – FAVOUR OSIRI WISDOM

Favour Osiri Wisdom is an encourager, a certified marriage and relationship mentor with The Institute of Marriage and Family Affairs USA. A certified negotiation and conflict analysis expert with (USIP). United States Institute for Peace. She is the coordinator of the foremost marriage academy in the south south region of Nigeria;The Wisdom Driven Marriage Academy in the city of Port Harcourt which equips both married and intending marriage couples to acquire skills to build the marriage of their dreams.

Favour is passionate about women and girls. Having suffered so much under intense poverty growing up as the first child amongst seven children. She founded the Model Woman Foundation in 2016 where she mentors weekly organizing online seminars. She and her Pastor husband are presenters of a weekly relationship show called “For better for us” on Facebook . She recently authored two books tilted How Not to Marry an I.D.I.O.T and Before You Marry.

Favour believes her background cannot keep her back on the ground and she is determined to help restore more homes. She shares her story in this inspiring and educative interview.

Childhood

My childhood is full of interesting events that have shaped me into the woman I am today. I didn’t have luxury growing up so being the first child amongst 7 children; my mind was constantly processing on what next to do to make money.  I learnt how to braid hair at age 10 and every Christmas season I made money from braiding hair   I wanted to go to school at all cost because at that time I was going to be the first graduate in my compound ( both in my maternal and paternal home) .The poverty around me was just too much, I sold oranges during its season, I was involved in the “bole” business (roasted fish and plantain) which I inherited from my mother. I ran a bukka joint in a mechanic garage at age 19. In 1998 I went to NYSC orientation camp in the city where I lived at that time to do food business. When I saw the corp members come to buy food from my stand, I remember weeping one day because I wanted to be like them. I thank God I later saved up money from my mechanic garage food business to buy forms into the Polytechnic and went on to become the first graduate in my family (maternal and paternal) with many other degrees.  All of these experiences are instrumental to what I do now which is to encourage and stir women around me to rise up

Inspiration behind The Wisdom Driven Marriage Academy and The Model woman foundation 

We relocated to Portharcourt in 2013 to start a church ministry and much later started a weekly show on radio called “Family Matters” Nigeria Info PH 92.3 every Monday 2pm to 3pm

The vision for the radio show was to help marriages and those intending to marry with the wisdom that has helped us because at a point in our marriage, we went through turbulent times. We thought the devil had relocated to our home but as we researched more we found out it wasn’t the devil; it was deep ignorance of the skills to do marriage that we lacked. So as we shared these tips on radio, the counseling issues in our office weekly increased. We went into more research, got professional training then we decided to set up the marriage academy to proactively address marital issues. This is because there are issues that 30 mins counseling cannot handle, it will require an entire program to unlearn, learn, re-learn. The wisdom driven marriage academy kicked off in 2016 and has brought illumination to a lot of singles and married couples. The testimonies are amazing.

The Modelwoman foundation is my gift to womanhood. It was founded in 2016. I am an encourager so I never fail to shamelessly use myself as an example of a woman who dare to excel against all odds I could speak to someone for hours with the intent to make sure they move to another level. I was doing this with women around me and I saw them began to soar and felt I could reach more women globally using technology so in 2016, we started on whatsapp with few women and today we are grateful. We now hold an online conference tagged “The Complete woman Conference and a live conference tagged “Ignite”

My books; how Not to Marry an I.D.I.O.T & Before You Marry

How not to marry an I.D.I.O.T came as a result of my personal experience of manifesting these traits in the past and my interaction with intending couples and married couples alike. I have seen people marry with all the red flags telling them not to and the marriage breaks after few months. Some people also think marriage does not require skills but it does seriously. In fact it is the most skilled intensive venture I know because you are dealing with the emotions and destiny of people. I.D.I.O.T is an acronym for traits which are red flags telling you not to continue with the relationship. People with Idiotic attitude are not ready to learn, they want to do marriage the way they like. A lot of marriages are going through pain because of these Idiotic attitudes. The beautiful thing about the book is that it proffers solution on how to overcome these traits as a single or married person and gives you a step by step approach to end a forever idiotic relationship.

Before You Marry is a compilation of 50 things (There might be more) to consider before you marry. The book is to help intending couples with some of the relevant questions and discussions they need to have before they walk the aisle we live in the age where people see marriage as the next thing to check on their list without asking relevant questions. Questions reveal a lot of things. An example is having a discussion on the possibility of adoption where there is delay in child bearing. These questions and discussions brings clarity in the marriage.

Impact of Model Woman

 The modelwoman foundation has been a blessing to a lot of women. Most of these women I have never met because 90% of our engagement is online. The vision of the foundation is to build excellent legacies so we deployed the strategy of pray and learn. Weekly we pray and organize seminar sessions addressing different issues. We have testimonies of over 60 women who have started new businesses in the group, women who had no idea on what business to start when they joined us, we have marriages restored through the seminars in the group, we have women discovering their purpose and pursuing them. We have women who have been spiritually revived, the sessions on parenting was life transforming for the women. we have single mums, divorcees in our midst whose self esteem has been restored and are doing so well. We have ladies who were so deep into being side chic to married men end the relationships and turned a new leaf, we have married women involved in illicit relationships end the relationships and became purpose driven. We also have weekly diverse testimonies of changed lives in the the foundation. We have a project called ‘Value driven Life Project for secondary schools. The project is to impact the students with soft skills to make informed decisions about their lives and to make them aware they are valuable.  Recently we had an amazing outing on Valentine’s Day titled SEX IS NOT LOVE. We had students who planned to break their virginity as a mark of love come to us willingly seeking for help which we have followed up..

The wsidom driven marriage has impacted a lot of singles and married couples. The “Save Your marriage program” which is an intensive 8weeks program for deeply troubled marriages have revived and saved marriages on the verge of divorce.  We have seen singles quit relationships because they suddenlyfound out that even though the relationship looks good to them, it may not be good to them.

Challenges

I work with women mostly, the challenge has been the limiting mindset where some of them believe they cant get to certain heights because of their gender. Another challenge is some people think getting married is the next thing to be checked on their list without adequately preparing for marriage. They prepare for wedding and not  marriage. Just like flying a plaane requires skills, marriage, even relationship in the work place requires skills else the marriaage will crash like a plane manned by an ignorant person. Some couples are excited and working hard ontheir marriage, it is not that they have not had issues, they were only equipped with tools to handle even challenging seasons in their marriage.  

Other project and activities

Because I have a passion for women, I also want them to pass the same passion to their daughters so we have the Mum and Daughter Ball (MDB) which is aimed at creating that intentional bonding relationship. The maiden edition will hold this year. I also have a project for single mums and single dads which will come up before the end of this year. The big one is the Wisdom driven marriage retreat and resorts. A place for couples to unwind and bond.

Reward

The testimonies of changed lives. One incident is a single lady who has been in a relationship with a married man for many years and depended on him for financial assistance. She told me she had always wanted to end the relationship but couldn’t because of the financial assistance she was getting. Through the sessions on the modelwoman platform, she was able to break free and has an amazing life today working and making a living. So my greatest rewards are women who have found themselves and are unapologetically living their best lives.

On the cause of broken marriages lately

Ignorance is a big issue. I am a firm believer that whatever you are not skilled in, you will kill and if you keep doing it for a long time, it can kill you.. People go to different schools to acquire knowledge in different fields and that’s why they do well. Some even specialize. For example I cannot fly a plane no matter how passionate I am because I do not have the skills. Also marriage requires skills. Communication skills, negotiations skills, parenting skills, financial skills and many other skills to build a solid marriage.. These skills are supposed to be acquired pre and post wedding. Most pre-marital counseling curriculum are not updated to even handle today’s peculiar challenges. When these skills are lacking, marital frustrations begins to set it. Another reason for broken marriages is that the impatience level today is very short especially with technology where everything is fast. Many people want it fast and are not ready to be patient.. Another example is when you do not recognize that the spouse you married 20 years ago has changed and you also need to change.( change here means growth)

To women who are about to get married

Ans: Discover yourself before you say yes to a marriage proposal. Your purpose in life will guide your choice. Be economically empowered. Go  into marriage as an asset not a liability. Be equipped with the skills and ensure your would be husband does same. Do not give in to pressure to marry anyone just because everyone around you is getting married. You will stand alone when the heat comes as those who pressured you will be no where to be found.  Give the relationship time. Ask questions. Because I am a Christian and believe that God ordained marriage, I will encourage that women talk to God about their proposed spouse or marriage. Also don’t be carried away by emotions, ensure both of you are agreeable.

My Inspiration

My husband is my number one inspiration and cheer leader. The way he handles pressures and responds when there is a challenge is inspiring. My 3 wise children constantly push me to study because of the enormous potential they carry. Every day I want to become a better parent who will continually unleash their potential for them to impact their world.

Being a woman of Rubies

  Wow! I decided long ago I was going to make a positive mark on every woman I meet. So intentionally mentoring them and ensuring they follow the process to make progress is what I think makes me a woman of rubies. When we as women collaborate and not compete we will achieve so much because value is in people not places. God has trapped what we need in relationships. Having the skills to find and nurture these relationships as women will make life so easy. So I must commend Women of Rubies for what they are doing by celebrating women. That’s the spirit!

Final words of advice for women all over the world

Lookout for other women in your community, office, neighborhood. Collaborate, don’t compete. Aspire to the highest level God has designed for you. Don’t think because you are a woman you are inferior; you are the express image of God. Learn from other women. Celebrate a sister whose time of shinning has come and you will attract same

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SENATE CONFIRMS ABIKE DABIRI-EREWA AS CHAIRMAN OF NIGERIAN DIASPORA COMMISSION

The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Abike Dabiri-Erewa for appointment as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission.

The Senate made the confirmation and subsequent announcement on Thursday via its verified Twitter handle @NGRSenate.

Dabiri-Erewa who is currently the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora was a three-term member of the House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos between 2003 and 2015.

As a Reps member, she was chairman of House Committee on Diaspora Affairs; and had sponsored the bill seeking the establishment of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission.

Senate confirms Abike Dabiri-Erewa as Chairman of Nigerian Diaspora Commission

by Linda Ikeji at 09/05/2019 3:42 PM|23 Comments

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“THE ROYAL BABY ANNOUNCEMENT WAS DOWNRIGHT SEXIST” – BLOSSOM OZURUMBA

Blossom Ozurumba, an author, has criticized the way the birth of baby Sussex was announced.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their royal baby early on Monday morning. Hours later, their official Instagram account made the announcement, writing: “It’s a boy!”

Blossom, who is an Igbo language Editor at Wikipedia, doesn’t approve of the emphasis on the baby being a boy.

She tweeted: 

I am as overjoyed as their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but I must not fail to express my view that I have the exact distaste for this announcement as I had for the “Mama Na Boy” TV commercial produced by MTN Nigeria Limited in 2003 which was downright sexist. 

Nigerian author Blossom Ozurumba says the royal baby announcement was "downright sexist"

Credit: LIB

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BLESSING EGBE’S NEW FILM, ‘THE TEN VIRGINS’ GULPS N50 MILLION

Blessing Egbe has revealed that her new film, ‘The Ten Virgins’ featuring Thin Tall Tony is cost effective and has gulped almost N50 million.

The producer and director made this known in a recent statement while speaking on the film. She also said the project can be likened to an ambitious side.

“This project has gulped nearly 50 million Naira. It is both a feature and a limited series and is indeed an ambitious stride,” she began. “We paid attention to technical details and all the elements that make a movie great, and I believe the audience will feel its pulse,” Egbe dropped.

Blessing Egbe says she intentionally made an ambitious move with ehr nee film, 'The Ten Virgins.' [YouTube/BConcept Network]

The woman behind Nollywood blockbusters, ‘Lekki Wives’ and ‘Two Brides and a baby’ said the move to dare to make an ambition movie was intentional. She further said Nollywood is in dire need of content.

In her words,

“Going into this, my intention was to tell a story so relatable, interesting and entertaining, and I believe we have achieved that aim. It is a movie driven on the strength of the story, its style and the execution of it.

A scene from Blessing Egbe's new film, 'The Ten Virgins.' [YouTube/BConcept Network]

Pulse NigeriaA scene from Blessing Egbe’s new film, ‘The Ten Virgins.’ [YouTube/BConcept Network]

“Nollywood is in dire need of content with substance and that substance starts from the depth of the stories we tell. For ‘The Ten Virgins, we told a familiar story in a dated’ stage like and musical format, it is simple yet so captivating. I am excited and can’t wait to share it with the audience.”

‘The Ten Virgins’ is a musical drama about 10 maidens who amidst many temptations must remain faithful in their commitment to the greatest prince in the land. The movie is scheduled for cinema release on August 2.

The feature film parades Honey Adum, Damilare Kuku, Blessed Effiong, Bukky Okorodus, Leelee Byoma, Jade Dunni, Osareme Inegbenebor, Chidera Makata, Oge Aniegboka, Ola Taiwo, Degri Emmanuel, Chinonso Young, Tunbosun Aiyedehin, and late Priye George.

Credit: pulse.ng

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MEET KAREN OBILOM, THE NIGERIAN-AMERICAN ACTRESS SET TO MAKE HER MARK IN HOLLYWOOD

Upcoming actress, Karen Obilom was born in Texas and raised by Nigerian parents.

(Photo: Karen Obilom)

Karen graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood in 2014. She started off by taking jobs as an acting extra and doing background work. She eventually got an agent and gradually booked some commercials with major brands.

She made her credited debut on the third season of HBO’s Emmy-nominated comedy, Insecure, playing the role of Antoinette. She then went on to appear in an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles and the acclaimed web series, Mr. Student Body President. 

(Photo: HBO/Insecure)

She eventually made her big splash with the premiere of BET’s newest series, Games People Play. She stars in the show, alongside Lauren London, Sarunas Jackson, Jackie Long and Parker McKenna Posey.

The show focuses on the sexy, mesmerizing high life of Los Angeles. At its center is Marques King, a newly traded L.A. baller and his wife Vanessa King, to whom Obilom’s Nia Bullock, an ambitious journalist hungry for exclusives, is a friend to.

Jackie Long, Lauren London, Sarunas Jackson, Karen Obilom and Parker McKenna Posey (Photo: BET)

Her goal is to make movies with people who look like her. Obilom and her boyfriend are working on a feature film, A Long Ways From Okay, which focuses on a woman who is paralyzed from the waist down. She plans to have it premiere at Sundance.  

She’s also just shot a trailer pilot with Nigerian comedian, Chief Obi, for a movie called Rukky. It’s directed by Ebiye Ikuku and it’s about a girl from Nigeria who goes to Los Angeles for photography and learns to navigate life in the city.

Credit: konbini.com

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JULIET EHIMUAN, GOOGLE NIGERIA’S COUNTRY DIRECTOR, RECOGNISED AS ONE OF ’30 PEOPLE WHO ARE CHANGING THE WORLD’

Juliet Ehimuan, Google Nigeria’s Country Director has been named as one of 30 People Who Are Changing the World by London Business School Review.

LBS Review says about her:

Juliet Ehimuan wants to raise human dignity by helping to develop human capacity and create opportunities for growth. But Ehimuan is not a charity boss or a UN chief. As Country Director of Google Nigeria, she’s a global tech leader whose contributions to technology and entrepreneurship have won her multiple awards and recognition, including being named one of Forbes’ 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa and featuring in the third series of the BBC Women of Africa strand, Power Women.

Ehimuan runs “Beyond Limits” initiative where she coaches young people to become self-leaders.

“I tell them to always apply themselves and make the best of every circumstance. Every situation offers an opportunity to learn, grow and define who you are. Always do your best, always expand your horizon. You never know what is around the corner,” she told LBS Review.

In 2017, she worked with thirteen young women from the disadvantaged area of Kiri Kiri, Lagos on an intensive boot camp to transform the lives forever.

Meeting every weekend over a three month period, she worked with them on self-development, leadership skills, personal and organisational effectiveness, and business skills – transferable competencies all required for any leader, whether in the field of STEM, fashion, catering or the creative arts.

Today, under her helm, Google is transforming lives and placing Africa at the forefront of the future of technology. Free digital training is being offered to ten million Africans in five years with three million already trained so far. This will give digital skills and certifications to young people, giving them an edge in an over-saturated job market.

Credit: Bella Naija

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YEWANDE JINADU: HOW TO HANDLE REJECTION MAILS AFTER AN INTERVIEW

Here is a story of Tayo, a story lots of jobseekers will be able to relate with:

Tayo sees a wonderful job advert with an impressive job description. Immediately she sees it, she’s super excited, because it screams, This is my kind of job. Excited, she cleans up her CV and puts so much effort into a cover letter. She gets the interview invite she was expecting, jumps on her feet already thanking God for the employment letter. Tayo begins to imagine herself on the job, begins planning her route to work, etc.

Fast-forward to the interview and she answers all the questions to the best of her ability. She speaks confidently and the panel looks impressed with her experience, achievements, etc. It all looks positive. A few days later, she gets an email from the company. Excited, she opens it and sees the “regret” right in the first paragraph as usual. Wow!

Tayo is shattered. Various emotions run through her mind. She had believed it was a done deal, and her family members were excited on her behalf. Now they are asking for feedback. Tayo is left wondering for days: What could have gone wrong? Am I not good enough? What if no company wants to hire me? What if I remain jobless for years?

For a lot of people who have been in Tayo’s shoes, this article is for you. There is an ancient quote by Epictetus: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

Here are some ways to handle a rejection email:

Do a honest self-appraisal

The reason I added honest is that since the excitement has dissipated, that should allow for some critical self-evaluation. The aim is for personal development and growth. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. If you don’t identify areas in need of improvement, you may never learn how to be better in the coming interviews.

Reach out to the interviewer for feedback (if possible)

This may be very difficult, because you may not have the recruiter’s contact, or they may not be willing to be honest with you. As a recruiter, I don’t blame them, because so many candidates don’t take feedback well, and it becomes a back and forth issue. However, few may be willing to be honest with you, depending on your approach.

Take your mind off it and move on to the next one

Whether you like it or not, better opportunities will come. So you have to be hopeful. Don’t let this one define you or your abilities. Just because you were not suitable for this company doesn’t mean you won’t be a perfect fit for another. People’s opinion of you should not determine your worth or value.

Personally, hope is what keeps me going after a rejection. I usually tell myself that if this one didn’t work out, then God obviously has something better, and what may have looked really big will be something I will look back on in the future and be grateful to God for the experience.

I sincerely wish you the best in your career. Join my monthly Twitter Mentoring Session for young professionals by following @careerlifeng on Twitter

About Yewande

Yewande Jinadu is the founder of CareerLife Nigeria, a certified HR Professional and an employability coach. She has a passion for helping Millennials grow their careers. Her vision for CareerLife Nigeria is to help reduce unemployment by providing people with the right career related information. She enjoys reading and speaking with young people.You can check out her blog: www.careerlife.com.ngShe facilitates a monthly career related Twitter discussion: @careerlifengSend her a feedback by sending a mail to: info@careerlife.com.ngJoin her network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yewande-jinadu/

Source: Bellanaija

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FOR 12 YEARS SHE SAT BY HER WINDOW WAVING AT SCHOOL KIDS, NOW SHE’S MOVING OUT & HERE’S WHAT THEY DID

Since 2007, Tinney Davidson has sat by her window, waving at kids as they walk to school.

Tinney and her husband moved into a house near a secondary school 12 years ago and she’s been waving at kids walking to school.

On how it started, she said: ‘We’ll if they’ll looking in, I’ll wave them” and she continued the tradition, even after her husband passed.

She’s 88 now and she’ll be moving to an old people’s home. The students gave her one last surprise before she leaves and it’s really sweet.

Source: Bellanaija

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“HER DAYS OF AN UNDESERVING AND UNDER PERFORMING PARTNER ARE OVER” – PATRICK DOYLE’S ODE TO IRETI DOYLE IS A MUST READ!

A couple of days ago, Nollywood actress Ireti Doyle celebrated her birthday.

Her husband and actor Patrick Doyle shared a long and important message for Ireti which he titled “An Ode to a Great Lady“.

In the message, he comes close to confirming rumors of a dispute between the two of them. He admits that he has been in the “dog house” and was recently released.

Patrick Doyle thanks Ireti for her compassion and he pledges that there shall never be another “cock up”.

Read the full message below.

AN ODE TO A GREAT LADY

This is my tribute to a great Lady, my life has almost always revolved around strong women. The first strong woman in my life was the enigmatic Angela Bassey Doyle, who while still grieving as a young widow gave birth to me and stayed unmarried to nurture me. She stayed around as a strong pillar in my life till I was well in my 40’s before she passed away. Next was my aristocratic sister Ayodeji Omobolanle Alakija, the 2nd of two daughters of my great mother. She unfortunately passed on in her 40’s but in her life time was the very epitome of grace, and courage. She was not ” lucky in the love department ” as she was the victim of a loveless and fraudulent marriage, yet she carried on with the panache that only an Alakija is able to. My life would me incomplete without mentioning the mother of 3 of my sons, the very forthright Rosamond Emechete.

Who in spite of her fragile health gave me 3 very handsome sons and sadly passed on 7 months after the birth of our last son, Eyitemi. Shortly after the passing of Rosamond, God sent me an angel. Not only did this angel dry my tears, comfort my soul and lift my spirit at the lowest point in my life, but she showered my boys with the highest quality of care that I have ever seen a mother give her children. I have been young and now I am older, and I have never seen a woman more loving , caring and devoted than this lady. She not only ignored the taunting of “true friends ” who queried what she was doing with a “broke ass” like me. Frankly, if she was my sister , I would have asked her the same question.


Have I always justified or honored her courageous decision to stick with me through thick and thin? The answer is a big resounding NO. If any thing I have been most undeserving of the affection of this most uncommon woman. Have I taken her Love for granted? You bet I have, why? because like most men , I am prone to being a jerk. I can not count how many times she has had to pick up the slack when I have failed in my duties as a husband and father. She has with the greatest sense of responsibility been the rock of our family. Without a doubt she is the most generous woman I know, a dependable friend, a loyal ally and the most loving and sensual woman ever.
Lately I had been less than worthy of her affection and was deservedly put in the proverbial “dog house”. As usual , she has with compassion taken me out of the “dog house” and reinstated all my rights and privileges as the Lord and Master of the home. I know that at the back of her mind , she’s mentally preparing for my next “cock up”.
I hereby pledge that there shall never be another “cock up”. Her days of an undeserving and under performing partner are over. Her love and devotion over the years will never go unrewarded . My Angel has proven that a good woman can by her conduct ” convert an unbelieving husband”, that is not to say I am an unbelieving husband, maybe recalcitrant would better describe what I was. I am now a truly ” born again” husband. I now publicly proclaim that I am married to The Best Woman Alive. Now, I know that God truly loves me for sending me the ” Angel Of My Life” (apologies to Paul Play).


Monday the 21st of December will make it 15 years since this most classy lady uttered the words ” I DO” to me in the presence of God and Man. The last 15 years have been any thing but smooth, true the ride has been bumpy with My Angel bearing the brunt of the rough times, but by the Grace of God those days are over In Jesus Name.
Isaiah 42 verse 9 says ” Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them”. Heaven has spoken and so shall it be.


On behalf of my sons, my 2 beautiful daughters that My Angel gave me and indeed the entire Doyle, and Henshaw clan of County Wexford, Ireland and Liverpool, UK, as well as Warri and Calabar, Nigeria , we salute and honor this most illustrious daughter of Akure Land, this Moremi of our time, the one and only Anike Ade Oluwaninsola Iretiola Doyle on the occasion of her 15th wedding anniversary.
Your Divine Labour Of Love Will Be Rewarded, Good Measure, Pressed Down and Running Over, In Jesus Name.

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TIWA SAVAGE, YEMI ALADE, SIMI… MUSIC CHICS MAKING BIG MOVES

Though the likes of Tuface Idibia, Davido, Wizkid, Olamide, Flaour and the rest have continued to dominate the country’s music scene, recent events show that female singers are no longer confortable playing second fiddle. Unlike the days when it was all about the boys, some music chics are gradually making big moves that will eventually narrow the gap and change the narrative.

Just recently, Effyzzie Music Group singing sensation and mama Africa, Yemi Alade, teamed up with American Hip-Hop/Rap star Rick Ross to serve up the remix of her buzzing single Oh My Gosh. The singer’s Instagram is presently flooded with the behind-the-scene shots and videos of the new single, which was directed by Ryan Snyder. The song, which was produced by ace producer DJ Coublon, with strings by talented guitarist Fiokee, was mixed and mastered by raving sound engineer, Swaps. Meanwhile, the original version, also produced DJ Coublon, was released in 2018, with a video directed by Ovie.

Yemi, who said she is keen on taking Africa to the world with her songs, said the track is already trending in Nigeria and UK. The song, according to source, will be featured on Yemi Alade’s album titled Woman Of Steel, which will drop later this year. The work will feature collaborations with prominent acts like Rick Ross, Duncan Mighty, Funke Akindele, and Angelique Kidjo.

Earlier in the year, the songwriter hit a one hundred million view mark on her YouTube platform and emerged the second Nigerian artiste to attain the feat. Alade made this achievement with the video of her hit single, Johnny, which she released in 2014. She has performed around the world and shared the stage and songs with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Shina Peters, Wizkid, Becca, M.I, Waje and others.

Just when it seems the buzz had subsided, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, announced an exclusive global recording agreement with Tiwa Savage, one of Africa’s biggest stars and an artiste whose success spans music, fashion, film and television.

Under the agreement, her future music will be released internationally through UMG’s operations in more than 60 countries worldwide, with projects executively produced by Efe Ogbeni of Regime Music Societe and Vannessa Amadi-Ogbonna.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and later received a scholarship to study Professional Music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts before embarking on a career that has seen her achieve creative success across a multitude of mediums, 2018 remains Tiwa’s most successful year to date, which saw the singer-songwriter crowned Best African Act by the MTV European Music Awards, making history as the first female to win the accolade.

In the same year, she also became the first African female to sell out London’s IndigO2. In December, Tiwa was handpicked by Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin to perform alongside Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Jay Z live at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg to a 70,000 strong audience and millions across the globe in celebration of the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

An accomplished live musician, she has performed around the world, including a notable performance at Jay Z’s Made In America festival in Philadelphia in 2017. Tiwa was named one of the world’s Top 100 Inspirational Women in Fashion by Vogue US then later featured in British Vogue’s December 2018 issue as one of 10 women that are changing the face of music globally. She has released a string of singles including Mr Lova Lova ft Duncan Mighty, Diet and Tiwa’s Vibe all of which hit the No. 1 spot across charts within Africa, securing her position as one of Afrobeats leading artists.

A resilient force within Africa’s ever-growing entertainment industry, she has also managed to carve a career as a reputable songwriter, conquering the charts in Africa whilst balancing her roles as an entrepreneur, mentor and mother.

Throughout her career, Savage has been active in her philanthropic endeavours, supporting various youth engagement organisations and breast cancer screening projects across Nigeria and further afield. Through her work with MTV’s Shuga, Savage is also keen to share further knowledge of HIV/ AIDS prevention and awareness within the continent. One of Africa’s most followed women on social media, Savage was the first African female to represent Pepsi as an ambassador and represents leading global brands including Nike, MegaGrowth Hair, MTN and Star Beer.

Throughout summer 2019, Tiwa will play a string of international festivals including the UK’s Wireless Festival, Afropunk in Paris and Oh My! Festival in Amsterdam.Commenting on the deal, Tiwa Savage said, “My biggest goal is to make Africa proud. I’m so excited for this moment and I’m thankful to Sir Lucian Grainge and my new UMG family for their belief in my dreams. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career and I’m more ready than I have ever been.”

Adam Granite, EVP Market Development, Universal Music Group said, “We are looking forward to partnering with Tiwa and her team to help her music reach new audiences around the world. As one of Africa’s most successful, influential and dynamic singer-songwriters, Tiwa has truly global ambitions and UMG is committed to help her in achieving them.”

Efe Ogbeni and Vannessa Amadi-Ogbonna of Stealth Management said, “We’re very proud to be a part of this ground-breaking partnership between Tiwa Savage and Universal Music Group. Tiwa is undoubtedly the most hardworking and talented female artist crossing over from Africa to the rest of the world, and UMG has demonstrated its commitment to the Continent by placing its formidable machinery behind her amazing career. Partnerships like these symbolise the hopes and dreams of so many talented artists back home in Africa and it is an honour to be the executive producers of her project.”

In a moving message to Tiwa on her new deal, Mavin Records Boss Don Jazzy said, “Our darling Tiwatope. We at Mavin would like to say a very big thank you for being such an inspiration to all of us, a friend, a sister. It’s been an epic journey with you and we are very proud of what we have achieved together.“As you start this new chapter in your life we want you to know that we are solidly behind you and can’t wait for the world to see what we have always believed you can be. Your jersey as the First Lady of Mavin will forever be yours, as we do not intend to fill that position with anyone else.

“We love you from the bottom of the heart and pray GOD’s blessings to continue to follow you. Amennnn.” Meanwhile, X3M Music has announced the departure of one of its recording artistes Simisola Ogunleye, following the expiration of her recording contract. The Lagos-based label confirms, in a statement signed by A&R executive Vincent Nwanze, that both parties have determined to not renew the contract.

In a career that is still unfolding, Simi as she’s fondly called, has emerged one of the most remarkable music talents of her generation; combining a peerless skill for writing and arranging, with a vocal prowess like none before her.

That special voice, an unassuming look, and writing talent are what attracted her to X3M when she was signed in 2014. She immediately warmed hearts with the hit single Tiff, which earned her a Headies nomination. Her debut album for X3M (her career second) was released to local and international acclaim in September 2017, and named album of the year in 2018, by The Headies Awards.

Her final album for X3M music Omo Charlie Champagne was released on April 19, 2019. X3M music is reputed to have a bias for original, alt music; especially in an industry dominated by pop.

‘We only sign artistes that we love and believe in. We know our taste in music is rather different; but we only sign talents who meet that taste. Fortunately, we have been able to find millions of music lovers here and abroad, who share similar tastes, as is evident in the success of all the artistes we have worked with, including Simi, who is without any doubt one of the biggest music talents in the country today…’

Though nothing has be said regarding Simi next move, many suggest that the Jamb Question singer might be working out something with her newly wedded husband and singer, Adekunle Gold. On the other hand, rumour has it that the singer might be on the verge of inking a new music deal with an international music platform soon.

Source: CHUKS NWANNE for Guardian

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