Blog - Page 304 of 462 - Women of Rubies

In Interviews&profile December 24, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

‘BANKS THAT GIVE WOMEN UNATTAINABLE TARGETS SHOULD BE SANCTIONED’ – FLORENCE ALABI

Mrs. Florence Omolola Banji-Alabi who was born in Owo, Ondo State, was recently decorated as Fellow Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN). She attended Lagos Anglican Girls’ Primary School, Surulere, Lagos and Imade College, Owo in Ondo State. She attended the then Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo now (RUGIPO) for her National Diploma in Accountancy and obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State. She was an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria.

She did her youth service programme with the now defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria in 1991, and also worked there for one year before joining Union Homes Plc, the mortgage arm of Union Bank Plc where she was until February 2008 when she moved to the then Oceanic Bank Plc for few years, before joining the family business as a director (Mortgage Services) in Banji Alabi and Co., a property development and financing firm. In this interview with GuardianWoman, she talked about the challenges in the banking sector and suggesting that core professionals should be allowed to run the sector.

What are your views on the banking sector?
Banking in Nigeria ordinarily is a good and thriving profession. However, looking at it critically, I am compelled to ask if we are truly practicing banking in Nigeria the way it is practised in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe, the U.S. and other genuinely developing countries. The real ethics and culture of banking is not here. The universal standard of how banking is run is clearly absent here.

If you go to some other countries, especially the United Kingdom, you would have walked past or driven past before you know that banks exist in a particular place. But here in Nigeria, it is the mansion or structure that is the bank and not the services. Here, you see a lot of fortune being invested in a building that is going to house a bank.Besides, the type of marketing practised abroad is different from what you have here in Nigeria. What is done there is e-marketing, not the kind where in Nigeria, ladies in mini-skirt and other provocative dresses are sent out to go and market. This strange marketing culture is made worse when these ladies are given unattainable targets. They also face harassment here and there. I think this is not how banking should be done.

Giving target is not the real problem. Target is good in the real sense of it, because target motivates to achieve results. The way targets are given and the kinds of targets that are given, the conditions attached to these targets and the way these girls go about pursuing these targets, leave much to be desired. I know of banks, but I don’t want to mention their names, where girls were told that if they don’t meet their targets, a sizeable percentage of their salaries would not be paid. So this makes most of these girls to throw away all forms of morality and decency to do anything to achieve their targets. This is what gave rise to the sudden indecent and provocative dressing that has now become the way of life of most of these marketing ladies.

What is the solution to this indecency?
I am of the view that the regulatory bodies must begin to intervene so that morality, etiquettes, social and national values are not sacrificed on the altar of crazy modern banking as some want to believe. But like I have said earlier, this is not how modern banking is done elsewhere, this is largely peculiar to Nigeria. These bodies must let bankers know that they have other binding responsibilities to their environment and the society at large. While I would not be calling for a particular dressing code, as it is the case today in some tertiary institutions in the country, at the same time, the well known decent and elegant dressing culture in the sector should be upheld. These bodies should also design a mechanism to detect, discourage and even sanction banks which give unattainable targets, of course, after failure to heed warnings.

Do you think the mortgage sector is fulfilling its role?
The problem with the mortgage sector is that while people want to obtain mortgage loans, the interest rate is too high. If you want a mortgage loan in Nigeria, I can categorically tell you that there is no bank that will offer you less than 26 per cent interest; that is high. A lot of people cannot afford to take a mortgage loan in Nigeria. If you go abroad, you will notice that the interest rate is very low. That is why they can afford it, and it is in different categories.

Abroad, there are mortgages of 20 to 30 years, but in Nigeria, it is not so. If you take mortgage loan in Nigeria, pray that you will be alive to pay up the loan. In other parts of the world, governments intervene in strategic and essential sectors like this. In such places, governments promote shelter, but in Nigeria, it is not so. In Nigeria, we are using short-term investment to finance long-term investment. Government should intervene and save the mortgage sector. That is the only way to guarantee shelter for most people in Nigeria.

What are your thoughts on the on-going reform in the banking sector?
Regulators and operators alike need to be sincere about the reforms they are putting in place. In the spirit of the reforms, we must ensure that the right person is put in the right place. For instance, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) came with a policy making it mandatory that some key positions in banks must be held only by professional bankers, but very sadly, this is not being enforced. So, if we want the reforms to impact very well on the system, then all these policies must be enforced. Professionals should be allowed to run the banking industry. Appointing people into key positions should not be on the basis of god-fatherism, or ability to mobilise certain funds for a bank. Before you know it, this group of people are pushed into the management, they now become management staff. If professional bankers were allowed to do the job, then banking would be what it is supposed to be.

How did you meet your husband?
My husband, Barrister Banji-Alabi and I grew up together at Owo. He is a very close friend of my elder brother, Mr. Dare Aruwajoye, and therefore a very regular face at our house in Owo. But at that time he never noticed me, maybe because I was very young then. After my ND programme, I was to do the compulsory industrial attachment, so my senior sister, Mrs. Bisi Anifowose, suggested that I should go and see Barrister Alabi who was then working at Guinness Nigeria Limited. When I got there, he was amazed that the little girl he used to know that time, that himself and my brother were sending around to buy drinks for their friends, is now a very big girl. He proposed to me and I was shocked as I always looked up to him with respect as a senior brother.

But one thing is that he was one of the best-dressed guys at that time in Owo and, therefore, was able to attract to himself a lot of admirers. He was simply the best-dressed person around and at every occasion that I met him, he stood out as the most sophisticated and most celebrated. He lives a life of celebration. He is an incurable optimist. He swept me off my feet and I fell for him despite initial protests from my senior brothers.

What’s your advice to young girls?
Please don’t give up on your dreams. I know too well the feelings of frustration one passes through in waiting times for a manifestation of a desired state or what is often referred to as a break in life. Many people continue to pass through this at various stages in life. What will you do? Will you abandon the desire and settle for a lesser portion, or would you decide to go for the real deal? I keep meeting people who “sell” their destiny and happiness for sometimes a temporary fulfillment. My advice is, don’t let go of your destiny once you’ve discovered it. Run away from married men; look for young guys with great potentials. Please do not sell your destiny and happiness for temporary fulfillment or monetary needs.

What is your take on women in development?
I think so far in Nigeria, it has been a deliberate policy that women must be carried along in everything, including politics. Although the level of women’s participation in politics is still low, in my own profession, banking, they have been very visible there, and nobody can take them for a ride any longer. We are, however, looking forward to ladies becoming governors and becoming president in Nigeria.

Interview by: Ijeoma Thomas-Odia

For : Guardian

In lifestyle December 24, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

TIWA SAVAGE, WAJE, ABISOYE AJAYI-AKINFOLARIN AND LOLA OMOLOLA LISTED AS ONE’S 2018 WOMEN OF THE YEAR

These wonderful women have been recognised for their work and craft and using it to add value to the world in , Music Star Tiwa Sage, Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin and Lola Omolola have been listed as ONE’s 2018 Women of the Year.

The ONE Campaign is an international, nonpartisan, non-profit, advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support policies and programs that are saving lives and improving futures.

According to ONE, the women went above and beyond gender equality this year to make life better for women.

Nollywood actress, Bisola Aiyeola and singer, Waje were honourably mentioned for the fantastic work they did this year campaigning for women.

TIWA SAVAGE

Tiwa has worked with breast cancer screening projects, helped build schools in her hometown, and advocates for community-based social projects. She’s also a supporter of the Vote Your Future campaign.

ABISOYE AJAYI-AKINFOLARIN

With her Pearls Africa Foundation, which offers free classes and programs for girls and young women, Abisoye won the 2018 CNN’s Heroes Award. Through her organization, she empowers girls living in poverty and many of the girls she’s mentored have already produced their own apps to combat issues, like poverty and female genital mutilation, in their communities.

LOLA OMOLOLA

Nigerian-American activist Lola Omolola is the founder of FIN, a private Facebook group that connects nearly 1.7 million women from across the world. She began the group in 2014, searching for a way to create mutual support with other Nigerians after the kidnapping of over 300 girls by the Boko Haram. The group quickly grew into a hub for women’s issues, offering its members a safe outlet to discuss the struggles they face and connect with other women who share those experiences.

Honorable Mentions

Bisola Aiyeola is a Nigerian actress, ONE Ambassador, and winner of the AMVCA Trailblazer Award at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

Waje Iruobe is a musician, film producer, and ONE Ambassador advocating for transparency and accountability.

Source:woman.ng

In Interviews&profile December 24, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

“I HAD TO GET MY PERSONAL JOY BACK, AND THEN THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE” SUSAN KELECHI WATSON, “THIS IS US” ACTRESS.

Susan Kelechi Watson 37, is a Jamaican American actress best known for her character “Beth Pearson” in the NBC drama series “This is Us”. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frame. What is particularly fascinating about the series is Susan’s sterling interpretation of her character which is arguably the ‘star’ of the series. Speaking on life before getting the role in the series, Susan says:

“A month before I booked This Is Us, I was like, ‘Maybe I should move to Montreal and work in a coffee shop. I had friends who were praying for me. I was leaning on a support system to believe for me when I was finding it difficult to still believe the dream for myself. All of the sudden I just believed again, like, I didn’t come this far for it not to happen. I’m going to enjoy this again. It’s the best thing I have to give. So I had to get my personal joy back, and then things started to change.”

Speaking on the reception, audacity of hope and belief her character has given to the black community, she says:

With my representation of a black woman in the world today, there’s such a powerful response from my community about what it means to have black representation on television. That response is so overwhelming and so strong that I just have to express my own gratitude for it, because I understand the necessity for it. I grew up with that need. I still have that need. I’m thankful that I get to fulfil that need for so many.

Then there’s the aspect of me as a woman and the camaraderie. They just feel like I’m their best friend; this character’s their best friend, and so many women say, “I’m just like you.” Or the goal is to sort of be similar to Beth; it gives them a way to kind of strategize, and helps them to move through their life.

Also, we talked about adoption on the show, and now to be able to talk about fostering, it’s really just such a great opportunity to open that door to that conversation as well. So many people have been through fostering, they understand the complications that come along with that, and so appreciate this story line, and I’m so thankful I get to be a person who represents that.

So I feel really good about what she’s offering people, whether it be a representation of being an African-American woman in this world, her representation as a woman, of being a woman that other women can identify with, and also of being an advocate for fostering, and for kids who think that maybe they won’t have a chance later in life.

Susan is a Bachelor’s degree graduate of Fine Arts degree from Howard University and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program.

Culled from Deadline Hollywood

In Inspiration December 23, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

IBIDUNNI IGHODALO FOUNDATION FETES MOTHERS-IN-WAITING

Childlessness in Africa is a major issue that no woman wants to experience, as the period of waiting comes with so much anxiety.And a foremost event planner, Ibidunni Ighodalo, through her Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF), has decided to help couples with the problem of conception to have children of their own with assistance from the foundation.

The IIF recently held its second outing where couples were selected by ballot to determine who would undergo the programme for the year. The theme for this year’s edition was Maa Gbe Temi Jo (‘I will carry my own and dance).

Couples began to arrive the venue as early as 8.00 a.m. and before noon, the Agip Hall of MUSON Centre was filled to capacity. The first event was for couples, selected from different states across the country, to meet with a team of medical experts to ascertain their medical viability through a series of assessments and pre-tests. The foundation then pays to a certified fertility clinic that is in strategic partnership with the foundation in the country for fertility services such as In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Frozen Embryo Transfer and Intrauterine Insemination to be performed on them.

Ighodalo said: “Couples face a lot of challenges in their period of waiting to conceive. It is the reason the foundation is committed to going with them on this journey believing that together, their hopes will be turned to happiness. Last year was a good year and it will be better this year. Somebody got pregnant last year just by practising what was lectured here. Knowledge is power!”

Several fertility specialist doctors presented topics on infertility and how to overcome it, either by just doing what was said or by actually partaking in the assisted ways to do so.

A gyneacologist, Ogundiran Bridge from the Bridge Clinic, spoke on fibroids and pregnancies. He told participants that contrary to the saying that what you don’t know will not kill you, the opposite is the case: “Fibroids are common tumours in women worldwide, which is also the cause of infertility in many women. Though some may have symptoms and some may not, but based on study, six out of every 10 women may have it. While some people may get pregnant with fibroid, some women may not be able to conceive depending on where the tumours are located. So, eventually, not everyone may need IVF, as all you need to do is to remove the tumours and get pregnant.

“Nobody knows the cause of fibroid but based on study, obesity has been associated with it. When you are obese, the chances of conceiving are lean.”Bridge also cited diet consisting of plenty preservatives, hypertension, family history for not conceiving for long as causes of infertility. The symptoms, according to him, are abdominal pains, swelling and infertility.However, he said the best solution is to do a medical check up and remove any lump in the stomach if necessary to avoid complications.

Dr. Oluwatoyin Bode Abbas spoke on “How To Handle Infertility’ and the challenges that come with it. Abbas said infertility is a diagnosis like any type of sickness, but people here see it as a special kind of sickness that no one should be associated with.

According to her: “Stigma comes in different forms such as public stigma, where nobody invites you to their children’s birthday parties, neither will anyone wish you happy Mothers’ Day because you have no children. Self-imposed stigma where some women carry a long face and an unpleasant attitude just because they don’t have children.”

According to her, the government is not left out, as they structurally stigmatise couples by not having health insurance big enough to cover the cost of infertility treatment. She advised couples to find treatment and not to isolate themselves but speak out and focus on the positives, saying, “We need to start thinking differently because our parents in those days adopted children but today when it comes to putting pen to paper to adopt, it becomes a problem.”

Dr. Mini Iyizoba spoke on fertility health, saying: “The basic things people forget while waiting is they can freeze their eggs, times are changing and people are marrying at later years than before.

Former Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Muiz Banire, who also had a traumatising waiting period said: “My experience was just for three years, but it was like forever. People put a timetable by saying things like, we are coming to eat rice o, and they put immense pressure on couples without knowing.

“They will give you all sorts of advice, telling you places to go to for solution as well as if it is automatic and couples keep going up and down without a solution. But I think the way forward is belief in God; don’t stress yourselves and above all, trust God.”He, therefore, urged the men too to also accept the fact that they could be the ones with the problems instead of putting the automatic blame on the women, as it is always the case.

While Head of Department of Psychiatric Lagos State University (LASU), Dr. Rotimi Coker, spoke on the psychological effect the period of waiting has on a couple, Dr. Oluyemisi Adeyemi-Bero spoke on surrogacy.Pastor (Mrs.) Ruth Essien brought another dimension to the programme as she spoke about things that Africans will normally term as taboo. But above all, she advised couples to be peaceful in their marriage, as it contributes a lot to conception while waiting.

Source: Guardian

In Interviews&profile December 22, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

WHEN I LAUNCHED #GROWYOURGRAM I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE BIG- EMILY WALE-KOYA

Emily an infectious motivational, cum transformational speaker, and business consultant who’s on a rampage to arm individuals and organizations with the tools needed for them to build lives and businesses they are completely obsessed about. She ventured into entrepreneurship from her university days and has garnered over 16 years experience in business.

Her first digital product (an audio recording) made her Six figures within 2 weeks. She wrote her first book in a week and with a 4 month old baby in hand.Today, she’s the proud founder of The School Of Personal Branding, her online school where she sells e-courses around business, digital marketing and personal branding.

Emily has been interviewed by notable outfits across the country and presently one of the biggest sensation on Instagram, helping young women and men alike build your page and make money while at it. She’s happily married to Adewale Koya; her biggest support. Together they have Olamide, Oladimeji and Olajumoke Wale-Koya.

The #Growyourgram initiator shared her inspiring story with me in this exclusive interview

Growing up

I was all shades of shy as a little girl. I had very low self esteem as a child even up into adulthood. So, NO NO NO, my childhood and what I’m doing right are just two opposites.

Meet Me

I’m Emily Wale-Koya, an infectious speaker, revivalist, life and business coach, and author. I’m a proud wife to one proud husband (lol) and a joyful mother to three children, ages 8, 5 and 2, who steal my breath away on a daily basis..I run an online training, coaching and consulting business that gives me the rare opportunity to do work that I really love and one that is financially rewarding.

I’m the founder of Nigeria’s first personal branding school; the school of personal branding, where we sell online courses around personal branding, business and personal development.

I’m a die-hard when it comes to going after success that I believe in. This pursuit keeps me constantly hungry and open for ideas that can and will take me and other women global so that we can seen, heard, paid and celebrated for the brilliance we bring into the world.

My work

I train, educate, coach and help women in Nigeria and across the globe embrace, package and promote their special gifts, expertise, and experiences, so they birth ideas that can cause a change in the world and at the same time, bring them financial independence. We do this by powerfully leveraging the internet and social media, especially Instagram™.

16 year’s Experience entrepreneurial journey

“Entrepreneurs are job creators and they are the ones who will change the world”.

The above sentence became clear to me one day while I was at youth service in Cross River State. Someone was invited to facilitate a session on entrepreneurship and after he spoke, another facilitator came up to do another session. This second facilitator came from a bank and was a banker. And after he spoke, his team and him started taking down names of people who wanted to write the banks test in order for them to get a job in the bank.The crowd was huge, the queue for this was long and I got so pissed and walked away… While at the camp, I started thinking about ways to get a job.. and being a self motivated person, I started psyching myself that “I AM A JOB TO MYSELF, I CAN CREATE A JOB FOR MYSELF”.

To cut a long story short, while serving in Calabar, I decided to offer free trainings to guest houses and hotel staff. I even issued certificates after the training to people who attended.

I finished serving and then started buying and selling under-wears from bank to bank, house to house, at churches, etc. I stopped that business and went on to start a magazine publishing business, which I also stopped in 2013 after having my second child in the US and taking a long break from business.

Today, I’m running and growing an edtech company which is at the core of my existence on earth. We sell courses, ebooks, virtual coaching programs, physical workshops, etc.

Business ChallengesI would say being a one man business. It takes a lot to start and stand! I’m everything to everyone; accountant, managing director, marketer, trainer, coach, receptionist, etc… Although I have a digital team who works on my online school, not having physical staff yet is a challenge. But I’m on the verge of hiring some

Unstable internet connection is also an issue. My business is online 24 hours, so when the internet fumbles, it affects us seriously, as we almost can’t do anything and have to wait till it’s restored.

#Growyourgram

Truth be told, when I launched #growyourgram, I knew it was going to be BIG from DAY 1. I sketched the plan on paper and even though I didn’t put every aspect of it down, I knew it would explode in no time. The singular reason being that there was mad hunger by people on Instagram to learn and use Instagram for business.

I was bent on making a mark on the Instagram platform. I was exhausted watching others play big. Most importantly, I was keen on helping women in business build powerful brands and businesses on the platform.

We are currently working on the second version kicking off in January and I bet you, it will be massive.

Inspiring Feedbacks

Reading feedbacks from people who tell me how I helped them grow, win, and push. In fact one person sent me a DM on Instagram telling me how I helped her stop a suicide she was considering since she lost all she had; business, husband, money in the bank and reason to live.Things like this are priceless to me and I will make them happen again and again.

My brand in 5 years

As an edtech company, we will be operating globally and earning in foreign currency. We will be financially empowering at least 1000 women who are unable to speak good English language, or understand the internet, earn solid income by helping them create and sell their own digital products.

My personal brand on the other hand will be one of the most influential brands on Instagram™ and I will use it in return to rewrite the narrative for African women and open even more doors for us all.

Advice to young Entrepreneurs

They should come up with ideas that have capacity to go global. We truly as a nation need to come off importing more than we create. So if it is a physical product or a digital product, they should please ensure their ideas can become international products. Also, they should check if there is even a market for their idea before they launch. They should embrace the internet and use it as a platform to test their ideas and eventually promote the product or service they want to offer their market.

My Motivation

The pursuit to be all that I’ve been created, designed and assigned to be by my God.

Also, the pursuit to ensure my children have access to the best lives, education and access kings and queens should have.

Being a Woman of Rubies

The confidence, courage and determination I have to be all that I can be and the passion to help other women achieve same.

Advice for women all over the world

The time and season to RISE is now! The internet is availing us as women so much to do with it. If you are a woman reading, I beg you to delay no longer. STOP letting fear, laziness, lack of adaptation to change, self-limiting beliefs, and approval from others stop you. Truth is that if you might miss this particular bus, you might be hurting yourself. And yes, another bus will surely come, but what if that bus isn’t headed in your direction? I advise you get on this bus (internet/social media) now and take over the drivers seat.

Using technology to your advantage!

If you have a passion, gift, skill or story that can impact even if it’s only 10 people, please go all out and start using social media to promote it and yourself.

Women are raking in millions of naira working from home. Some are influencers who companies pay between N500,000 – N3,000,000 simply because they have what we call “social influence; aka, social capital).

Again, this is the time and season for the woman to rise and shine.

{May the women of rubies stand up and be counted}!

In Career Gems December 21, 2018 By Women of Rubies

WOMEN NARRATE THEIR EXPERIENCES AT YABA MARKET FOLLOWING THE YABA MARKET MARCH

A group of women and men stormed Yaba Market on Saturday to protest harassment in the market place. Women who visited the market after the Yaba Market March have now reported a massive change in the behavior of the traders towards female customers.

Majority of the women who shared their testimony on Twitter said the traders behaved themselves and tried not to touch them. Those who tried to touch were cautioned by other traders.

Read some of the tweets below.

Credit: LIB

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In Career Gems December 21, 2018 By Women of Rubies

TWO GIRLS ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT AND KICKED OUT BY THEIR FAMILIES, GET RESCUED BY DANISH AID WORKER

Danish aid worker Anja Loven and her husband, David Emmanuel Umem on Thursday, rescued two young girls branded witches and kicked out by their families in Akwa Ibom.

“Two girls were rescued. I cannot go into details. What is important now is that the girls were found alive. The girls are now safe at Land of Hope.” she added.

Credit: LIB

In self development December 21, 2018 By Women of Rubies

6 OUT OF 10 WOMEN VICTIMS OF GENITAL MUTILATION IN OYO – UNICEF

The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says six out of 10 women between 15 and 49 years in Oyo State are victims of genital mutilation.

Dr Olasunbo Odebode, Representative of UNICEF in-charge of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan.

Odebode spoke at a public declaration of FGM abandonment by 21 communities in Oyo West Local Government area of the state.

According to Odebode, a Child Protection Specialist, mutilation prevalence rate for women between 15 and 49 years in the state is 55.5 per cent, the fifth highest in Nigeria.

She said the affected females live with the negative consequences of the practice, which undermined their physical, emotional and socio-economic well-being.

She described FGM as a harmful traditional practice, a gross violation of the fundamental human rights of women, which seriously compromised their health and psychological well-being.

”FGM is not only harmful but also against nature as it destroys the wholesome and beautiful way women and girls are naturally created.

”It poses increased risk of infection or prolonged labour, bleeding, still-birth and maternal death during childbirth as well as leaves lasting physical, emotional scars and an irreparable damage,” Odebode said.

She said FGM was a social norm and that people practice it because they believed that others in their community do it.

She urged stakeholders to collaborate in the campaign to end its menace in their respective communities.

Mrs Dolapo Dosunmu, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state, said the agency had carried out series of programmes to sensitise the public on the effects of female genital mutilation.

Dosunmu commended traditional and community leaders in the area for dropping the age-long practice.

Oba Lamidi Olayiwola, the Aalafin of Oyo, promised to support UNICEF and NOA efforts in eliminating the practice in the state.

The monarch, represented by Chief Yusuf Akinade, the Basorun of Oyo Kingdom, charged community heads to sensitise people in their domain on the negative effects of the practice.

Credit: Pulse

In Interviews&profile December 20, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET CAPTAIN ABIMBOLA JAIYEOLA, THE FIRST FEMALE HELICOPTER CAPTAIN IN NIGERIA

Captain Abimbola Jaiyeola, a helicopter pilot.

Abimbola, in December 2014, became the first female helicopter captain in Nigeria, flying the Sikorsky S76 for Bristow Helicopters Nigeria.

A little over a year later, in 2016, Abimbola was in the news again, this time, for saving 13 lives by “ditching” the helicopter she was flying.

Ditching is knowingly making a controlled emergency landing on water.

Although some of the passengers suffered some injuries, no life was lost.

Abimbola, an Ogun state indigene, graduated from the Bristow Academy in 2008 and then moved to Florida to continue her training.

In 2017, she was named in Leading Ladies Africa (LLA)’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria list.

In self development December 20, 2018 By Women of Rubies

ROHEEMAH AND KEHINDE ARE THE FIRST ENGLISH GRADUATES IN OAU TO BAG FIRST CLASS IN 21 YEARS

Roheemah Arogundade and Kehinde Lawal broke 21-yr-old record in Obafemi Awolowo University.

Both Kehinde Lawal and Roheemah Arogundade graduated with 4.56 CGPA, something no student has been able achieve in the last 21 years.

Since 1997, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) did not produce first class graduates in its English Department. In fact, the last distinction graduate of the department, Akinmade Akande is now a professor of English.

In OAU, the English and Geology Departments have a reputation for not producing first class graduates. However, on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, the university at its 43rd joint convocation ceremony announced Roheemah Arogundade and Kehinde Lawal as the first graduates of the University to bag first class from the English Department.

Roheemah and Kehinde

In this interview with Pulse, the two outstanding graduates talked about their lives on campus and their academic achievements.

Pulse: Did you determine to break the jinx when you realized there’s been no first class graduate since 1997 in your department?

Roheemah: Growing up, the thirst for excellence was instilled in me by my parents. So I always aspire to excellence wherever I find myself and upon my entry into the university. That’s what I worked towards achieving.

Kehinde: I strongly desired it but it was hard at the same time to dispel the thought of the long-believed “impossibility.” From the onset, I was determined to try and make a stride for goods grades (maybe not for a first class but to be the best in a class of about 400 students). The desperate zeal to really finish with a first class grew when I made a 5.0 CGPA in my 200 level 2nd semester result. At that point, I was wowed and I made up my mind to try all I could to have first class. So, from that time, I was working towards it.

Kehinde Lawal

Pulse: What did you do differently that made it easy for you to break the record?

Roheemah: I wouldn’t know if I had done something different, only that I decided to work not only hard but smart too. I had a plan for every semester. I had a senior colleague who I would meet at the end of every semester to make copies of her notes and materials in order to prepare for the next semester in advance. I also ensured that I attended every class, attended discussions and tutorials, met with lecturers and fellow students when I needed to understand some topics. Also, I ensured that I read all the topics treated in class in a day. And most importantly, I never neglected my prayers.

Roheemah Arogundade

Kehinde: Well, I can not state specifically what I did differently from others because I do not know how much effort some other people pumped towards having a first class in the department. But, on a general note, what I noticed that I did differently from many of my colleagues was to study every night ( even if it was just for an hour). Many students failed to cultivate the habit of consistent revision or studying until it’s time for assessments. “Crash reading” never works for me. So, I tried to prepare for exams from the beginning of the semester.

Pulse: What were your campus days like?

Roheemah: They were quite interesting. Apart from academics, I was involved in other activities. I was a member of the drug-free club and also a member of Association of Nigerian Authors. I participated in volunteering activities such as Nigerian cleanups and some others. I took a course in project management. I was engaged in freelance writing and editing and also tutoring.

Kehinde: Campus life was quite stressful for me. I had too many extracurricular activities I delved into. From my 200 level, I was committed to being a member of different committees in the department. I was a member of the Audit committee, Trip and Excursion Committee, Award Dinner Committee, Class party committee and others. In my 2nd year also, I started as a member of NASELS’ Communication Bureau (the press outfit of the department). Gradually, I rose in rank to become the assistant managing editor, the managing editor and the Editor-in-Chief in my final year. I was actively involved in the publication of the departmental magazine (FOUNT) in 2015 too.

Pulse: Were you aware there was another student in the department with record-breaking CGPA and did you see her as competition?

Roheemah: No, I didn’t know earlier on but when I did, I was quite happy when I realised that a friend was also doing excellently well. There was no competition of any kind, instead, we always met to discuss difficult topics and explain them to one another.

Kehinde: Yes, there were rumours. Same way mine was a rumour until I finally graduated. But I didn’t see her as competition. During exams, we had group discussions and revised past questions together. I was very happy we made it but we were surprised that we finished with the same point- 4.56.

Kehinde Lawal

Pulse: What do you think is responsible for the lack of first class graduates for 21 years in the department?

Roheemah: I believe every student works hard or tries their best to be excellent too. So I just believe it wasn’t time.

Kehinde: I can’t say precisely. However, I feel the orientation fresh students get on admission into the department is quite discouraging. So, even without making an effort to make the first class, students in the department just naturally feel comfortable having average grades because everyone believes the first class grade is impossible.

I hope that the achievement Roheemah and I have made would further encourage students and prospective students of the department to do better. Now it is established that it is possible, I hope to see more people graduating with first class in years to come. Although it’s not by default, hard work is highly recommended too.

Pulse: Apart from studying what would you say helped to achieve this academic feat?

Roheemah: God and my support system i.e. my family and friends

Kehinde: God, Prayers and support from my mother, family and my best friend.

Pulse: Did the school management reward you for breaking the record?

Roheemah: At this moment, no.

Kehinde: There are not many awards in the department and the single one that exists was not awarded to anyone.

This is something that also needs to be changed to encourage students. The school should make provisions for awards and Alumni too should do the same.

Pulse: With your first class degree in English what career path do you intend to follow?

Roheemah: I’m passionate about academics, so I’ll be getting involved one way or another in that but I also love writing. So definitely that’s something I will be pursuing too. I’m open to anything really, as long as it is something that contributes positively to the society and gives room for self-growth.

Roheemah Arogundade

Kehinde: Good grades aren’t guarantees for a secured career path but they open doors of life-changing opportunities for those that seek it.

With a first class from OAU and in a department where it was previously considered impossible, I have a certain level of confidence that it would be relatively easy to study further anywhere in the world.

I would love to explore opportunities in the communication field like corporate communications, marketing, advertising, media relations, brand management, and public relations. All these are interrelated fields that my degree in English would help me with immensely.

Credit: Pulse News