Third wave feminism from a millennial’s perspective
I recently published an article in the Huffington Post about African feminists and received mixed reviews. While everyone agreed it was a good piece, many gave me the “so you are a feminist talk?” I responded in the affirmative and smiled when a friend remarked feminists were the opposite of alpha-males. In an attempt to end these conversations, I usually conclude with these words “Yes I am a feminist and I will get married.” Alas, this proclamation often leads to further discussions bordering on feminism and marriage. I insert a smiley face and reply “I fell in love with a good man”, before further explaining that marriage is a personal decision. I cite examples of married African feminists including author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who is married to Ivana Esege, professor Amina Mama married to Nuruddin Farah and Bisi Fayemi married to Kayode Fayemi and the list goes on. Analyzing comments I received from my article, I came to the conclusion that there are many assumptions about what feminism is. Let me give a little education. Feminism speaks about equal opportunities for men and women in all spheres of life. It is not a gathering of men-hating and ambition-loving, unmarried women. Being a feminist doesn’t in any way mean I woke up one fine morning with ‘feminist’ imprinted on my forehead. It’s simply a result of having strong opinions on issues and tending to gravitate towards strong women characters in books, movies and real life. I truly didn’t know the word was feminism not until much later. Even as a person not inclined to appreciating labels, yet I do not mind being part of the third wave of a movement that seeks the well-being of humanity by promoting the cause of women. Third wave feminism and social media Feminism did not start with social media. It has always been and is now in its third wave. First wave feminism focused on the de-domestication of women. The second wave focused on the gender pay gap and the oppressive systems of acceptable standards of beauty. While with third wave feminism, millennials find themselves riding and focusing on the same issues as the second wave. This wave of feminism is strongly characterized by the use of communication especially social media to raise awareness on women issues. Remember #HeForShe? Being a third wave feminist, it is hilarious to see certain issues promoted by “topic inspired feminists” under the banner of feminism on social media. Honestly, not everything is a feminist topic. The Noble Igwe #WifeNotCook debacle was hilarious. When I was asked to comment on it, I was of the opinion that who gets to cook depends on what angle parties concerned view their relationship. It really is not a topic that calls for liberation from male domination. What are real third wave feminists discussing on social media? While I understand the goodwill attached to the promotion of certain matters under feminism, it is important we recognize what issues are being discussed in third wave feminism. For those who have feminist mothers, as third wave feminists, we are very much our mothers’ feminism. We still seek change and equality as found in the second wave. However, despite our similarities, our difference is borne out of our use of media, especially social media to start conversations online and offline. These conversations include discussions on equal opportunities including politically, socially and economically. We raise awareness and educate the public on sexism, calling for the inclusion of women in political spaces and sharing female success stories. Our discussions take this nature because many still see women as properties and ultimate block-heads. I once had a lecturer who openly admitted women where a burden fit for mostly house work and children. I have also come across a lot of educated men in the corporate sector; educated being they have more than a college degree, who dare their spouses to contradict them in any form. Marriage is not a partnership to them, it’s a place to flex their alpha-male egos. Marriage and the millennial I am of the opinion that marriage should be a partnership built on respect, love, and support for one another and I encourage people to see it at such. Healthy marriages lead to healthy homes filled with love and laughter. One would think with all the benefits of a partnership based marriage, educated men would embrace it. While social media is being used as a platform for discussions about women issues, conventional media is still stereotypical about women. Watching the Olympics, I noticed the commentary about women winners have been sexist, undercutting female achievements and turning the lens on their husbands. Yes, by all means, acknowledge the men but do not turn away the spotlight from the winners. I observed there was no commentary about the wives of male winners. While I respect freedom of perspective, the above category of people make me wonder. What kind of world would we live in if egoistic individuals had the power to map out destinies? The Olympics coverage, people I have met online and offline and other daily encounters are the reason why feminism is still relevant. Narratives about women need to change. The stories about women achievers should be told in its entirety as a success story without gender bias. As a millennial African feminist, I agree with Chimamanda Adichie that we should all be feminists and be proud of this label. There is totally nothing wrong in being part of something directed towards a greater good. I conclude this write up with a quote from Australian feminist scholar Dale Spencer’s book – Man Made Language; “Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions… for safety on the streets… for child care, for social welfare… for rape crisis centers, women’s refuges, reforms in the law. If someone says, “Oh, I’m not a feminist,” I ask, “Why, what’s your problem?”.
Walking away from pre-conceived notions
“You can take the boy out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of the boy”. That statement drives me mad and I get pleasure from proving it wrong. Why? Generalizations are not cool. I am from the Bini speaking part of Edo State, and if you’re Nigerian, you must have heard the popular saying; “Bini girls are loud, lousy, crazy, witches. They like going abroad to become commercial sex workers.” But you see, it’s not just common among Bini girls. There are pre-conceived notions associated with almost every ethnic group in Nigeria. “Ibo girls are money-hungry.” “Calabar girls are nymphos.” “Yoruba girls will do anything to keep a man”, so on and so forth. It’s even more annoying when educated people say these things. Let’s be real, this happens in Nigeria and I guess, other African countries too. I decided from an early age not to be defined by my ethnicity. Over the years, I have owned this resolve. Indie Arie’s “I am not my hair“ is my go-to song for kicking against convention and pre-concieved notions. I speak out against generalizations, whether in gender, colour, tribe, political or religious affiliations. I am not generic. I am specific, unique, and me! Unfortunately, some of us have allowed ourselves —and subsequently our families and businesses become products of these notions. Here’s a true confession: I secretly take pride in being an Aries. And the “Aries do not finish any project they start” statement is one of the biggest lies I ever heard. This belief shaped my life badly and for a long time, till I took control. I am tempted to just say “ walk baby, walk!” but it is not that simple. Here are my top suggestions to walking away from stereotypes. Define yourself Do not beat around the bush on this. I’ll be first to admit that I didn’t do this early on in life, and I wish I had. Taking self surveys and personality tests help to get a definitive self picture. A temperament analysis and if you are into it, your Zodiac sign can also help you get a clear picture. Filter In Nigeria, the statement “dem say, dem say” is used to define rumours. The prevalent view of your environment may not be normal at all. Don’t let it be. Filter what you hear and perceive. I’m not suggesting that you become oblivious. See, it’s important that you are aware of the workings of your area. Let go of dead-weights Please! This should be numero uno. Don’t go about dragging baggage and ideas that are probably as dead as the people who invented them . “Dreadlocks are evil” or “Girls should be quiet”. Ummm… no! Shed them faster than slimming teas shed fat. Re-brand As a follow-up to the previous tip, re-branding is simply psychological (let’s not talk about changing your wardrobe now). My mom calls it changing your OT (orientation). It is basically about changing your thinking process. I re-cultivated my mind on so many issues that were a part of my environment. Two major ways I did this were through books and the Bible. I read a lot about self-empowerment and growth and try to put what I read to practice. Positive re-enforcement You are so much more. Keep telling yourself that. I use sticky notes to write motivations to myself on my mirror. This way, I just can’t miss them. It’s scary thinking of how many people have followed uninformed predictions. Know that you can defy them. I don’t care what anyone says about Bini girls, that’s not me. I choose not to follow that notion and I do everything contrary to it. This is it, ladies, it doesn’t matter what people choose to believe about you, smile. Of course, we both know they know nada! So, walk away from generalizations and that “area” reputation. That’s clearly not you.
Meet our Accelerator Moguls: Koko’s Kitchen
As you know the first ever She Leads Africa Accelerator Program is currently ongoing. Out of the 120 startups from across Nigeria who applied for the program, we identified 10 as the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest female entrepreneurs. These 10 selected businesses are now benefitting from our intense accelerator training. One of them is Koko’s Kitchen, a brand that makes baking easier for Nigerians. From cakes to cookies, Koko’s Kitchen answers the demand for locally made easy-to-bake mixes. Sifa Asani Gowon and Oluwatosin Olaseinde started the brand to build an indigenous brand within Nigeria. They hope the Accelerator program will help take them there. Why did you decide to apply to the SLA Accelerator program? While I, Sifa Asani, was busy fiddling with cake mix formula, trying to tweak it to perfection, Tosin was working tirelessly to build a strong foundation for the business in terms of accounting, mentoring and the like. Tosin has been tracking the She Leads Africa voraciously and when the accelerator opportunity came up, we seized the opportunity. We decided to apply for it because we know it will help us to strategise and position the company to achieve critical pace. It would also help us to network and expose Koko’s Kitchen to potential investors. What do you intend to take back home after the Accelerator program? As a preamble, let me say that I had actually attended a SheLeads program earlier this year, in April: SheHive Abuja. I really liked what I saw and was so impressed with the organization, the speakers and the overall ambience. There were women from all over the nation with one thing in common; ambitious dreams and the drive to succeed while adding to their communities and families. I liked that women were being encouraged to bring out the best in themselves as well as be considerate and help other business women when and how they could. When we applied for the Accelerator program I expected no less from SheLeads. I anticipated a learning environment especially suited to African female entrepreneurs in terms of advice, tools and mentoring. We intend to take back home a stronger company in terms of controls achieving KPIs and also a stronger network that we can leverage on. How do you intend to stand out and improve your business after the mentorship programme? Considering Koko’s Kitchen is a really young company, we have been fortunate to have reliable collaborations. This ranges from that of the co-founders to the ecosystem such as She Leads Africa, amongst others. We plan to execute all the key decisions that we have taken from to SLA accelerator programme. To glean knowledge from the outstanding entrepreneurs who have walked the road before us and have shared their stories and give us advice. We’ve been taught the value of time and of discipline. We are also accountable to our SheLeads mentors, which goes a long way in keeping us in line and focused. After this program, we intend to take all we have learned and all the contacts we have made and utilize it to our advantage. We intend to streamline and stretch our ideas to build a strong and reliable business that is here to stand the test of time.
Oby Igodan: I’m teased for all the business ideas I come up with
If you’re a #MotherlandMogul and a mom, you know the struggle of finding the right kind of daycare facility for your young kids while you hustle. For Oby Igodan, what disturbed her was that the facilities she came across did not feel like home. Running a daycare can be a profitable business but as a mom, your child’s development is of utmost importance. Looking to start a crèche and daycare that’s a home away from home, Oby launched Home Also Crèche & Daycare. She runs this while also working as a Managing Partner at VIL Consulting. As the children in her crèche grow, she is looking at expanding into a preschool to cater to our older kids who love it at the crèche. Oby spoke to us on the challenges, joys, and satisfaction of providing children with a secure and stimulating experience in a comfortable and relaxed setting. Why start a crèche? While raising my own children as a career woman, I realized something interesting. The facilities I took them to in their early years didn’t really provide the feel of a home environment or afford them the gradual transitioning into the academic arena. A lot of those outfits were run purely for business with little or no consideration for the unique developmental needs of each child. I set up Home Also to identify every child’s uniqueness and help foster proper development. What challenges did you face starting your business and how have you overcome them? Majorly, it took some convincing to get my family to surrender the living room space. In fact, I wanted the entire ground floor of our home to run the crèche. It sounded ludicrous. With persuasion and the knowledge that this was my dream upon retirement, they agreed to let me use the space. Secondly, finding the right staff that has been difficult. My staff has to be well-trained to offer young children —from 12 weeks to 3 years— a fun and educational experience. And of course, there was raising the required capital to start paying staff without having a single child enrolled. Then, paying for staff training while anticipating that it would translate to enrollment. I will say that God has been gracious to me and I give Him all the credit for helping me overcome these challenges. Has it been any difficult working with other people’s children? Actually, it’s been really rewarding and thrilling to have these little angels kept in our care. We feel that their parents trust us and we must guard that trust jealously. We’re grateful that they trust us enough to leave us their babies at such tender ages. Some are as young as 3 months. It’s a vote of confidence that we uphold. From your experience, what does one need to have covered to open a crèche in Nigeria? First, ensure you have the passion and the required aptitude for the business. Then, good, knowledgeable and experienced staff. A safe, secure and hygienic environment is also very important. Be sure to meet the requirements of regulatory bodies. And of course, there’s the all-important start-up capital. What keeps you inspired in hard times? My life has been dotted with ups and downs. Through it all, God has helped me. The knowledge that I have a father who loves me gives me inner strength to weather storms. His mercy and grace have brought me this far and will see me through the years ahead. When it looks like there is no way out, the voice inside will read out relevant scriptures to give me confidence and hope. That’s just it. On occasion, I’m inspired by stories of people I admire. People like Joyce Meyer, Stormie Omartian, and Oprah Winfrey. If you weren’t running a crèche, what would you be doing? If I wasn’t running a crèche, I would be working full-time running a consulting firm. This is something I am engaged in at the moment, but on a part-time basis. It’s called VIL Consulting and it’s a homegrown management consulting firm set up by a team of experienced professionals. We have the best from businesses and institutions who help to provide expert advice and assistance to clients. I participate as a managing partner, providing the required strategic direction for my partners. My daughters always tease me about all the business ideas I constantly go on about. So, if I didn’t have my hands full with two start-ups at the moment, I’d be working on starting another. You see, I need to prove to them that mummy’s not all talk! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
4 genius business tricks to steal from Genevieve Nnaji
It’s obvious to every Nigerian it-girl and our African sisters that ignoring Genevieve Nnaji’s pristine and effortless beauty is a bad idea. This is regardless of whether or not you watch her movies! Luckily, there’s a lot to learn from her streamlined, hyper-organized disposition. Even if we never completely get it, as we’re mere mortals. Have fancy dinners with a view Yes, you heard right. Head to some trendy island, club or restaurant for dinner. It should have an amazing view and probably stocked with successful, inspiring, rich and maybe good-looking people too. The food might be a little pricey, but it’s the connections you’re paying for. It’s called networking, girl! Somehow, these celebrities seem immune to the business problems that the rest of us mortals are afflicted with. From me to you, there’s a shameless networking routine that they follow. Don’t head on starting that business without connecting with the people who are going to be instrumental to your success. Take it all off… the make-up I mean This is debatable, but it feels even better to take the make-up all off sometimes. This is especially useful when the Nigerian heat perpetually threatens to melt it all off anyway. Genevieve gives us the no-makeup look often enough to keep us envious and wanting for more. Being a celebrity or even the owner of that unique start-up may be a good reason to have flapping eyelashes, gold-toned smoky eyes, and perfectly done nails… you know for the optics. But how about you shake things up a bit and get us all confused by actually getting down to work? Like, if you’re not doing anything lucrative besides getting your face done, what are you even doing? Be authentic. It’s all that matters. I am really eager to know the stories behind movies with impossible titles —who decided that “Blackberry Babes” was a good name for a movie? Okay, my argument is —why spend much money scouring for classics when you can watch an affordable ‘sub-standard’ movie? Here’s the thing, as an aspiring or already established business woman, you’ve got to be authentic, otherwise, you’ll ruin your own magic in no time. You’ve got no business copying every new or trending business idea. Be real, girl! Be unique! Talk less, unless of course, you’re telling us about what you do Traumatic consequences aside, being a little secretive is a necessity . Especially, if you’re involved in ventures that don’t feature story-telling as a requirement for practical reasons (like being an OAP or writer). If your business is not one of those, the least you can do is choose to give us short, simple, or playful dozes of your life every other time, just to add a little charm to your image. Minimize that icky feeling that comes with people knowing too much, too often about your business. In summary, all you need is to devote yourself to learning/mastering your craft, tirelessly networking, being authentic and a little tight-lipped when necessary. It’s pretty simple and practical.
Adedoyin Jaiyesimi: People tend to trivialise the writing process
Adedoyin Jaiyesimi writes and edits books, manages blogs and creates content for websites. Through her coaching and training platform, The Sparkle Writers Hub, she is helping other writers achieve their writing dreams. So far, some of her trainees have moved on to start successful blogs while others have been able to gain access to platforms to showcase their work. Adedoyin fills SLA in on not just the excitement of writing, but what she is doing about it, for herself and other writers. How can a writer turn her craft into a profitable business? Turning your writing craft into a business starts with having a plan. What kind of writer do you want to be? What range of services do you want to offer? Do your research and find the niche you can excel in. There are people who stop at editing and proof-reading while others take it further by writing web copy and coaching other writers. Once you identify the services you are able to offer, you should talk to an intellectual property lawyer to know the steps to take to protect the content you produce. You also need to think about how you will publicize yourself and your work in order to build your client base. Build the right structure and most importantly, get people to work with you. As you get more clients you will discover that you can’t do it all by yourself, especially if you want your business to grow. What are the right principles to turn a small idea into a profitable business? I would say the number one principle is passion. You need to be passionate about what you are doing otherwise, the business will fizzle out. Then there’s the part of creating value. For any business to be profitable there has to be some value that is being added. This is essentially the ‘why’ of your business and it goes beyond money. What need is the business meeting? How does it improve the lives of people? One thing I have learnt over the years is the importance of building a brand and not just a business. You must be able to connect with your clients and deliver on your brand promise. This involves going the extra mile. It also involves making the choice to be excellent in your delivery of service and be innovative. Have you faced any challenges that are unique to your trade as a writer? How did you overcome them? Yes, I have. They are so many, to be honest. One of the challenges writers face is managing writer’s block. When I first started out, I was a lazy writer and I used to write only when I was inspired. You can’t run a profitable business as a writer if you only write when you are inspired. So I had to discipline myself and learn how to come up with creative content whether I am inspired or not. It was tough, but I’m glad I went through that process. Another challenge I faced was putting the right price to the services that I offer. Something that I used to hear a lot when I started was, “Is it not just to edit the content on my website? Why are you charging this amount?” There is a way people tend to trivialize the writing process especially when you are able to deliver quickly. I did a lot of trial and error before I could find the price that I was comfortable with charging because there is no industry standard. Now, I have set prices for every service I offer. I’ll add one more because like I said, they are many. Putting the right structures in my business was challenging. Creative people don’t like structure. We just go with the flow. This will hinder the growth of your business. So I had to take the time to put the right structures in place. I registered my business name, Content Craft, opened a business account, set up a proper accounting system and so on. It’s not perfect yet but we have a process for most of the operations we carry out. Realistically, in what ways can an African woman live off writing? There are many ways an African woman can live off writing. Like I tell the writers that I coach, you just need to be creative and be able to identify the gaps that exist. When I started out, what I knew how to do best was to write articles and edit magazines. Now my expertise has grown to creating and editing books, managing blogs, writing web/ social media copy and creating content for social media. So the possibilities are endless. If you want to live off writing, you can become an editor, you can be a content creator, you can be a copywriter, you can write voice over scripts, you can write content for training materials and so on. As you improve your skill, you can also earn money from coaching other writers and organizing training sessions for businesses and individuals. How do you help other writers achieve their dreams? Is it through mentorship or any other means? I created a platform called The Sparkle Writers Hub and our main aim is to help everyone who has a desire to write to achieve their writing dreams. We work with all kinds of writers; the ones who have a nudging in their heart and those who have started writing but want to take their work to the next level. We offer a basic training program where we teach writers the basics of writing and how to attract readers. We also offer a more intensive coaching program where we work one on one with writers to achieve their goals. Since we started, some of our trainees have moved on to start successful blogs while others have been able to gain access to platforms to showcase their work. What will be the name of your first book and what will it be about? The
Aysha Tofa: No business idea scares me
Aysha Tofa is a 24-year-old entrepreneur who is not afraid to try her hands on several, diverse business ideas. She discovered her passion for business as a young girl in college and even now, is an inspiration to many young women in Northern Nigeria, where she resides. Aysha shares with SLA her experience and the driving force behind her entrepreneurship. How did you become an entrepreneur? My first brush with the business world was in my 3rd year in college. I often bought clothes to sell to other students and my friends. However, my biggest and scariest opportunity was when a friend was getting married. I had assured her I could supply 400 pieces of fabric for family and friends even though I had no idea how. Fortunately, things panned out; I made good of my word and some good money too. That first big opportunity opened up more business doors as I invested the profit in other ventures. At the time I was done with school, I was already a known name -an entrepreneur in her own right! You are an entrepreneur involved in a lot of things. Tell us about them. Yes, I am involved in a lot of businesses. My scope covers just about everything – textiles, traditional caps, electronics, properties, food, fashion, etc. I also own an advertising company called Waves Advertising Limited. I am, in fact what they call a hustler in the Nigerian parlance. I believe that for any business idea, no matter how novel, a detailed research would tell me exactly what to do. Away from business now, we understand you had a project called Pink Waves. Tell us about it. Pink Waves was another of my many projects. Our focus was on creating awareness on the cancer scourge, starting with northern Nigeria. Twice, we were on Voice Of America’s radio show, Yau da Gobe, to discuss the project. We reached out to influential people, government agencies and organizations soliciting support and sponsorship, but that never came through. It was a good project but sadly, it had to be put on hold. How are you inspired? I have a solid support system. My parents believe in me and that alone keeps me going. I want to keep making them proud. How do you keep yourself going as an entrepreneur? I read books on both successful and failed businesses. Through them, I have learned and mastered the act of taking risks. For someone who has tried her hands on many things, I believe failure in business can be a learning curve. The entrepreneurial route can be tough, but I try to be as focused and patient as possible. What is the business climate like in Northern Nigeria where you live? Are there challenges? How are you overcoming them? Around here, people are more amenable if you are able to convince them of a product’s usefulness. But of course, a prevalent preference for quantity over quality negatively affects sales. Also, due to religious and cultural beliefs, there’s the erroneous belief that successful women tend to be arrogant and may never find husbands. Notwithstanding, I never let these things stop me from reaching my dreams. I believe an empowered woman is not only a gift to her family but the society at large. What is your driving force? Through my various ventures, I want to inspire other women to reach heights they never thought possible. The ultimate goal is to add value to my society and I am taking it, one day at a time. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
3 ways to connect with your dreams as a young African
When I first talked to Khadijah Oyerinde, a 14-year-old high school student in Osun, southwestern Nigeria, I was able to see her dreams clearly. This was because of the confidence and passion with which she conveyed them to me. Within the first two minutes of our conversation, the young and inspiring Khadijah had mesmerized me. She’s got guts, no doubt! When I inquired about her greatest dream and the likely stumbling blocks, she gave me a sharp response. “I want to become a caterer that would be known all over Nigeria and Africa for excellence,” she said. “And only death can stop me. I cook well and I’m working on myself every day.” She was one of the participants at Leadnovation 2016, a flagship initiative of Hope Rising Foundation (HRF) Nigeria, a NGO I co-founded to raise responsible and innovative young leaders in Nigeria. Having been impressed by her clear vision, I quickly asked how she hopes to reach her destination. Khadijah stared at me with some discomfort, and said; “Well, I just know I’ll get there. I haven’t seen anyone on TV to look up to as far as my exact dreams are concerned. But I’ve just learnt from this leadership training that I can get help on social networks.” More often than not, I have come across many Khadijahs in Nigeria. I have met and interacted with numerous young Nigerians who are brilliant and ambitious. They are high school students, undergraduates, or even graduates eager to shape Africa with their lofty dreams. But as much as they are passionate about their dreams, connecting with them remains the big challenge. So as a young African, how can you connect with your dreams? Believe in your dreams In reality, no dream is too big to be realised as long as you have a “can-do” spirit. As a young person, it’s good to have a clear vision of what you hope to achieve, and start working towards it. You shouldn’t be discouraged by what other people say. People don’t really care about your dreams, they only care about results. Once you reach your destination, everyone will want to associate with you. So, get on the wheels and start driving into the kind of future you desire. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice” These were the exact words of Steve Jobs, the legend who must have had YOU in mind when he was crafting this beautiful sentence. Take advantage of MOOCs Right now, education has moved beyond the walls of a classroom. And the effects are magical. That you don’t yet have the opportunity to receive lectures within the walls of your dream school shouldn’t deter you from working on your dreams. Start from where you are and with what you have. You can sit in your village, so far you are connected to the internet, and learn from the best professors in top universities in across the world at no cost. Yes really, at no cost! So far, I’ve taken over fifteen Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from some of the world’s best universities in the last three years or so. There are a number of sites offering courses to help you get the expertise that would move you closer to realizing your big dreams. Get a laptop, tab or smartphone, connect to the internet and start learning.There are many MOOC websites available, including Future Learn and Harvard. Choose the course(s) that best fit the kind of skills you’d like to acquire. There you go! Use social networks effectively For me, social media remains the next greatest invention after the discovery of electricity in the 17th century. With the effective use of social media, you’re not only able to expand your network but also able to connect with the people that matter, as far as the realization of your dreams is concerned. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, YouTube are fantastic social networks you can leverage to connect with your dreams. You should find role models and people who can help you believe more in your future, and then connect with them via these networks. It’s that simple. SheLeadsAfrica and a few other platforms also offer the unique opportunity to connect with mentors who can help you better navigate your life’s journey. What are you still waiting for? You can go the extra length to connect with your dreams by believing in yourself, taking advantage of MOOCs, and making effective use of the various social networks. No matter how short it is, just take a step. Keep moving! I have discussed just three of numerous useful tips. You can add one or two tips of your own in the comments section as well. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
Nneka Offor: Digital publishing can transform learning in Africa
The digital revolution doesn’t start and end with social media. Some entrepreneurs are pushing the revolution into other parts of life. Take education and reading for example, 20 percent of Nigerians who go online do so to read something new. Nneka Offor is at the forefront, pushing eBooks and eLearning to change the way Africans learn. Nneka is the founder and CEO of WhiteLeaf Digital, a digital publishing company based in Enugu, Nigeria. Here she explains how the digital revolution will affect reading and learning. Is there a market for eBooks and eLearning in Nigeria? There is a huge untapped market for eBooks and eLearning in Nigeria and Africa at large. The concept of an eBook is an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on any smart device. eLearning involves utilizing electronic technologies to access educational curriculum outside of the traditional classroom. At the close of 2016’s second quarter, the number of internet users on Nigeria’s telecoms networks hit 97.21 million with 85 percent accessing the Internet via mobile devices. On exactly what these people do online, 22 percent spend their time on social media, 20 percent opt for reading, 19 percent spend their time reading and sending emails. Movies and music enjoy a 13 percent share of the Nigerians time online while shopping gets a 5 percent cut. These statistics show that Nigeria already has the enabling platform for eBooks and eLearning. The overall growth rate for self-paced eLearning in Africa is 15.2 percent. Senegal has the highest growth rate, followed by Kenya and Nigeria. Selfpaced elearning revenues in Africa reached $ 250.9 million in 2011 and will more than double by 2016. Research analysts forecast the eLearning potential will get tripled largely in South Africa and Nigeria. Why start a technologically driven business considering high data costs across Africa? eBook or eLearning does not consume data. Online readings consumes between 380KB and 1MB depending on how long you spend online. Downloading a book from an eBook server archive needs 800KB. The longer you read, the more data it consumes. After you have downloaded your eBook and have them saved on your device, subsequent readings will be done offline and does not require data. Data is only spent when you’re reading online or downloading from the server after which you will no longer require data to read. Video or audio take more data. Online video streaming can take as much as 1GB in an hour. It takes between 3MB to 160 MB to download a 17-hour video. What steps are you taking to transform African educational sector? Our first point of call is Nigeria. Presently we are in talks with Nigerian based educational publishers over integrating digital publishing. Not only is this technology driven, it is also cheaper to publish eBooks as there are no distribution or warehousing cost. We’re also working towards getting institutions and corporate organizations to have eLibraries and eLearning platforms so as to encourage students/employees to read at their own pace anytime and anywhere. The other thing which is undoubtedly the easiest way to transform the educational sector, is awareness. Publishers and book lovers need to be aware of the transformation. That is why we are currently organizing a digital publishing summit scheduled to hold by the last quarter of 2016. The details are not in the news yet but it will attract traditional and digital publishers all over Africa. We will be discussing pertinent issues on how to convert and integrate traditional prints into digital formats, especially for educational purposes. How will digital publishing revolutionize learning? Digital publishing creates interactive learning. Studies show that interactive content can boost learning retention and students prefer to learn by doing, versus seeing or reading. When they interact with videos, charts, and graphs, they retain more information. Digital publishing can help transform passive learners into active participants. Also, learning materials are more accessible and affordable, and it reduces traditional book printing and distribution cost. By producing digital versions of educational literature and publications, you can substantially cut printing costs. This leaves you with more budget for other learning and marketing activities. Distributing heavy printed text books can be very expensive, not to mention slow. Using a digital distribution channel you can get your message out to a wider audience immediately, with no postage costs. Access to eBook is also quicker, cost effective and friendlier on the environment. In many cases, content can be created once and delivered to multiple platforms and operating systems, reducing the cost of publishing while simultaneously reaching broader audiences. Have you faced any challenge in setting up a digital publishing company outside Lagos? We have not faced any technological challenge setting up our business in Enugu. The only challenge we have faced with is delay in working with the traditional publishers. Most of them are based in the west while we are in the east. On many occasions, we have to go travel to meet with publishers for meetings. This has prompted us to start making plans to setup an office in Lagos precisely so we can be closer to the publishers. How would you like to be remembered? I would like to be remembered as a transformational leader who created value and made a significant positive impact in the society I lived in. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Ifedolapo Olayemi-Okewole: A woman should be happy on her wedding day
Here comes the bride! She may be looking kind of stressed but it’s her big day. Preparing for a wedding can be hectic but thanks to the Internet, brides can ease the burden a bit. Hadassah Bridals is a growing brand that delivers wedding gowns to brides through its website. Its founder Ifedolapo Olayemi-Okewole recently completed a World Bank-sponsored course at the Enterprise Development Centre at Lagos Business School. Here she shares tips on running an online business in Nigeria and how to make the most out of your wedding day. Who is the person behind Hadassah Bridals? My name is Ifedolapo Olayemi-Okewole. I’m the woman behind Hadassah Bridals, a business that came to being in December, 2012. The idea for this business was birthed in Manchester, UK in 2012, a year after I got married. I recall that it was my experience as a bride that was at the heart of this business idea. I had a very tight schedule during preparations for my wedding. When I was doing my wedding shopping, I didn’t have the luxury of time and resources to visit a lot of stores for wedding gown trials and the likes. I did most of my shopping online and I received all my packages in good condition, including my wedding gown. Our business idea then was to make wedding dresses of different varieties available to brides online and at reasonable prices. So we decided to offer bridal gowns of very good quality and designs to target this class of brides. We stock our gowns from other designers; we also have options for custom-made wedding gowns. Custom-made wedding gowns are made based on the specifications of the bride. This gives the bride the opportunity to add a lot of details to her dream wedding gown. We take such requests and forward to our designers. Why the name Hadassah? The name ‘Hadassah’ is from the Bible. Its one of Esther’s names (Esther 2:7) and it means Compassion. Tell us a bit about your experience with the World Bank sponsored program. The program is a Certificate in Entrepreneurship Management sponsored by the World Bank. I won the Women X scholarship last year. I took that step because I needed hone my entrepreneurial skills. I was not sure I was doing everything according to the books. A friend sent me the application details online and I applied. An interview was conducted and about 50 women were selected for my class, which was Cohort 4 in the Women X scholarship program. The 6 months in-class training changed my perspective totally on business and living a fulfilling life. I met women who were in different stages in business and this made me realise that I am not alone in the entrepreneurship drive. The school faculty was and is still highly supportive because they provide us platforms for business growth. As a Nigerian company based online, how do you make effective sales? Our idea is to understand our market sector and develop strategies online to reach them. Because we started online, we use a lot of the social media platforms for sales. This is complimented with an open cart-enabled website. We also use eCommerce stores like Konga and Kaymu to drive sales. What online platforms do you use to cater to your clientele? Have you had any challenges with them? Over the years, we have built a robust BBM channel. This has our largest followership and has become a critical platform for our business outreach. Customers place orders via our BBM channel or Whatsapp Social chat platform. We also use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest for our social media campaigns. We have a physical store in Ifako, Gbagada, where we also attend to customers. Most online Nigerian businesses focus on Abuja or Lagos, how do you reach clients in other/smaller cities and towns? We can confidently say today that we have a clientele that is widely spread from Maiduguri in Northern Nigeria to Bayelsa in the South-South region and from Cuba to cities in Europe and South Africa. This has been made possible through our online platform and partnership with a leading courier company like Courier Plus. They handle our door step deliveries to all the states in Nigeria, and also our international shipments. How can a woman make the most of her wedding day? A woman should be happy on her wedding day. She is the center of attraction and she dictates the mood of the event. A vibrant bride makes for an enjoyable ceremony. One of the things I tell my brides is to ensure that they have light breakfasts on their wedding day. The wedding day is filled with a lot of activities and the bride often forgets that part. What old wives tale should all brides listen to at all costs? One old wives tale is, “don’t look at the mirror when dressing up on your wedding day”. Uh, how easy is this? A bride wants to know what magic the makeup artist is performing on her face but I think she’s better off being told that she is beautiful so she doesn’t get too conscious of her face on her wedding day. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.