The HerStory Project

Edited by Anthonia Makwemoisa

Excerpts from the published work, The HerStory Project.Volume I Originally published in paperback by Amalion Publishing & African Cultural Institute 2011 Amalion Publishing BP 5637 Dakar-Fann Dakar CP 00004 Senegal http://www.amalion.net

Copyright African Cultural Institute 2011 ISBN 978-2-35926-003-8 (Paperback) ISBN 978-2-35926-004-5 (Ebook) Cover designed by Will McCarty This edition of excerpts is not for sale. For more information on how to buy the complete original edition, go to www.amalion.net

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Contents
Contributors Introduction Doyin Abiola Pamela Adedayo Adetutu Adeleke Mayen Adetiba Pamela Ajayi Carlene Alaja-Browne Gladys Ashitey Bola Atta Bolanle Awe Dere Awosika Opral Benson Olayinka Blackshear Akua Sena Dansua Esther Obeng Dapaah vii 1 5 13 19 29 39 49 69 79 89 101 111 121 129 137

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The HerStory Project

Oyinade Elebute Christy Essien Igbokwe Mosunmade Faderin Kehinde Kamson Abioye Kusamotu Bontshetse Mazile Bennedikter Molokwu Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye Ndidi Nwuneli Olusola Obada Bashirat Odunewu Debbie Ogunjobi Elsie Omidiji Olufunke Iyabo Osibodu Aisha Muhammed Oyebode Tinuade Oyekunle Veronica Piserchia Zenebeworke Tadesse Folashade Thomas-Fahm

147 157 167 181 191 195 201 211 217 225 229 239 247 257 273 285 299 313 321

Contributors
Doyin Abiola is the chair of Integrated Micro-Finance Bank, Nigeria. She was former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Concord Newspapers, the rst female editor-in-chief of a national daily. She began her career at Daily Sketch and Daily Times of Nigeria. She attended University of Ibadan, Nigeria, University of Wisconsin, USA and State University of NewYork (SUNY), USA, where she was awarded a doctorate. She is a recipient of numerous awards including Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship, the Merit Award, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, and Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement by the Nigerian Association of University Women. Pamela Adedayo is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tastee Fried Chicken, a leading fast-food chain in Nigeria. Before setting up Tastee Fried Chicken, she worked in the Nigerian Breweries Ltd, the federal civil service, and the American franchise, Kentucky Fried Chicken. She is a graduate of Business Administration and Finance from Chicago State University, Chicago, USA. Adetutu Adeleke, OON, is an industrialist and rst female executive director and company secretary of a publicly quoted company in Nigeria, Tate & Lyle. Chief Adetutu Adeleke has made enviable achievements and contributions to the industrial sector. Formerly President, Association of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE); Vice-President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN);Vice-President, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce;ViceChairman, Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Nigeria and several others. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

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The HerStory Project and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. She is a graduate of North-West Polytechnic, London, UK. Mayen Adetiba is the chair of the Group of African Member Associations (GAMA) of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and former President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria (ACEN). She studied engineering at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. She is a member of the Nigerian National Merit Award Committee. Pamela Ajayi is the Managing Director of PathCare Nigeria, a leading medical diagnostic laboratory in Nigeria. She studied medicine at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Nigeria and at St. Thomas Hospital, UK. Before joining PathCare she worked at Kings College Hospital, UK, LUTH and the United Bank for Africa. Carlene Alaja-Browne spent over three decades in the Lagos State civil service and retired as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology. She started her career as an Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1974 and worked in various capacities in ministries, departments and agencies across the States Civil Service. She was a former Head of Service and Secretary to the Military Government of Lagos State and Head of Administration to the then Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation (LTV & Radio Lagos) and became the Head of Service in 1991. Gladys Ashitey is a former elected parliamentarian and deputy minister in the government of President John Kuffour in Ghana. She studied biology at Tennessee State University, USA and medicine at the American University of the Caribbean, Montserrat. She worked at the University of Ghana Medical School and the Ministry of Health in Ghana. Bola Atta is the Editor-in-Chief, Flair West Africa Magazine. She was formerly Editor-in-Chief of True Love West Africa Magazine, a subsidiary of South Africas Media24 Publications. At True Love, Atta succeeded in raising the bar of fashion and lifestyle magazines in Nigeria, commanding millions of loyal readers across the sub-region. She has a BSc in economics from University of Sussex, UK and

Contributors an MBA in nance and marketing from Duquesne University, USA. She studied French at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, France. Bolanle Awe is one of Africas leading historians and academics. She is the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Professor of History at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Professor Awe attended St Andrews University, Scotland, graduating with an MA in History and the University of Oxford, UK where she obtained a DPhil. (History). Professor Awe has taught at the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She was awarded the Phelps-Stokes Fellow in 1973. Dere Awosika, MFR, is a Permanent Secretary in the federal civil service of Nigeria. She was the former National Coordinator/Chief Executive, National Programme on Immunization (NPI) for several years. She studied pharmacy at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and at the University of Bradford, UK. She is one of the rst in the country with an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology. She is a fellow of the West African College of Pharmacy and a lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Opral Benson, also known as Iya Oge of Lagos, is the rst woman to be awarded the title by a traditional ruler in Nigeria. She is an entrepreneur and business impressario, establishing several companies including Chic Afrique Enterprises, Opral Benson Beauty Training Institute, and the Outreach Foundation to name a few. She studied at Morris Brown College, Atlanta, USA for a Bachelor of Education degree and Atlanta University for a Masters in Educational Administration. She is a holder of many titles and awards including Commander of the Star of Africa bestowed on her by the President of Liberia, her native country, and Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and Order of the Niger (OON) awarded by the President of Nigeria. Olayinka Blackshear is the chair of Kwara Commercial Micro-Finance Bank and Managing Partner at Bridgeway Consulting Ltd. She served for several years as a nancial analyst and Regional Manager with Citigroup and has worked with several community and micro-nance banks to develop rural empowerment programmes in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya and other countries.

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The HerStory Project She founded Judah Foundation (USA), an organization that assists women to get out of poverty, protects battered and abused women and aids at risk children. Blackshear is a certied business counsellor for the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and a mentor in the Women Mentoring Women programme sponsored by Vital Voices, Fortune 500 and the US Department of State. She has an honours degree in Applied Chemistry from University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, UK and a MBA (Human Resources & Finance) from Loyola Marymount University, USA. Akua Sena Dansua, a journalist, gender activist and elected member of the Ghanaian parliament, has served in various ministerial positions in the executive arm of the Government of Ghana and is currently the Minister for Tourism. She began her career as a journalist in Nigeria and Ghana, and holds a Masters degree in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and a graduate diploma in Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. Esther Obeng Dapaah is a lawyer and prominent parliamentarian, and former Minister of Land, Forestry and Mines in Ghana. She studied law at Chelmer Institute of Higher Education, Essex and was called to the bar at Lincolns Inn, UK. Hon. Obeng Dapaah is a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party and represented the constituency of Abirem in parliament. Oyinade Elebute is Professor of Physiology, and Vice-Chairman, Lagoon Hospitals, Lagos. She is a co-founder of Hygeia HMO, a leading healthcare insurance provider in Nigeria, and has taught medicine in universities in Nigeria, and supervised students in Ghana, Malaysia, and the UK. She has done extensive research into kidney and hypertension health. Mosunmade Faderin is an ophthalmologist, surgeon and medical director of Eye Bank of Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation set up in 2005 by the Ophthalmology Society of Nigeria and Society for the Blind to provide cornea graft transplant for the less privileged. She studied at the Medical University of Soa, Bulgaria and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Contributors Christy Essien Igbokwe, popularly known as Nigerias Lady of Songs, is an award winning singer, actress, business entrepreneur and music industry leader. In an acting and singing career that began in secondary school, she has risen to become the biggest selling female artiste in Nigeria, with fans spread across the west-Africa sub region. She is the rst female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), the body coordinating the music industry in the country. She is the chairman and managing director of Soul Train Entertainment Ltd. Kehinde Kamson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sweet Sensation, a major food outlet in Nigeria. She studied accountancy at University of Lagos, Nigeria, and worked at PriceWaterhouse Coopers before setting up her business. Abioye Kusamotu is a director at MoneyWise Micronance Bank, which empowers micro enterprises and small sized businesses, trade associations and others to grow their businesses by making nancial assistance available to them at affordable terms. She is a former executive director at Afribank Plc., and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers UK and the Nigerian Institute of Bankers (NIB). Bontshetse Mazile is a lecturer at the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. She studied history at the University of Cincinnati, USA and holds a doctorate in educational foundations from the same university. Anthonia Makwemoisa holds an MA and PhD in English from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She is Executive Director of the African Cultural Institute, a research and publishing organization based in Lagos, Nigeria. She has published several scholarly papers in various books and journals in Nigeria and abroad. She is an associate editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of Cultural Studies, and editor of the Women of Valour series, a project that documents the lives of successful African women. Bennedikter China Molokwus experience has spanned administration, law, public relations, planning, and corporate nance sectors. She holds a law degree from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and was called to the Nigerian Bar

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The HerStory Project in 1976; a Masters degree (cum laude) in International & Comparative Law from Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium; and certicates in management from Columbia University, USA and in International Banking from Manchester Business School, UK. She is a non-Executive Director of Dangote Sugar, one of the biggest companies in Nigeria; fellow of the Institute of Directors and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, International Federation of Women Lawyers and Chartered Institute of Bankers. Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye is a prominent politician and current mayor of the city of Louga, north-west Senegal. She was a former minister in the government of President Abdou Diouf, holding positions in the Ministry of Women, Children and the Family and the Ministry of Social Development and National Solidarity. She is the head of the womens wing of the Socialist Party in Senegal. She began her career as a teacher and was a prominent basketballer and represented Senegal in international sporting events in the 1970s. Ndidi Nwuneli, MFR, Founder/Director LEAP Africa, has over fourteen years of experience in international development. Following her early years as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co., Nwuneli returned to Nigeria to full her passion of promoting entrepreneurship and leadership development. She served as the pioneer Executive Director of the FATE Foundation, and then established LEAP Africa, which provides leadership, ethics and management training and conducts leadership research, and NIA, which empowers female university students to achieve their highest potential in life. Nwuneli is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA and serves on numerous boards. Olusola Obada is the former Deputy Governor of Osun State in Nigeria. She studied advertising at Watford College of Technology and law at University of Buckingham, both in the UK. Before politics, she worked as Advertising Manager at Nigeria Airways; as a partner in the law rm Olusola Agbeja and Co.; and as Managing Director at Irongate Finance Trust Ltd., which she founded. Bashirat Odunewu is a Business Development Manager at First Bank Plc. She commenced her career at Akintola Williams & Co. (Chartered Accountants) where she trained and qualied as an accountant and later worked with

Contributors Continental Merchant Bank Plc., Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank Ltd, First Atlantic Bank Plc., and First Inland Bank Plc. Odunewu attended the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK for her Bachelor of Science degree and the University of London Imperial College of Science and Technology for her Master of Science degree in Advanced Technology and Development (1984). She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (1989) and several other professional bodies. Debbie Ogunjobi is the Managing Director of EveryWoman, a fashion business in Lagos, Nigeria. She is writer, columnist and motivational speaker. Among her projects is Queenafrik, a beauty pageant that showcases African concepts of beauty. Elsie Omidiji attended Kent College, Pembury, UK and St. Godrics Secretarial College, Hampstead, UK. She worked in the federal civil service and later the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. She is the former president of the Nigerian branch of Soroptimist International, an organisation that works for the upliftment of women. Olufunke Iyabo Osibodu is the Group Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc., and Chairman of Union Assurance Co. She was the CEO of Vigeo Capital Ltd., Managing Director of two banks, MBC and Ecobank Nigeria Plc, before becoming a Director in Ecobank Transnational Inc. In addition to 30 years of banking career, Osibodu has held various positions of prominence in the business community and has served in various government appointed committees. As well as being a member of Vision 2010, she has been a director of ValuCard, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), Consolidated Discount House Ltd, First Securities Discount House Ltd, MBC Securities Ltd and ESL Securities Ltd. Osibodu studied economics at the University of Ife, Nigeria and is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, USA. Aisha Muhammed Oyebode is the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation and Chairman of the Asset Management Group. She is a legal practitioner and business consultant with an LLM (Public International Law) from Kings College, and an MBA in Finance from Imperial College, both in the University of London, UK. She serves as a member of various boards including Murtala

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The HerStory Project Muhammed Memorial Botanical Gardens (3MBG), the federal government Privatization Policy and Monitoring Committee and the Editorial Board of the Daily Times of Nigeria. Tinuade Oyekunle is the Managing Partner & founder of Tinuade Oyekunle & Co. She is a seasoned chartered arbitrator, handling complex international commercial disputes under the auspices of arbitral institutions such as the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) and the International Centre for the Settlement of Disputes (ICISD). She served as Director, Public International Law for the Federal Republic of Nigeria; as Legal Adviser to the Council of Ministers and Heads of States of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union); the Asian African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCO) & the International Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMO). Oyekunle is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), a member of the Institutes Board of Management and Chairman of the Education and Membership Committee. She is a member of the Board of Governors of the Caro Arbitration Center, a member of the Governing Council of the Lagos International Centre for Commercial Arbitration. She was recognised as one of the leading women in arbitration by the Global Arbitration Review, Women in Arbitration. She is a HonoraryVice President and Council Member of the ICCA. Veronica Piserchia is the founder and director of Veemel Hospital, Warri, Nigeria, and President of Niger Wives, Warri branch. After studying nursing in Scotland, UK, she worked with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria before setting up Veemel. She is a titled chief in the Urhobo community in recognition for her efforts in the community. Zenebeworke Tadesse is a former Deputy Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa. She has worked extensively on issues of gender and social policy with various United Nations agencies as well as with development groups and non-governmental organizations throughout Africa. Tadesse presently serves as a member and editor of the Management Committee of the Forum for Social Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is also a member of the Board of the African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a founding member of the Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD).

Contributors Folashade Thomas-Fahm, fashion designer and administrator, is a proud advocate for the restoration and pride in the beauty of African fashion. She is one of Nigerias foremost fashion designers and a promoter of local fabrics for contemporary urban designs. Thomas-Fahm started as a model, and later moved on to business. She was the rst to open a fashion boutique in Nigeria and a pioneer industrialist in other sectors of the economy.

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Doyin Abiola
A Sketchy Start, a Daily Concord with Self
Memorable as it was, the day I nally received my PhD was sort of anticlimactic. I felt totally empty with a crippling anxiety of what the future held for me. One thing however that I was sure of was the resolve to return home. Staying abroad was never a viable option for me. I believe then, and still do, that my best opportunities are on my home turf. So I set off for home even without any job offer. My choice of journalism was somewhat accidental because I thought my career choice was somewhat limited with a rst degree in English and Drama. But a chance meeting with the then Managing Director of one of Nigerias regional government newspapers, Daily Sketch, led to my appointment as a reporter for the womens column, now known as the Life Style page. I took to journalism like sh to water as Im an advocate by nature. I loved advocacy journalism and started off by using my reports to showcase sexism by chronicling my personal experiences as a young, single, and educated woman in Nigeria. Little did I know then that sexism is a prevalent and pervasive universal issue. That realization came later during my postgraduate studies abroad. Much later, after my doctoral studies, I was invited to an interview by the then Managing Director, late Alhaji Babatunde Jose, of the reputable national newspaper, Daily Times of Nigeria, DTN, for a post on the paper. But, interestingly, I was automatically offered the editorship of the Womens Page by an all male interviewing panel. Of course, I minced no words in letting them know that I had a different career path in mind which precluded another stint on the Womens Page. An offer without due regards for my qualications and experience seemed sexist. A compromise offer resulted in me being made

Pamela Adedayo
Yinka the youngster
On 29 July 1950 I made my grand entry into this world through a heroine and a hero in the persons of my beloved parents, late Madam Ibidunni Ajibola Ogunnusi and Chief Moses Adebayo Ogunnusi respectively. Growing up with my siblings under their love and protection was a great experience and one of the most remarkable in my life till date.We lived as one big, happy family where everyone was loved and given much attention. It was the right foundation to build my adult life upon. I also recall the society then was such a closely-knit one with a deep sense of community, much unlike what is obtainable today. Families in those days formed communities. Your own family was just a small part and so you were bound to be on your best behaviour at all times. As a matter of fact, if you erred away from home any adult had the right to punish you and usually did so. It was such a prevalent practice that we would rather prefer to err at home and be punished by our parents than being meted communal punishment for our external wrongs. I also remember religion was not the divisive factor it has become today. I was born and had my early schooling in Zaria, Kaduna State. I have such pleasant memories of that time. Islam, Christianity and the indigenous African religions coexisted peacefully without the rancour and resentment that readily pervade the scene these days. Going to school was also a signicant part of my upbringing. I always looked forward to the opportunity it gave to mix up and socialise with other young ones. It was always an opportunity to learn something new. Except for those

Carlene Alaja-Browne
Jamaican born and bred
There is an island, a tourist haven, in the West Indies called Jamaica. It is blessed with an abundance of sunlight, fauna, and beautiful, sparkling waters. For example, in Port Antonio, a small sleepy town in Portland, eastern Jamaica, the presence of water is everywhere springs, streams, rivers, and the sea with coral shades of blue. Peoples homes were built close to the seaside, and children loved to play in the waters. Fishermen bring in an array of sea foods: prawns, craysh, crabs, and sh, among others. The sight and sounds from the sea provided breathtaking scenery for many a childs creative imagination. Many myths were also woven around sea creatures coming out of the water. The majority of the people in this community were blacks, descendants of slaves, who were violently snatched from Africa during the infamous slave trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The after-effect of slavery changed the thought pattern and behaviour of the islanders from what obtained in Africa. I was born and bred at a period when it was the norm for a man to have children with more than one woman who were not necessarily his wives. In Jamaica then, many women had sole responsibility for raising their children. Then too, it was normal to have children out of wedlock, as in Common Law Marriages. This practice was a direct result of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, where men were not responsible for their childrens upbringing, as the children belonged to the slave masters. With the abolition of the slave trade, the introduction of Christianity, socialisation and exposure brought about by the advent of globalisation however, many of these customs were stopped.

Gladys Ashitey
Childhood days
I was born in the late fties to Mr Alfred Natetejio, a native of Teshie, a suburb of Accra in the Ledzokuku constituency. He was the rst Agricultural Extension Officer in Ghana. In those early days, I saw him moving from one farm to the other, advising farmers on best practices with regard to crop yield and pest control. He usually visited the big farms, the cocoa farms mainly the ones which export their produce. Because of the nature of his job the family hardly stayed long in one place. My mother, Beatrice Kale Amma, eventually got tired of the constant travelling, mainly because our schooling suffered. She decided to take my four sisters and I back home to Teshie. We visited my father during holidays, while he also came home during his vacations. At that time people actually tried to make an issue out of the fact that we had no brother (the African mentality about the male child). But we always told mother that our husbands would be her own sons, and that what a man can do a woman can do better when given the opportunity. Actually, our mother never regretted not having a male child. She was strong and was never really bothered by what people said. Growing up as the eldest child I had everything the best education, my parents love and the goodwill of all my aunts and uncles. However, as the children increased I realised that there would be a division of the familys resources. But then my parents never showed any favouritism in the way they run the family. They had limited resources but they were focused; they knew what they wanted for us and they always found the money for fees or such like. There was no situation then that I can say demanded too much of me. At a certain point, because of the good times during the early stages of Ghanas

Opral Benson
Primary concerns
I wasnt interested in make-up while growing up. I never saw it as an issue to bother myself with. My major challenge was the desire to grow quickly and become a woman to be reckoned with, one that would make a positive contribution to the society. I wanted to acquire the necessary training required to make an impact on peoples lives. I craved to be looked upon as someone people had learnt from. That, however, did not make me overbearing or assertive against authorities. Taking to my fathers ways, I did things as I saw them and went along with whatever I had to do. Much was passed on to me by father in the area of behaviour.The values of gratitude, respect for elders, contentment, diligence, honesty and compassion for others were instilled in me early.They are the things that have made me who I am today. In all I do, I try to be exemplary.

Memorable moments
I have never consciously gone out of my way to label the events of my life as most memorable or most devastating. I ow along in whatever situation I nd myself, trying to do things for myself. I cannot recall having a day that could be tagged the darkest in my life. I treasure the memories of my childhood, being with my parents, growing up, making friends, and going to parties. Those, for me, were memorable moments. I do things with passion in order to get them accomplished. I do not know anything that was or is special; everything I have done is what I have planned to do, without giving room for regrets about the past as this only causes heartaches. My dreams about education, marriage, family life and career have been realised. I know there is a God who is watching and helping me to decide, make up my mind about what to do and get things

Esther Obeng Dapaah

Grandmas the best
I was born on 18 January 1945 to a teenage girl.When my mother, Ellen Mansa, realised she was pregnant, she left the city and went to a small village called Otumi in the eastern region, where she lived with her mother until I was born. Being a young girl, she used to leave me to go and play. Grandma said I was very pretty and all the girls used to carry me on their backs. And while my mother played my grandma would call her to come and look after her daughter because she was now a mother. But she didnt know how to be a mother she had to be taught! She later got married while I was still very young and left for the city. I lived with Grandma in the village for a period of time that I still treasure as the most memorable days of my life. Life was fun. In the mornings I would fetch water from the stream before going to school. I enjoyed those days. Grandma loved me a lot and made me feel condent. She used to tell me: You are very pretty and good. God will make you a good and great woman. Study hard. She bought me a helmet, the type white men used to wear in colonial days, and a pair of plimsolls. On Sundays I would put on my Sunday dress, wear the plimsolls with my white baby socks and top it off with my helmet before going to church! I wasnt keen on going to school because I was so much attached to Grandma and didnt want to leave her. But then a female teacher was sent to my village and she had beautiful clothes on. There was something about her hat that got me and I said, Oh, this womans hat is different from mine. I wanted her straw hat so I befriended her. She became my role model. Its a long time ago now but she remains so vivid in my mind. She taught me different diets, how to

Christy Essien Igbokwe

The nightingale
Singing has always been part of my life. In 1970, when I was still in primary school at Ladi Lak, the famous American performer, James Brown, came to Nigeria. It was a big occasion and most schools in Lagos were invited to the stadium to perform. I was the leader of the cultural dance troupe from my school and we entertained the august visitor and the crowd, which included the then Lagos State governor, Mobolaji Johnson. James Brown performed his popular track I Feel Good, and I joined him, singing and imitating his dance steps. The atmosphere was electried as we did other tracks like Say it loud - Im black and Im proud! and the people applauded every move. After the show, I shook hands with both the governor and James Brown. The musician then asked me what Id like to do in the future and I told him Id like to become a singer and an actress. His reply simply was: God help you. It was a popular story then and the press reported it. But it isnt easy to realise ones dreams, especially when theres no one to help. After the famed performance with James Brown, I was nowhere to be found. Frequent movements from one place to another, with an uncertain future, nearly suffocated my dream. The focus shifted from singing and acting to surviving. But this was just for a while. Talent is like a spirit and those who dont use it will never experience true peace. The earliest I could remember about my beginning as an artiste was sometime in 1976, while I was still in secondary school. My adopted mother noticed that I composed and sang songs and, to encourage me, bought me an old audio recorder and gave me empty cassettes.Whenever I was inspired, I got the tape recorder and just sang. I didnt write my songs.When I had enough numbers on

Bennedikter Molokwu
Baptism of fire
Are you sure you are qualied? Are you already a lawyer?You look so young! Yes, my Lord. If I were not qualied, the Ministry of Justice would not have sent me here to represent it as the prosecuting counsel in this case! The judge stormed out, unknown to us, to call the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to complain. By the look on his face when he returned a few minutes later we knew that the DPPs answer must have angered him the more! He went on to read the judgement. That was the rst day I appeared in court before Justice Abimbola. I stood tall and proud in my wig and gown. But when the case was called and I stood with my friend and colleague, Patricia Odumodu (now Oli), to announce our appearance on behalf of the State, the judge threw the bombshell questions at me. I refused to be cowed. I responded courageously, but soon sat down with wobbly legs. I was serving my National Youth Service Corps year in the Ministry of Justice, Ogun State, Nigeria. The case les we handled covered two extremes of prosecutions in the High Court road traffic offences/accidents and ritual killings with little in between. In fact, I only recall three theft cases and a sprinkling of Indian hemp hauls in the entire year.Writing up the legal opinions after evaluating the evidence was quite a unique experience for me soon to be capped by actual courtroom exposure. And now this! We were even only in court to take judgement.

Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye He said to him, The teacher who was transferred here, is she a woman? She wanted to break my head. The other replied, She told me she wanted to work, she is not like the former staff. She is the rst to come and the last to leave. If she is not in the eld, shes here at the office. You can see shes not like the previous teacher so be careful. He left him and gave me the key. You have to challenge power if you want to affirm your stand and its what I did. Another challenge I had to tackle was the acceptance of a woman at the departmental development committee because women were not accepted. I was asked to give a monthly report but someone else read the reports. They could not do it better than I who experienced the activities in the eld, but they can read the report. There were those who took advantage because we were not heads of departments. Despite everything, I said to myself, I am like a head of department because I was in charge of some mission and I had subordinates in the eld I had to supervise; therefore I felt like a head of department. I was recommended and it was later put into effect.

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Models and motivators

My elder sister is my model. She was the rst in the family to go to school. She was very good to me. She died some few years ago. She really went up the ladder in terms of education, and became a pharmacist. My sister showered me with love and gifts. Most interesting about her was her ability to combine her studies with other vocations she had learnt in the boarding house. She was a fashion designer. She made good clothes. She made my clothes; we always wore the same thing, especially during the festive holidays. Academically, she did very well. She attended different higher institutions in order to qualify as a pharmacist. I also had another model, a cousin whose name was Aida Mbengue. She introduced me to the feminist movement. I went to school because of my sisters example and I am involved with the welfare of women because of the early exposure my cousins inuence gave me. I owe them a big thanks to my success story today. They had positive inuences in my life. Nonetheless, one of the motivations that really inspired me career wise was my cousins organisation, Intermediary Training Seminar, dedicated to uplifting rural women. It was an eye-opening experience for me. In fact, it was the catalyst that made me go back to the university to study my discipline.

Ndidi Nwuneli
Childhood and the heritage for change
I was extremely fortunate to have been born into the Okonkwo family. I was born the third of ve children. My parents Prof. Paul Obuekwe Okonkwo, a pharmacologist from Awka, Anambra State, and Professor Rina Okonkwo a historian, originally from New York City, who is also a proud Nigerian citizen, created a loving, close-knit and sheltered environment for me and my four siblings Adaora, Una, Nwando and Aneto to thrive. We lived on the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus for the most formative years of my life. During this time, I attended the University Primary School and then Federal Government College Enugu, before leaving Nigeria in 1991, to enrol at The Clarkson School. My parents instilled very strong values within us from very early ages. Four that were most enduring include: A commitment to excellence They revealed to us the importance of always striving for and achieving the best. Phrases such as 90% is not good enough, Does the person who got an A have two heads? were often heard in our home. They taught us the value of education and encouraged us to read widely, write poems, journals and biographies, and to develop our talents. My mother created a learning environment for us at home, supplementing our formal education with numerous activities, which she developed and executed. In addition, our parents were extremely involved in our education and professional pursuits and remained cheerleaders and champions for us, always pushing us to apply to the best schools, the most reputable organizations and to excel in those environments.This commitment

Debbie Ogunjobi
Growing up
I remember my childhood with nostalgia. I had a lot of fun. Surulere then was a close community of neighbours as friends. My growing up years were actually spent with my mum. Before then we used to live together as a family with my father, my mum and my siblings in Apapa but, unfortunately, my parents separated and we chose to live with our mum. However, I recall the household in which I grew up with my family was a large one.We had lots of people living with us, including house helps. In spite of that, you could hardly tell the difference between the house helps and the children. Nice clothes were bought for everyone, each person was treated like the others and even the chores were equally divided. This was the foundation that shaped my disposition towards others. I grew up to relate with people that way. I dont believe anyone is better or worse than me. Everything about Surulere was nice: the houses, the people and the activities. I lived in a beautiful place called Olukola Close with about ten houses. We even used to have neighbourhood parties together. The environment was fantastic and the houses were built in the colonial fashion. It was a community of people who had resettled from Lagos Island. It was a middle class area. We kids used to walk a lot to places like Ogunlana Drive, Adeniran Ogunsanya and Tejuosho. I attended Wesley Girls Secondary School (now Methodist Girls High School). We would walk through the railway compound and burst out at Tejuosho before we got into the heart of Surulere. We could actually walk around the whole of Lagos and never feel any stress because we would always chat away. It was a lot of fun.

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