Tag

Nigerian Author

Browsing

The global pandemic has changed almost everything in the world, from working, parenting, friendships and even relationships. Parents who had little time with their kids, are now full-time, round the clock parents.

Screen-time and playtime have increased and many parents are finding it hard to strike a balance between home-schooling and working-from-home life . Temi Olajide’s  timely fast selling book;  “Wifi kids and analog parent” is the solution to that dilemma.

A must have parent-kid book that addresses the changes in the dynamics of parenting in this age, and how to handle those changes. It provides the much-needed guide for raising children in the digital age. It is so all-encompassing and it highlights the pros and cons of the digital age, sex education for kids, understanding and communicating with children in the digital age, constructing boundaries, among other salient issues bordering on parenting in the digital age. We need to understand what our digital children really require us to allow them to thrive and navigate successfully in this age

According to Temi; “Wifi Kids and Analog parents” helps you  adapt quickly to the new trend of the world , and give you clarity on how to balance your work time with your parenting duty, It is a book for all season but most importantly this new phase of uncertainty the world is experiencing.

Click here to order your copy, or buy for friends who need it https://paystack.com/pay/wifikidsanalogueparents

You can also order via her Instagram page Here

About Temi

She is a Certified Child Sleep / Potty Training Consultant and Child Psychologist. Temi is Nigeria’s first certified child sleep consultant, Founder and Lead Strategist at Mummyclinic Global Services, founded in December 2017. Her organisation hosts an online platform that provides strategies and result-driven solutions to the challenges of child-rearing. 

 

 

On December 3rd, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie moderated an on-stage conversation with former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama about Obama’s new memoir, “Becoming”.

The conversation covered Obama’s early life and career, her reinvention of the role of First Lady, and her ongoing activities since leaving the White House.

The event held at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England.

The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US for 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House.

See photos below.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks with Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England. The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US for 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks with Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England. The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US for 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks with Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England. The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US for 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England. The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US for 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaks with Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama (not pictured) at The Royal Festival Hall on December 03, 2018 in London, England. The former First Lady’s memoir titled ‘Becoming’ has become the best selling book in the US of 2018 according to figures released by her publisher Penguin Random House. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Photo Credit: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

 

Credit: Bella Naija

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was featured on the cover of the October 27 issue of Telegraph Magazine, where she discussed Nigeria, misogyny, and the #MeToo movement.

Chimamanda talked about losing faith in Nigeria after her father was kidnapped in 2015, how she feels he was kidnapped because of her.

She said:

It was because of me. That incident affected my father – it robbed him of something; there’s a distrust that he didn’t have before. He comes from a generation with a certain kind of integrity. For a long time he didn’t understand things like bribery – it just perplexed him. My father had given his everything – he got his PhD in the US and he had job offers there in the 1960s, but he was keen to come back to Nigeria. It was post-independence, everyone was very enthusiastic and my father spent his life teaching. I felt that Nigeria had failed him – for a man of his age to be thrown into the boot of a car …That incident broke my heart and it’s the first time I started to seriously question Nigeria.

The cover story is up on the Telegraph website, and you can read it here.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

ChinyereDistinguished Lydia Anoke is a certified NLP Practitioner and the author of the fast-selling book, “SINGLE, FRUITFUL, FULFILLED”, a book that addresses most of the challenges/questions in the heart of Singles, and empowers them to live whole and productive lives.

She is the Steward of the SFF COMMUNITY – a Community with the mandate to raise a generation of whole and productive youths who live fruitful and fulfilled lives in all spheres of life.

She is also the Founder of Kompendia Concepts, a one-stop company for copy-writing, ghost writing, editing and publishing of books and articles.

ChinyereDistinguished is an intentional young lady with a burning desire to live out all that God has deposited in her for the benefit of mankind and ultimately for His Glory. Through her numerous write-ups on different platforms – blogs, social media and books, she is able to fulfil her passion of helping young adults to overcome self-limiting doubts, take full responsibility for their decisions, and hence, live a life of Excellence without limits.

She is a sought-after Speaker especially on topics relating to Singlehood, Self and purpose discovery, personal development, writing.

Read her exclusive interview with Women Of Rubies below:

CHILDHOOD

My dad always gave us books and compelled us to read them. Most of the things I learned and do today are things I read from books or magazines or other forms of written materials.

These books exposed me to different cultures, lifestyles and mindsets beyond that of my immediate environment.

Also, being a Pastor’s child put me and all my siblings in the spotlight from the word go. It wasn’t something I was comfortable with while growing up, but it prepared me to know that there are always eyes watching my every move. That made me very conscious and helped me deliberately cultivate integrity as a lifestyle; so my life in secret is congruent with my life in the public.

I didn’t understand how important that was until more recently when I started sharing my story on social media and even in my books. Now I have people who I didn’t know were watching, leave comments that collaborate my story.

MEET ME

My name is Chinyere Distinguished Lydia Anoke and I come from a family of 9; 2 parents and 6 siblings. My parents are clergy – my dad is a Bishop and my mum is a Pastor. From the above description, you can tell that I was raised in a Christian home and that forms the core of my beliefs and values.

Professionally, I am a Content developer and an Editor even though I studied Computer Science in the University of Nigeria Nsukka. In fact, I spent 5 long years studying the 4 year course, and eventually graduated with a 2’1.

However, I left the ICT field when it fully dawned on me that I was struggling to comprehend basic programming concepts. At this time, I was working as a Software Test Analyst with Wema Bank. My job role was to detect potential bugs in systems starting from the document stage, but I ended up detecting more grammatical errors in the Business documents that I was given. I advised myself and left before my ‘poor ICT sense’ caused some havoc. Fortunately at that same time, I got a Content Development job offer from Mavis Computel Limited, so I gladly resigned.

Afterwards, I took some online courses aligned with my interest and natural flair for writing and editing. Today, I run my own Content development and editing firm – Kompendia Concepts, where we help writers and authors refine their writings to be precise, concise and professional, to enable them communicate better and connect easier with their audience.

Socially, I am passionate about helping young adults overcome self-limiting doubts, take full responsibility for their decisions and actions and ultimately, live a life of excellence without limits. Gradually, I am achieving this one step at a time through my numerous write-ups on blogs, books and the social media.


ABOUT MY BOOK “SINGLE, FRUITFUL, FULFILLED”

My book, “SINGLE, FRUITFUL, FULFILLED”, popularly known as the SFF Book, is a detailed guide on how to make the most of Singlehood. We live in a society that is so marriage-oriented that a lot of times, children, especially female children, are made to believe that their sole purpose in life is to marry and give birth; or at least, have a man in their lives, even if she is the side-chick or 4th wife.

The SFF book is divided into four major parts.

I: Who is a Single? – This explains what is means to be Single; not just an unmarried adult.

II: Why do you want to get married? – Marriage of course is a good thing and a God-ordained institution. However, this section of the SFF book compels the reader to pause and question why he/she wants to get married… the motive, the mindset and the preparedness for marriage.

III: What to do before “I Do” – This section enlightens and empowers the reader with the four critical things to do before marriage.

IV: Dealing with SFF Challenges (loneliness, anxiety, pressure, etc.) – Just like every other phase in life, Singlehood has its unique challenges, so this section of the book addresses some of these challenges. Beyond addressing them, it also equips the reader with the right tools with which to handle and overcome their own peculiar SFF challenge(s) which may not be written in the book.

The SFF book is an easy and essential-read for all Singles. It is also highly recommended for anyone who desires to live a fruitful and fulfilled life, and as well support others to do same, regardless of their marital status.
You can find some testimonials about the SFF book on http://bit.ly/SFFfreeDownload You can also download the first two chapters for FREE with that link.

INSPIRATION BEHIND SFF

Even though I had always fantasized and desired to write a book, I never imagined that I’d write a book for Singles. But as they say, God takes your mess and turns it into a message; that it exactly what happened with the SFF book and the entire SFF Vision.

I was engaged to be married in 2015. Traditional and white weddings were scheduled for 5th and 12th December, respectively; unfortunately that never came to be. At this time I was already desperate for marriage because we were (un)consciously groomed by both our immediate families and the society at large, to believe that the deadline for ladies to get married is age 25. So I was determined to marry at that age, even though there were so many red flags in my relationship.

I had turned 25 in October 2015, so when my wedding couldn’t hold in December, my anxiety skyrocketed. I had already told most of my close friends about my wedding plans, plus we had already booked some vendors. Imagine my embarrassment each time my friends called to ask “how far?” I felt worse when 2016 came and some of my friends who weren’t even in relationships when I was planning my wedding, started getting married.

Fast-forward to October 2016 when I was going to turn 26 and my plans were still falling more apart rather than coming together, I cried desperately to God: “Father, it seems you have forsaken me. Another Christmas is approaching and I’m still single!” And He replied, “Chinyere, I see you.” Then He started showing me so many things that were wrong with both my relationship and my mindset about marriage. I had stopped desiring marriage; I was desperate for it to obtain the idol status of MRS.

Long story short, that relationship had to end the following month. Then God gave me the SFF Vision – to enlighten, encourage and empower Singles with the right mindset about singlehood and marriage. It started with an SFF interview Series on my blog. The second part is the SFF book. Now we have an SFF Community where we groom Singles. We also have the MFS (Married, Fruitful and Satisfied) part of the SFF Vision which is focused on married folks; this part is still in the pipeline for now.

 

THE SFF COMMUNITY

The SFF Community is an online platform where we are raising a generation of whole and productive Singles. Singles who are committed to:

– Make the most of Singlehood.
– Take full responsibility for their lives – where they are today and how they want the rest of their lives to play out.
– Be people of influence wherever they find themselves.
– Change the negative narrative about Singlehood.
– Re-write the negative marriage stories we have today with their power and exemplary marriages when they get married.

It is basically designed to help and support Singles to live fruitful and fulfilled lives before and after “I Do”. Every month we work with a theme, and then discuss sub-topics aligned with that theme throughout the month. We also bring in expert facilitators for each topic of discourse, if we don’t have any capable facilitator within the community.

For instance, our theme for April was “Understanding singlehood”. In May and June, our theme was, “The Single and his Emotions.” And in this month of October, we are discussing “The Single and his finances.” We also read a book or see a movie aligned with the theme for each month.

The SFF Community is currently run on whatsapp and we take in new members at the beginning of each month.


SINGLE LADIES OUT THERE CAN BE SINGLE, FRUITFUL, AND FULFILLED, WHILE WAITING FOR ‘MR RIGHT’…. 

First, SFF is not a female thing, it’s for both males and females. This is why when we launched the first part of the SFF Vision – the interview series; we got 5 males and 5 females to share their thoughts on the topic: Is it possible to be single, fruitful and fulfilled? This is also why the SFF community is for both males and females, because at the end of the day an SFF lady needs to marry an SFF man for both of them to successfully graduate into the MFS life – the Married, Fruitful and Satisfied life.

So while waiting for marriage, both the lady and the gent need to practice Part 3 of the SFF book – what to do before “I do”:

– Explicitly define what being Single means to them. Until you define a thing rightly, you cannot treat it right, even if that thing is yourself. This is the first step to being single, fruitful and fulfilled.

– Take responsibility for their individual lives. You cannot effectively take responsibility for others – a future spouse or kids, if you are not responsibly taking care of yourself as a single.

– Manage their relationships. You cannot effectively manage a lifelong relationship with a future spouse and in-laws, if you are not currently managing your (in)formal relationships well.

– Find fulfillment. This is the most interesting part. A lot of people suspend fulfillment, waiting for marriage to happen first. Then marriage happens, and it’s still not there so they wait for the kids to arrive, and so on. Truth is marriage does not give fulfillment neither is fulfillment tied to any one or any achievement. It’s something you find and cultivate NOW.

All these are explained with practical steps on how to achieve them in the SFF book.

CHALLENGES FACED 

Initially when I started the SFF Series and the SFF book, some people accused me of preaching against marriage and all. So the initial challenge was resistance to the message. But with consistent sharing and more details, a lot more people now understand what it is about and are buying into the vision.

The second challenge which I am still facing is getting the SFF book into more hands. Some people complain about the cost is high, which I believe is affordable. The SFF hardcopy is N2,000, while the SFF e-book is available in 2 options: buy from okadabooks at N1,000 or have the PDF sent to your email at N1,500.

So I’m praying to have sponsors who will buy in bulk and distribute; and also for opportunity to speak on bigger platforms from which I can reach more Singles and share the SFF good news with them. So far, I’ve mostly spoken to the youth arm of different churches and some online youth platforms where I am invited to speak.

 

PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

Most of my other projects are still in the pipeline. First, I’m planning an SFF hangout for Singles within Lagos where we can have a relaxed fun meeting to gist and learn. Proposed date is last week of November, though I haven’t made a public announcement yet.

I’m also working on my new book – Turning 28: My journey to true Singlehood, which will be launched in December.

I’m also working on an online course for Singles – Single, Fruitful, Sought-after (SFS); and an online course for writers and authors – The Profitable Author. I have noticed that a lot of writers publish their books/articles and then keep mute about them. Every article is an asset that can generate social and financial capital for the writer, so I’m putting together how to exploit this revenue option in an online course for writers.

 

GREATEST REWARD

The testimonials! My God! Nothing brings me more joy than when someone sends a message or puts a call across to express how my book or posts have helped them make a positive decision, take a bold step or just see things in an entirely new light.

One typical example is a Facebook friend, Blessing Best. We connected last year via Facebook when I was doing my book pre-launch campaign; she was one of the first people to pre-order. Once in a while, she’d ask me for some advice or the other. Then late last year, she sent me a message that the SFF Book gave her clarity on her own calling and today she runs a community for Singles with focus on Love and Relationships. Each time I see her progress and success, it makes me smile.

Some others have started their businesses, some have published their own books, which they’d been afraid to publish, some have left relationships which were not helping their destinies and so many other testimonies.

MY BRAND IN 5 YEARS TIME… 

In 5 years time, I see the SFF Vision as a Global mindset. I see a scenario where people will organize SFF groups and clubs using the SFF book as guide. I see my Team and I being invited to different nations across the globe to speak on how to live a whole and productive life before and after marriage.

I see organizations and individuals sponsoring their staff and loved ones to take the SFS course and other SFF materials.

As an Editor and writer, I see Kompendia Concepts as a sought-after brand for the elite, to handle all their content, editing and publishing works.

ON GIVING UP…

Yes, especially in running the SFF Community. I’ve never wanted to be at the forefront of any movement. So sometimes when people are not active in the group, leave the group or it appears that all my efforts are not bearing any fruits, I feel really discouraged.

Mercifully, God always inspires one or more persons at that instant to send a heart-warming message or call to express how the SFF Community has been a blessing to them even though they’ve been ghost members.

These days, such hardly gets to me. I have learned that God is the Founder of the SFF Community and I am just the Steward, so I daily pray over what He has given to me and trust Him to bring the results and increase.

MY INSPIRATION…

My parents; when I look at how much they have invested in me, I am fired up to be better and help them to enjoy their old age.

Jesus Christ; when I reflect on how He loves me shamelessly and desperately looks out for me to help me be all He wants me to be, I’m fired up to make Him proud of me.

My younger siblings – Mmeso, Victor and Chisom; I’m challenged to be the best I can be in order to help them reach their individual Zeniths faster, so they don’t waste as much time as I did, trying to figure out a lot of things.

 

I AM A WOMAN OF RUBIES

A Woman of Rubies is a treasure and an asset, I believe. She is one who lights up her environment with love and her commitment to help others become better. I am all these and more, so I am a Woman of Rubies.

 

WORDS OF ADVICE TO EVERY GIRL CHILD 

The theme for this year’s International day of the Girl is – With her: A skilled girlforce. And what I’ll like to share with every girlchild is this:

You are complete.

God has given you all the spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, psychological and social capacity that you need to excel in life.

Develop your skills, deploy your potentials, read, read, read, believe in God and believe in yourself, cultivate a personal relationship with God early, surround yourself with positive-minded people and finally, take small steps of faith towards achieving the dreams in your heart; clarity comes from doing, not from over-analyzing.

You can get my book, “Single, Fruitful, Fulfilled” from the following platforms:
1. Okadabooks – bit.ly/SFFonOkadabooks
2. RovingHeights – http://bit.ly/SFFonRH
3. Konga – http://bit.ly/SFFonKonga

Blog: www.distinguishedlives.wordpress.com
Instagram: @chinyeredistinguished | @kompendiaconcepts
Facebook: ChinyereDistinguished Anoke | Kompendia Concepts
Twitter: @CDistinguished
Email: chinyeredistinguished@gmail.com | kompendiaconcepts@gmail.com

Chimamanda Adichie was a guest at the Esquire Townhouse, United Kingdom where she talked about racism and sexism. She revealed that she feels more comfortable talking about racism than sexism.

The author in a chat with Esquire’s Editor-In-Chief Alex Bilmes explains when her host said, “You say that you are angrier about sexism than you are about racism.”

She mentioned that having to give obvious reasons why women are disadvantaged can be a bit of a stress.

But she does not get this reaction when talking about racism.

“I said that because in my very own personal space, the people  I love, the people I’m close to, my family, my friends, all get race.  So, I have never with them have to make a case, for why something was racist.

“So, I’m in my circle of friends, White people, Black people, Asian people, Hispanic people and when something happens to do with Blackness, immediately, we all get it.

“But with gender, I find that with the people I love, I’m constantly being expected to make the case, the ways in which, women are reduced, the ways in which authority in women is judged much more different than authority in a man.

“And I’m constantly being asked by the people, I love. So, I’m not talking about anonymous people, to make that case and it gets emotionally exhausting.

“Because, I don’t feel like I have the kind of effortless support that I have, when I talk about race.”

Serial entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani is now the latest author in town!

The fashion mogul has just unveiled her new book titled Be Unstoppable in which she’s sharing The Business Mogul’s Guide.

According to her, the purpose of the book is to share a few business tips that have worked for her over the years and her personal experiences in business with hopes that it can answer any questions that you may have as a startup or as an entrepreneur who is already in business.

See more photos below:

Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria is a 40-page book written by Dr. Ola Brown. She is the CEO of Flying Doctors Nigeria, the first indigenous air ambulance service company in West Africa.  Her new book, Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria, is her third book and she has made it available to download for free.

Speaking on the inspiration for the book and the format it was presented in, she said:

It’s my sincere wish that you consider the modest proposals I forward in these chapters. Perhaps they will spur you to take a fresh look at how we manage healthcare in Nigeria and you might refine them even more or see other steps that we should consider.

Read an excerpt from the book here:

***

My younger sister died when she was 12 years old. Her death was so shocking, so earth-shattering, that we did not hold a burial or a memorial service. We did not speak of it at all.
It has been over a decade since her death, and I want to tell you about the person who brought so much joy into my life. I want to tell you about the sweet little girl who so deeply loved her family. And I want to tell you about the way she died—and how we could have saved her. She was born in 1992. When I first laid eyes on her, I fell in love. One of the most striking things about Busola was her kindness. Even at a young age, she tried to make breakfast for the entire family—an act that was both entertaining and incredibly touching. She was always trying to help, always serving, always thinking of others.

Even as she lay dying in the hospital bed—alone in Nigeria, without any family around her—she made a simple
request: “Pray for the other sick children around the world.”

Kindness. Empathy. Self-sacrifice.

These were what the world lost when she died. I lost my angelic baby sister. And even though her death continues to influence me, I know that her story is not unique. She is, quite literally, one in
a million. Children die every day in Nigeria. In fact, nearly one million Nigerian children die each year before their fifth birthday, according to the UN. To put this into proper perspective, imagine a Boeing 777: one plane carries approximately 350 passengers. Now, imagine a single Boeing 777, filled with 350 children,
crashing. There would be an international outcry, a full investigation, and a vow to make safety a national priority. To equal our national health crisis, you would need 3000 Boeing 777 plane crashes—every year. 10 crashes per day.

Every year, children like my sister continue to die—yet there is no press coverage, no national attention, all
while our sisters, our daughters, our brothers and sons continue to die in record numbers.

***

To read more, download a copy here. It is a quick and informative read. Highly enlightening and it is something all Nigerians should read. So pass it on, share it with your friends, family, colleagues.

Credit: Bella Naija

“All over the world today women are speaking up. Their stories are still not really heard,” Adichie said at the opening of the world’s biggest publishing event.

“Women are still invisible. Women’s experiences are still invisible.”

A year after the #MeToo movement went viral and sparked up a global discussion about sexual harassment, Adichie said there was much work left to be done.

“It is time for us to pay more than lip service to the fact that women’s stories are for everyone,”

“We know from studies that women read books by men and women. But men read books by men. It is time for men to read women.”

In a thinly veiled reference to US judge Brett Kavanaugh’s controversial confirmation to the Supreme Court despite accusations of sexual misconduct, Adichie slammed the tendency not to believe victims of such assaults.

“We seem to live in a world where many people believe large numbers of women can simply wake up one day and make up stories about having been assaulted,” Adichie said.

“I know many women who want to be famous. I don’t know one single woman who wants to be famous for having been assaulted.”

Adichie, who divides her time between the United States and Nigeria, said now was an “urgent” moment to stand up for what is right — particularly in President Donald Trump’s America.

“The world is shifting, it’s changing. It’s darkening,” the 41-year-old said.

“The most powerful country in the world today feels like a feudal court, full of intrigues feeding on mendacity, drowning in its own hubris.

“We must know what is true. We must say what is true. And we must call a lie a lie.”

On September 27th, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received the Special Distinction for Thought Leadership Award during the 2018 Annual Awards Dinner of the Global Hope Coalition in New York City.

The Global Hope Coalition is a network of four nonprofit foundations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa dedicated to identifying heroes against violent extremism and amplifying their work.

Taking place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s 73rd session, the event paid tribute to several presidents and prime ministers for their “compassionate and dignified response” to the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises.

See photos of Chimamanda at the event below.

Credit: Bella Naija

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has been named the winner of the 2019 Everett M. Rogers Award.

The award has been presented every year since 2005 in honour of Everett M. Rogers, whose “Diffusion of Innovation” is the second-most cited book in the social sciences.

Willow Bay, Dean of USC Annenberg, who presents the award, said of the writer:

Her voice and her power to inspire made Chimamanda Adichie the unanimous choice for the 2019 Rogers Award.

She will receive her award at the school on February 7, 2019.