Women of Rubies
In Inspiration By

Meet Olutoyin Olakunri, The First Nigerian Woman To Become A Chartered Accountant

Chief Mrs. Olutoyin Olakunri is the first female Chartered Accountant in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A woman of many firsts, Olutoyin was born on November 4, 1937. She attended primary school in Nigeria and completed her secondary and tertiary education in the United Kingdom.

In February 1963, she qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales.

She became a foundation member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 1965. In 1978, she served as the Chairman of the Society of Women Accountants in Nigeria.

She was also the first female President of the Institute of Directors in Nigeria, former member of the National Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Policy Commission, Vision 20:2020 Committee, and Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Olutoyin was a member of the Constituent Assembly that generated the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

A former president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. She was on the Finance Committee of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Board of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited for 8 years.

She also served as the Chairman of the Education Trust Fund, now Tertiary Education Trust Fund for two terms.

Chief Mrs. Olutoyin Olakunri received many local and international awards for her contributions to the profession and societal development. One of which is the Officer of the Federal Republic [OFR] of Nigeria.

 

 

Credit: womenafrica.com

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

UK Nigeria Tech Hub And Future Females Empowerment Initiatives Empower 80+  Nigerian Female Entrepreneurs Through Pilot Women Trade Scaleup programme

In November 2021, Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP), UK Nigeria Tech Hub and Future Females Empowerment Initiatives launched a new and exciting partnership to support local female entrepreneurs who are ready to trade beyond Nigeria’s borders. Three months later, the pilot Women Trade Scaleup programme has concluded and has supported local female entrepreneurs with the skills and strategies to build globally thriving businesses.

Nigeria currently has the largest market in Africa with a population of over 200 million, and with the world becoming more interconnected, having a business that meets customers across the globe is becoming increasingly essential.

Through the three-month Women Trade Scaleup programme, 80+ Nigerian trade-ready female entrepreneurs accessed training through three intensive bootcamps, and were supported with expert coaching, expert mentorship, accountability forums and community engagement sessions, to unlock their entrepreneurial spirit, and see tangible growth in their businesses.

 

The three intensive bootcamps provided participants with a wide range of knowledge from trade experts. November kicked off with the first bootcamp where participants were taken through the fundamentals of trade, trade policies and tariffs, trade strategies, market research for trade and market entry strategies. The second two-day bootcamp in December supported members to prepare their businesses for trade. Some key areas included digital marketing & sales, business model & operations for trade, and cross-border payments.

The last bootcamp in January focused on different strategies to finance a trade business. Financial strategies and revenue models for trade businesses are among the topics that were explored.

The programme brought exceptional feedback from the members with  100% reporting that their trade knowledge and technical skills have improved, 70% increased their revenue, and 73% saw an increase in customer numbers since joining the programme.

One of the graduates, Elizabeth Nwankwo, founder of Oklan Best, increased her revenue by 20%, almost doubled her customer base and has now listed her products on Amazon which are being sold in Canada!

Throughout the programme, Judith Idialu, founder of Bigfarm foods reported a revenue increase of 40% and 40 new customers. She is now exporting to new markets including the UK, Kenya, Ghana.

Elizabeth and Judith are not the exceptions. As the programme concludes, graduates only have brilliant wins to share; from winning grants worth millions of Naira, being featured on national media, to being nominated for prestigious awards; these women are ready to embrace a new global market.

The programme had remarkable coaches and mentors who are experts in their respective fields. Programme expert mentor, Adetokunbo Adewoyin, is the principal consultant of Fortress20 Commodities, a foremost agricultural exports management and consulting firm in Nigeria. She is the programme’s Sourcing and Logistics Expert Mentor with over 13 years of experience in agricultural commodities and containerised exports.

Coach Titi Ojo is the founder/CEO Agrochains Consult Services Ltd, a company that provides strategic services in the agriculture value chain and non-oil export sector. She consults in the international development space with a focus on building a thriving non-oil exports sector through enabling trade policies, capacity building for exporters and market access development.

Commenting on the Women Trade Scaleup pilot programme and bootcamp, Maureen Ideozu, Programme Coordinator of EEFP said, “We are very pleased with the take-off of the Women Trade Scaleup programme. It is one of the important inclusion interventions at EEFP to enhance the capability of Nigerian women to participate in the non-oil export sector. By design, EEFP is a short-term intervention to stimulate and invigorate the non-oil export ecosystem. To achieve wide scale high impact results within a tight timeframe, we adopted a collaborative approach, working with credible and reliable partners. The benefit of this approach is aptly demonstrated by the progress made so far by the Women Trade Scaleup Programme. We thank our partners UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and Future Females Empowerment Initiatives for their commitment and professionalism, as we look forward to increased participation and survival of women owned businesses in international trade; attributable to the quality of expert training, mentorship and access through the programme.”

“Trading across borders is a key ingredient for economic growth and prosperity,” comments Adaeze Sokan, Director of UK Nigeria Tech Hub, “Entrepreneurs leveraging innovation are the ones that will catalyse poverty reduction and inclusive growth but they must think scale from idea conceptualisation and adopt the concept of glocalisation in their business planning – i.e. grow business locally but aim to expand to global markets. This is why we endorse this project and applaud the EEPF/NEPC in their efforts to encourage women entrepreneurs to be ambitious enough to go global.”

“We are delighted to partner with EEFP and The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub to support women in Nigeria to trade internationally! Many women go through our Future Females Business School with physical products, implementing technical tools and capabilities to grow their business, but the support to help them on export principles, requirements, knowledge and access to expert mentors and coaches have been missing. Women are creating beautiful products, building amazing businesses, and being able to help them scale in market size and geography excites us so much! We are learning more about the export requirements and how to support women in this space even more.” says Cerina Bezuidenhout, Future Females COO and Cofounder.

With the calibre of coaches and mentors in the programme, the success of the pilot Women Trade Scaleup Programme comes as no surprise. It looks like 2022 will see more women accessing and thriving in Nigeria’s export market.

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

Meet Karen Uhlenback, The First Woman In History To Win Nobel Prize In Maths

Karen Uhlenbeck, a mathematician and a professor at the University of Texas, emerged as the first woman in the world to win a Nobel prize in mathematics. The Abel Prize, modeled by the Nobel Prize and awarded by the King of Norway to honor mathematicians who have made impact in their field, began in 2003 and since inception has only been awarded to men.

However, Uhlenbeck who is known for “the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics” changed that. The award comes with a cash prize of about N253 million and a recognition as a giant in the world of mathematics. Uhlenbeck is renowned for her work in geometric partial differential equations as well as integrable systems and gauge theory, Gucmakale reports. It was gathered that one of her most famous contributions were on pioneering the field of geometric analysis in which she created theories of predictive mathematics. Among her colleagues, Dr. Uhlenbeck is renowned for her work in geometric partial differential equations. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC

The minister was recognised for how he initiated a reconciliation process between his country and its long time enemy, Eritrea. According to the prize’s committee, it gave the award to Ahmed to encourage its peace-making effort even though there are still many things to be done.

According to the prize’s committee, it gave the award to Ahmed to encourage its peace-making effort even though there are still many things to be done.

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

Meet Farida Kabir, The Woman Simplifying Learning For Healthcare Practitioners

Healthcare is an integral part of any society and getting it right in that sector should be paramount. One of the most important part of any discipline, healthcare inclusive, is information. The more people know, the more they can do.

Farida Kabir is a health technology expert, an advocate for women and girls in STEM who’s also passionate about good governance and strong institutions.

Farida is a public health scientist, software developer, and UI/UX designer. She’s the founder of OTRAC, a healthcare Learning Management System (H-LMS) that provides cloud based medical contents to vary array of medical practitioners.

Through OTRAC, Farida provides “tailored trainings/courses for public and general health practitioners with a vision to build a learning platform that supports continuous development of all health practitioners, and enhance their capacity and knowledge for effective service delivery.”

OTRAC, founded in 2017, currently has over 8,000 subscribers, 27 courses, and 32 facilitators in its platform.

She’s an ICT advisor for Department For International Development (DFID)’s Partnership to Engage, Reform, and Learn (PERL) programme which “links governments and citizen groups to collectively address governance challenges for improved service delivery”. She’s an ambassador for Google Women Techmakers, Abuja and co-organizer for Google Developer Group, Abuja.

She also consults for Reboot, an organisation working with change agents in government, civil society, and philanthropy to achieve their social missions.

She also contributes her skills working at Mentally Aware Nigerian Initiative (MANI), a mental health awareness platform tackling the stigma associated with mental illness.

Farida, a graduate of Zoology from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, is one of 100 women named in Leading Ladies Africa (LLA)’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria list for 2019.

We celebrate Farida for devoting her skills to assisting developmental initiatives and solving social problems.

 

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

Meet Zulfat Suara, The Nigerian Woman Who Is The First Muslim Lawmaker In Nashville, USA

Nigerian-born Suara made history on September 12 , 2019 after becoming the first Muslim in history to be elected to Nashville’s Metro Council.

She was elected to fill one of the five At-Large council seats.

Here are a few things to know about her.

  1. Zuarat Suara attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria from 1985 – 1990 where she obtained an HND in Accountancy.

2. She came to the U.S. in 1993 but settled in Tennessee as her new home in 1998 when the opportunity for her husband to do a fellowship at Vanderbilt presented itself.

3. She founded an accounting firm that has worked with county governments in Hardeman, Haywood, Lake, and McNairy counties.

4. She is currently the Assistant Controller of a local university in Nashville.

5. She started the Hardeman County Chapter of Junior Achievement in 2004 and continues to advocate for children and young people as a board member of the PENCIL Foundation.

6. Suara has served in a number of leadership positions, including the chair of the American Muslim Advisory Council.

7. She has supported women, serving two terms as State President of the Business and Professional Women, a century-old organization promoting equity for all women in the workplace, from 2009-2011.

Image result for zulfat suara biography

8. She is active politically as treasurer of the National Women’s Political Caucus and chair of Day on the Hill, a joint legislative day for several women’s organizations on issues affecting Tennessee women and children.

9. She has also been a speaker at the Nashville Women’s March each year since 2017.

10. She has been recognized with the FBI Directors’ Community Leadership Award and featured in the Jackson Sun’s Twenty Most Influential Women in West Tennessee.

11. She was named the 2018 Muslim Policy Advocate of the Year by Islamic Society of North America, and The Tennessee Economic Council on Women inducted her into its Tennessee Women Hall of Fame in 2015.

12. She recently received an award for Outstanding Service to Human Rights from the TN Human Rights Commission and currently serves as a board member of the Nashville Metro Action Commission.

13. Suara has been married for 27 years to Dr. Rahaman Suara and they are blessed with five amazing children.

 

 

Credit: fabwoman.ng

by
Keep Reading
Tobore Anne Emorhokpor
In Inspiration By

Tobore Anne Emorhokpor: I Am Using My Passion To Change And Impact The World

When a Pharmacist  has a burning passion for women and children,  committed to giving hope to the hopeless, and lending her voice to the voiceless, she deserves to be celebrated. Tobore reflects what humanity should look like.

Tobore Anne Emorhokpor is the founder of Nigerian Child Protection Trust and the convener of the End Child Sexual Group. She is a leading voice in the women and child development sector.

The Cardiff University Alumni also did a virtual leadership principles course at Harvard Business school. Tobore is driven by personal development and self-improvement, and she  has emerged as a credible voice armed with a passion for getting justice for the oppressed. She loves to go beyond people’s expectations and delight them.

She is renowned for her unique style of blended mentoring, empathy and speaking up for the oppressed through her various social media channels. Her inspirational leadership, empathy and benevolence makes it easy for women and children to have a connection with her. She wants a Nigeria where women are empowered to look after themselves and their children.

She detests children being used and abused for child labour and wants a great reduction in sexual abuse and rape of women and minors.

The testament to her impact is the media mentions she has gotten for her humanitarian work and her Right Livelihood Award for outstanding role in reducing hunger, inequality and improving sustainability.

Tobore is happily married with kids. She shares her inspiring story in this interview exclusively with Esther Ijewere.

Childhood Influence

Growing up, I witnessed the effects of abuse and cheating around me. Domestic abuse has a negative impact on children. That is why I get really upset when women say they stay for the sake of their children. This is a myth not reality.

They stay for themselves because the children suffer more in such situations. Your children cannot be happy if you are not happy. I love children dearly. I am passionate about children. I love carrying babies and playing with children. They make me so happy. I remember one time our driver beat up his 3-year-old son badly. I was so enraged. I asked my Father to deal with him. I knew I had to fight for these children that could not fight for themselves.

Inspiration behind my organisation; Nigerian child protection trust and End child sexual group

 I was coming across a lot of sad posts on Facebook about children being defiled and nothing being done about it. I eventually decided to do something. I wasn’t sure how or what I was going to do as I currently live in the UK, but I wanted to start with what I had, so I started a group on Facebook. I asked friends if they would like to join, and they did. That is how we started ‘End child sexual abuse in Nigeria’.

I would post stories of cases, some educational posts on how to protect your child and other requests for help. I also used my personal wall to ask for help. I then decided that I could act as a signpost for people.

Wherever there is a problem in Nigeria, I will find the closest Human rights officer, NGO, or Government Organisation to help. I was not going to change the world and make as much change as I could. I wanted to become the voice for these children.

Being a Pharmacist by profession, and the impact on my advocacy for women and children

I started off as a pharmacist and practised in the UK and Nigeria, then I decided to branch into Human Resources. I currently work as a Workforce Planning Lead. I enjoy planning and putting in processes. This helps me in how I deal with the cases that I work on. I speak with each person to find out what they currently do, how they got into the situation they are in, and how they can get out. It’s not a pity party but a way to plan their way out of their problems. I feel very proud when women I have helped turn around and help others up. I am very proud of the women I have helped.

The journey since I started my Organisation

The journey has been tough but very rewarding. When women come to me for help, I would ask what they can do and try to start up small businesses for them so they can be self-sufficient. Some people just want someone to talk to. I spend time chatting with them to understand the situation and give the best advice I can. I am so happy with what we have achieved together in such a short time. I didn’t know what I would really be doing but my social media pages have brought succour to many and I thank God for that.

The spike in cases of domestic violence and rape since the beginning of the pandemic

In the past, abusers would go to work or to school and leave the home environment and return at the end of the day. Due to the lockdown, there was no room for escape. Emotions were heightened. People lost jobs and hardship increased. This added stress to an already burning pot and resulted in a huge increase in the number of cases of violence. Poverty breeds ignorance.

Challenges of being a women’s advocate 

The people I am trying to help sometimes lie and try to scam me. One of these women showed me a prescription and lied that she needed to buy the medications on it for 3 weeks for her baby.

Unfortunately for her, I know how to read a prescription and I told her no Doctor would tell her to do that. She started stuttering and saying it’s the hospital. I was scammed by another lady who got people to act and do videos requesting help as a trick to get money from me and other unsuspecting kind-hearted people.

We also have the Police who sometimes take bribes and let culprits go. We then have to use social media to call them out to get them to do the right thing. Victims and their families are sometimes scared about reporting crimes and refuse for us to help them seek justice when they have been harmed or wronged.

I have had a few cases where people tell me about situations of abuse then grow cold feet and refuse to go further. No matter how I try to encourage them to tell the truth and speak out, fear of being known as the whistle blower does not allow them to help victims.

There is a man who lures boys with gifts and passes them about in a paedophile ring. The sister of one of the boys approached me for help then later recanted because her parents told her to ‘leave it to God’. Another person contacted me about a school in Lagos where the Principal rapes young girls in his care but then refused to give me proof when they realised the school might be involved in the case.

Other projects and activities

When covid first struck, there were a lot of families that were left without any food and money. The first post I made was to ask ‘who has 5k to spare for a family in need’. People responded and I paired givers with recipients. Others saw what I was doing, and the finances poured in.

We bought bags of rice and shared them out to people in Warri, Port Harcourt and Ilorin. I used my Facebook wall to raise money to pay rent, start up small businesses for the women so they can renew the next year’s rent. We paid for surgeries, medicines, school fees and everything else in between.

I have posted job adverts so people can get jobs and a few kind people have offered free sewing courses and other types of training for people on my wall for free or for a little sum.

We paid for a few caesarean sections and have helped pay the bills for women who have ended up as hostages in hospitals as they were unable to pay their huge medical bills. I remember when I was called about a woman whose baby had died inside her and was rotting and there was no money to pay a deposit to do the emergency c-section. I put it on my wall and within half an hour we had raised the deposit to start the surgery.

We ended up raising over 500,000 Naira for her medical treatment which lasted a while.

 What I enjoy about my job

I enjoy helping people. That is what makes me happy. I like seeing everyone around me happy and smiling. In every job I have done, that is what has kept me satisfied and motivated.

3 women who inspire me and why

First, my Mum; She has worked hard and tirelessly to give us a good life. She is the most hard working and innovative woman I know. She is dogged and never gives up.

Defunke Adewumi – She has a heart for women and children. I saw the love, care and humility in her post and knew I must be her friend. She has supported me in many ways and continues to be a beacon for women and children in Nigeria.

Michelle Obama – A Queen!

The Nigerian Government and it’s support for the Gender Based Violence sector

So far, I have seen that Lagos state has taken the fight against rape seriously. I believe all other states need to follow suit. There should be special Police Officers trained on how to handle such cases and special courts to fast track such cases through.

There needs to be adequate shelters to house victims and survivors. There should also be programmes put together to help them recover psychologically and help them start up business or get jobs and reintegrate into society. All states need to adopt the Child Rights Act and make sure children are protected from exploitation either sexually or via labour. Every child has a right to good education and a good life free from abuse.

Work life balance

It is quite difficult, and I have to keep reminding myself I cannot do it all. The requests for help are more than I can handle, and each one rips through the heart chords. It is especially sad for me each time I turn some people away, but I have to do so. I try to get some time to myself, and I also work on spending lots of time with my children. They are quite young and need a lot of my time right now. I try to maintain a good balance.

One thing I wish I could change in the Gender Based Violence Sector  

There needs to be a budget to support women and children who are victims of all forms of abuse. Shelters should be built to house them while working on helping them to integrate back into society. Children who are found to be child labourers in homes, can be taken away and given better lives rather than waiting for them to be abused and degraded by their mean bosses. Their only crime is being born into poverty.

Receiving the right livelihood award in 2021 for reducing hunger

I was excited and grateful for being recognized. The work is done out of love, but it is nice to know my peers see it as something commendable.

Being  a woman of Rubies

I am a woman using my abilities to help make a change and impact the world around me.

by
Keep Reading
In Inspiration By

”I Learnt The Importance Of Giving And Caring From My Parents“-Lydia Okojie, Miss Ecowas Nigeria 2021

Lydia Eseoghene Okojie is an Entrepreneur who holds a BSC. Ed in Accounting education. Being raised as a Christian and a lover of God, She is a worker in the church serving God in the Choir department as a Praise leader and the media unit.

As a Youth in the Church, She supports the ministry of Jesus Christ in her best way. Having gathered experience in Events planning , red carpet hosting and Experiential marketing as a HAWKER, she now coordinate Event Staffs She founded her own company.
Lydia Okojie Tv, this is a company that trains and provides professional individuals on skills regarding to hosting, Red carpet and becoming masters of ceremonies.  Lydia okojie cakes and event and she holds certificate of training in Catering services.

As a beauty queen, Current MISS ECOWAS NIGERIA 2021. she began her modelling career in 2016 after winning Miss Photogenic, then Edo state Next Top Model, then Miss Motivational in 2018, she made her way into Entertainment industry, where she’s now into content creation( skit making).

She believes in giving and impacting lives and this has made her to be known as a humanitarian, this gives her so much joy.

 She shares her Ruby Girl story with the team.

1. Tell us about your childhood, Lydia. What was growing up like for you?

The part I enjoyed more in my childhood is falling in love with God at a young age. I spent most of my time being in God’s presence, attending choir rehearsal and my parents were very supportive. I think it is what they wanted because they would prefer that I go to church rather than visiting anyone both in good and worse times.

One thing I learnt from my parents while growing up was the attitude of “giving and caring for others.” I can recall how my mum would cook and give to our neighbors each time there’s harvest in the church and plenty rice was shared my mum would share it among the neighbours.

This happened during my childhood and I adapted, I could recall sharing my foodstuff with friends in school that didn’t have and sometimes giving out cash in my little way.

2. ‎Have you always had a flair for catering and modelling from a young age?

I love good food, I love to cook and being the eldest child I’ve learnt the skill of making nice meals for my younger ones. I learnt baking and catering after graduating from school.

There are no specific requirements though, the question is, is modeling your passion? If yes that means you have these qualities: intelligent, smart,bold, beautiful, self confident and lastly you need to trust God for the process and put him first.

3. What motivated the launch of Lydia Okojie Tv?

Well, I got passion to always be in front of camera, interviewing notable people and guest, I love hosting shows.
The feelings were true that I couldn’t resist it. As a reigning beauty queen, I knew I can do a lot using LYDIA OKOJIE TV platform.

4. ‎How was your decision to pursue modelling and aspiration as a Beauty Queen received by your close contacts?

It was quite interesting but only few persons associated themselves with me because of my family financial status most of my classmate saw me hawking in the market and sometimes won’t want to talk to me. I began hawking while I was in primary school.

(Smiles) Yes, my family is my biggest fan, and few friends, my dad & mum have always supported me as long as I don’t make them regret it, at the earliest had no contacts, I had no sponsor but I had God.

5. ‎What are the challenges young entrepreneurs in the fashion, modeling & entertainment world face and is there any specific one you encountered?

There are so many challenges that if you aren’t strong enough and determined in your career you could give up easily so, I’ll advise that whatever the challenge may encounter stay strong, focused, seek and accept positive counsel, believe in yourself and pray.

Some of the challenges I’m facing as an entrepreneur are:
Mental stress: Being a young entrepreneur and managing a growing business is hardwork. It is not really easy coping financially and employing people to relieve you stress of managing social media, attending to people calling for enquiries, graphic designing, etc so do all these myself…Yes, I do everything myself for now and it’s really stressful you know.

Office space: This is a major challenge that I really need to sort as soon as possible because it’s affecting my business growth. Most people appreciate you more and feel safer to do business with you when they are able to meet you at a physical place that is comfortable and not just online meeting.

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

(Smiles) My wrist watch.

7. ‎What are the services Lydia Okojie Tv provides?

Rendering of hosting events, providing of well trained professional models for brands, video shoot and adverts.
Providing of well trained Event Staff i.e Ushers, Bouncers, cartoon characters, interview session with kids on the street sharing their experiences interview session with mentors and coaches.

Handling of experiential marketing for brands for creating awareness and increase in sales making.

8. ‎An unpopular random fact about you.

I love having a pretty hair do and makeup on but I seldomly have them because I would prefer to look my simple way.

9. ‎ If you were to contest for Nigeria’s presidency, what is the major change you will present in your manifesto?

Ensure that those who hawk for their parents
are given scholarships from primary to university.

Those street kids who can’t read nor write will be taught a skill and empowered.

Women will take lead role in government position and make decisions. I could make women become governors in each state of Nigeria.

10. Mention 3 women who inspire you and why?

Mrs Florence Okojie, that’s my mom.
She is a virtuous woman, if you meet my mom you can’t help but call her mother because she will treat you like her own child. She is a mother that every child would want to have, shes so strong, shes independent, she’s beautiful in every aspect. I love you mum.

Second woman that inspires me is Mrs Oprah Winfrey, her story tells alot about me and my background. She is kind. She makes ugly memories beautiful, you will appreciate Oprah Winfrey in your life, I admire her so much she’s my mentor, she manages her roles excellently, I hope to meet her soon.

The third woman that inspires me is a famous Mitchelle Obama. I love her for her simplicity and support she gave her husband right from the time they met.

11. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

(Laughs) In the next five years, I see myself fulfilled.

12. If you were given the opportunity to address a group of young girls just setting out in their modelling career, what will be your advice to them?

My advise to them is they should not be desperate, be patient with yourself, always tell yourself you’re beautiful and you will succeed, learn a skill if you’re not schooled even if you’re, they should ask to learn more (seek counsel) don’t cut corners take one step at a time, seek God first in everything, be a good woman for yourself, your society and your generation unborn.

 

by
Keep Reading
In Inspiration By

Ayodele Olaniregun Shares Gain And Pain Of Being An Online Vendor

Olaniregun Ayodele is the CEO of   STUNGBYBEAUTY, a Nigerian based business focused on selling quality shoes, bags and other beauty items. The LAUTECH graduate share some lessons she’s learnt from being an online vendor and how she has continuously scale up, despite the challenges.

Meet Ayo

I am a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) .  Though I had the vision to become an entrepreneur. I have worked customer service executive for a short period of time. I also went through training as a call  center agent for one of the telecommunications company in Nigeria before I finally decided to pursue my dream as an entrepreneur in the year 2016. I started off as a makeup artist, selling makeup products, jewelleries and underwear.  But i had the desire for more so I decided to try out some other business, so I decided to go into fashion (shoes,bags,clothing and lots more)

The journey so far

Since I started in 2018, the business has made tremendous progress even though it has not been smooth sailing all the way, we have survived against all odds. We have  grown our customer based by satisfying our old customers and referrals from both our customers and well meaning friends of the business (social media influencers, friends and well wishers)
Challenges 
 The business has faced some challenges over the years, for instance;
– we have had our Instagram account taken down
– difficulty gaining customers trust due to lots of scammers on social media platforms especially for business that is predominantly online
-putting up with difficult customers for example use of fake transaction alert to buy product from our store
-and some challenges we face everyday like difficult dispatch riders, customers not picking up calls even when expecting delivery and the likes
Staying positive
 Despite all the challenges businesses face in Nigeria, I will say there is still great potential for entrepreneurs in the business atmosphere in Nigeria. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to feature in your article. It’s an honor well appreciated.
Connect with Ayo
Instagram handle – @stung_by_beauty
Twitter- @stungbybeauty
Tiktok- @stungbybeauty
Business line – 08065071914
by
Keep Reading
Media Visibility Bootcamp 3.0
In Editor's Choice By

#Interview|”I Enjoy Helping People Find Love Through Matchmaking”- Chiddie Anyasodo

Many singles  are seeking true love, love that is pure, safe and whole. Love that allows them to connect to their highest self, because they know that true love doesn’t need to be perfect, It just has to be true. Dating apps are fast becoming the “one stop centre” and go-to places to find companionship these days.

However, there is a more direct way to connect with your life partner, one that avails you the opportunity to have first hand information on your love interest, with zero stress. Chiddie Anyasodo and her husband Ben, are making this possible through their matchmaking platform “Chotayah”.

Chiddie’s career path evolved from engineering into full entrepreneurship over the years. She has worked in different phases of the Upstream Oil and Gas industry – initially as an International Mobile Field Engineer with Schlumberger, working in different countries. She also worked as Business Development Manager, she then joined another company as the Global Vice President for Commercial, before moving on to build her own businesses. The Electrical / Electronic Engineering graduate has been described as an eclectic love for developing ideas.

She is the other half of Chotayah, a high-end executive Matchmaking service for professional Africans all over the world. Chiddie and Ben have helped many African singles discover and route out the obstacles preventing them from being in a healthy relationship. Through Chotayah , they are transforming how the most elite African entrepreneurs and high networth individuals on the planet connect with their dream partners.

The amazing mom of 2,, Relationship Coah, and Professional Matchmaker shares her inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere in this exclusive interview.

 Childhood Influence

 Well, thinking about this, I saw my mom find wives for my uncles and I found it fascinating. I also set up friends and family for fun. I grew up in Owerri, a beautiful city in Eastern Nigeria. I am the first child and only daughter of my parents. I have 3 younger brothers. I have always been very independent, ambitious and strong-willed since I was a child. I was also a voracious reader. I was called a tomboy. I grew up shielded by my parents. I studied Electrical Engineering in the University. However, what really prepared me for this was my early 20’s when I started dating, I had so many bad experiences and I had no one really to guide me. Such topics were a taboo in my house. My mom was very prim and proper and you do not discuss boys and love. If a man admires you, he is expected to come and meet my parents and ask for my hand in my marriage. The times I tried to tell her I was in a relationship, she got very upset, told me it was disgraceful and sinful. It was also ironic that the same mom who didn’t think I should be in the same room with a man was also going to church and prayer houses, sowing seeds and praying for me to get married. lol

Inspiration behind Chotayah

Both hubby and I had challenges in finding the right person. There were so many myths about love and relationships which we practised then separately but were all wrong.  On my side, my dating experience was quite sad and filled with heartbreaks after heartbreaks.  My genotype was an issue. And for some people the fact that my mom died of cancer scared them away.

I got rejected many times with excuses like – you earn too much – a woman shouldn’t earn more than a man. You are too boyish, too ambitious. Your job exposes you and makes you travel too much and you won’t make a good wife. A successful woman will never respect a man. At one point, I was told by some pastors and relatives that I had a spiritual problem. You can imagine. After praying so much and the cycle kept repeating, I decided to try alternative methods. First, I tried to use some Western dating sites like E-harmony and Match.com but they always rejected my application as I was Nigerian. I also tried to hire a matchmaker in the USA then, but she didn’t work with people outside the USA. So, I decided to go on my own. That experience made me start reading and exploring what makes relationships work. I also got a relationship coach, started studying serial men and women who always seemed to have lots of attention from their love interest. I took everything I learnt and crafted my own strategy to find my man. It took me about 8/9 months to find my man and no more heart breaks. My friends who knew about all my negative experiences started using the same formula and it worked for them. And everyday, I see so many people like me going through the same challenges that I went through. Successful high-flying people who have succeeded everywhere but seem they are not able to succeed in the love department. I then decided to go study Matchmaking in the UK and Relationship Coaching in New York. My husband is a Behavioral Change Expert & Therapist. We decided to join our passion and expertise to give birth to Chotayah.

Leaving engineering for Entrepreneurship

I think it’s genetic LOL. My grandfather was a successful businessman – he sold palm oil to the Portuguese and imported – canons, tea sets, and textiles. My grandma was a textile wholesaler in Onitsha. She also came from a family of businessmen and women.  My Dad is a doctor who owns his own hospital. I grew up seeing all these and hearing their stories, I guess that influenced me. I started my first business in SS1 (at 14yr) selling earrings to my classmates in the boarding house. I just did it for fun to see my money multiply.

How the matchmaking process on Chotayah works

We use a scientific process; psychology and tech, we always put into consideration their traditional African culture which is unique to everyone that comes to us as you know African culture is rich and diverse. Finally we use our intuition. When a client contacts us that he is seeking a spouse. We then have a 1- 2 hours session to know his relationship history and background to understand him properly and come up with the best Strategy that will give him results. It’s also in this session that we can figure out if he is a good fit for us, we are not able to help everyone unfortunately. We do a bit of background checks and if everything comes out fine, we then take him on as a client. Our matchmaking always goes with Relationship Coaching and Behavioural Therapy. We first work on him/her as a person to find out what is stopping this person from finding love – is it just that he is too busy, not positioned properly or is it something from the inside? We remove those blockers  and help him develop a unique  personal plan for him/her… And we go searching . As we search, we do a lot of  data analysis using proven scientist methods combined with emotional intelligence to see if they are a match. We then go through every match with our client till we both agree on The ONE. We coach them, guide and provide emotional support while dating and sometimes till they get married.  Some still come back after marriage and we keep helping them navigate early married life.

 

What kind of person will hire a Matchmaker

Matchmaking is not for everyone. The most common being they are very busy: they are highly selective and have certain criteria they are not able to find ordinarily around them; they love their privacy – many of clients do not even have a social media account. Some are highly placed people in the society or very busy highflying professionals who want to protect their confidentiality. They come to us because they need an expert to handle their dating life. They are the sort of people who will hire a personal trainer, personal stylist and personal chef. They always want bespoke and personalised services with someone they can trust to deliver excellence while being extremely discrete. Some have tried so many times to find love, gotten disappointed several times and then decided to use us. We love the diversity of our clients. We have people from 28 to 70+ years old. While we cater to a mainly african niche, we also get requests from people of other races who want to marry africans. When it comes to the kind of thing they do, we get approached by them – The Top CEOs, Royalty, Politician, Sport Stars, Celebrities,highly Celebrated and sought after Professions – We have people in Research, Oil & Gas, Tech CEOs, Specialist Medical doctors. These people are usually the best of the best in their fields but seem to have a challenge finding love. One thing they all say is that they are busy .. Most ambitious professionals don’t have the time or resources to commit to finding the kind of person that they want but the Chotayah team  does . This I understand as I have been their shoes

Challenges of being a Matchmaker

Trying to find if a person is being honest and truthful about whom they claim to be. And depending on the client, this costs a lot of money as we work  the best hands in background checks and they don’t come cheap. In the beginning, We have met all types of people and you know human management isn’t so smooth LOL… The journey taking people from the life they are used to a new transformed life that will enhance them for success was challenging in the beginning as humans will usually reject change, but with time, I devised means to make the transformation process easier for them.

What I enjoy most about my job

My greatest joy has been helping people who felt their case was hopeless find happiness. I love seeing people transform and become better versions of themselves.

 3 women who inspire me and why

 My mum, she was a very peaceful person who loved helping people and seeing them succeed. Her influence made me develop the kind of mindset I have towards helping others. Oprah Winfrey – She is iconic . I admire her doggedness in accomplishing her dreams and also helping others do the same. I love Indra Nooyi, former CEO of Pepsico – She is showing how a woman can be powerful, successful and balance family life.

On If people understand the meaning of true love

I think many people confuse Infatuation for Love.. Infatuation usually happens earlier on in the relationship is driven by strong emotions. That period when you have all those hormones running through your head and colouring everything you see about the other person. You have those intense feelings, the butterflies, you only want to be with them 247 neglecting every other thing in your life, and they can do no wrong.The good thing is that infatuation doesn’t last and if you are patient, the hormones will stabilize, and you can then see if you truly love this person and they love you back – which is True Love. Emotions are not enough to keep a relationship for the long term. On the other hand, True Love is more stable, more like deep friendship -where you have seen each other’s negative and positive sides and truly decide to stay together in mutual respect and deep admiration of each other. True love always has good intentions, is trusting, honest, accessible, responsive, loyal, consistent, and always growing. And you can always feel some of the passionate feelings characteristic of infatuation in a true love relation but its healthier and infatuation will always wear off. Expert psychologists say it can take 2-3 years to wear off.

My work-life balance routine and support system

My husband is my support system. He is highly organized and helps me organize my projects. Most times when I am down, he takes up the wheel 100%. When it comes to everyday work, I also delegate a lot.

If I could change one thing in the matchmaking and dating world

 I will change the process and mindset. I feel its shouldn’t be first about connecting people but about them finding real, healthy, lasting love. Focus should be more on people having the right mindset for love, understanding how to have a happy and fulfilling relationship. If all businesses put this first, then they will change their business models.

To the woman who has given up on love

 I will ask her why. Is she giving up because she has a new vision and direction for her life and she genuinely thinks that a loving relationship isn’t what she wants? If yes, that’s fine and I wish her Goodluck Or is she giving up because of endless disappointments? If yes, then she has to examine herself to know why the kind of love she wants isn’t coming. And NO, it’s not because all men are bad or that all the good men are taken. They are there. And she can definitely find and attract them, if she can change her mindset and strategy. 

Matchmaking nuggets, and red flags

Matchmaking: Always be clear on what you want in a relationship. Make sure you are willing to give your best to the person you are seeking to love. Be open-minded and positive. Red flags: Always listen to your intuition, if it says something isn’t right, investigate it.

Being a woman of Rubies

 I am a very compassionate person who loves people and loves to see them succeed. I believe in using my talent, knowledge, and time to empower people around me so that they can improve their lives.

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

Ayo Adeyemi: 9 Guys You Should Never Marry

Nobody’s perfect. But some men you should just avoid entirely..

As you look for Mr. Right, you try to look past some of bad traits so you can see all the good ones. This is good. It shows that you’re not shallow. But, despite how shallow it might seem, there are some guys you should just leave in the dating pool. Here are 10:

The commitment-phobe

Finally locked down the guy every girl’s been chasing? Well, I got news for you. Just because he finally decided to knuckle down and commit, doesn’t mean he’s committed. If he used to be a commitment-phobe, he may still be and you’ll always wonder how invested in the relationship he really is.

The mama’s boy

You’ve heard that how a man treats his mother is how he’ll treat you. So you look for a guy who is close to his mom and spends a lot of time with her. But be careful, if he’s too close you’ll find yourself married to his mother, too. So you better get used to hearing, “My mom doesn’t do it that way.” And you better get used to his mother being your marriage counselor, too.

The manly man

This guy talks about sports, beer and hunting all the time. Sure, he’s rugged but you better be prepared to change all the diapers and do all the housework. And forget about him getting you something nice for Valentine’s Day because real men don’t do that mushy stuff

The rebel

A lot of women are attracted to the bad boy. There’s just something mysterious and romantic about him. But a lot of times the rebel in society is a rebel in marriage. And pretty soon you’ll find him rebelling against you, too.

The narcissist

Narcissus was an ancient Greek mythological figure who was so beautiful that he fell in love with himself – but because he couldn’t leave his own reflection in the water, he eventually drowned. A person who is a narcissist is so convinced of their own greatness that they don’t see their weaknesses. Marrying a narcissist is a very one sided relationship. They’re always trying to vaunt their own greatness – often at the expense of others.

The control freak

Everybody likes to have things their own way. Unfortunately, because men are socialized to express hostility and anger when they don’t get what they want, a man who is a control freak can often become intimidating and even abusive (physically or mentally).

The I-know-more-than-you

It’s a good thing to marry a person for his brains. But be careful because you might end up marrying a know-it-all. And you’ll always feel like you’re wrong – even if it’s just an opinion.

The pushover

As mentioned before, everybody likes to have their own way. So when you find a guy who lets you do whatever you want and doesn’t complain about it, you want to grab him up. But after a while you’ll find yourself making all the decisions. And then you’ll find yourself complaining because he doesn’t pull his own weight.

The fitness freak

Who doesn’t want a guy with chiseled abs and nice arms? But despite all his good (physical) traits you may soon find that the gym is taking up an exorbitant amount of time in your family’s life. And you’ll find yourself using phrases like “did you beat your PR today, honey?” But more importantly, a man who lets the gym run his life has let the servant become the master and you’ll soon find that he has other priorities out of whack, too.

Yes, there are bits and pieces of these personality traits in every Prince Charming. But just make sure they’re only bits and pieces or you’ll find yourself married to a frog instead of a Prince.

Source: Familyshare

 

by
Keep Reading

©2025. WomenofRubies. All Rights Reserved.