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
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Contents
Contributors vii
Introduction 1
Doyin Abiola 5
Pamela Adedayo 13
Adetutu Adeleke 19
Mayen Adetiba 29
Pamela Ajayi 39
Carlene Alaja-Browne 49
Gladys Ashitey 69
Bola Atta 79
Bolanle Awe 89
Dere Awosika 101
Opral Benson 111
Olayinka Blackshear 121
Akua Sena Dansua 129
Esther Obeng Dapaah 137
vi The HerStory Project
Oyinade Elebute 147
Christy Essien Igbokwe 157
Mosunmade Faderin 167
Kehinde Kamson 181
Abioye Kusamotu 191
Bontshetse Mazile 195
Bennedikter Molokwu 201
Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye 211
Ndidi Nwuneli 217
Olusola Obada 225
Bashirat Odunewu 229
Debbie Ogunjobi 239
Elsie Omidiji 247
Olufunke Iyabo Osibodu 257
Aisha Muhammed Oyebode 273
Tinuade Oyekunle 285
Veronica Piserchia 299
Zenebeworke Tadesse 313
Folashade Thomas-Fahm 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 fi 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 New York (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 Achieve-
ment by the Nigerian Association of University Women.
Pamela Adedayo is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Offi cer 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 Univer-
sity, Chicago, USA.
Adetutu Adeleke, OON, is an industrialist and fi 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; Vice-
Chairman, Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Nigeria and several others.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
viii 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 King’s College Hospital, UK, LUTH and the
United Bank for Africa.
Carlene Alaja-Browne spent over three decades in the Lagos State civil ser-
vice and retired as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology.
She started her career as an Executive Offi cer in the Ministry of Agriculture
and Natural Resources in 1974 and worked in various capacities in ministries,
departments and agencies across the State’s 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 Kuff our 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 Africa’s
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
ixContributors
an MBA in fi nance and marketing from Duquesne University, USA. She studied
French at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, France.
Bolanle Awe is one of Africa’s 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 at-
tended 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 fi 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 fi 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 Foun-
dation 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 Edu-
cational 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 fi nancial analyst and Regional Manager with Citigroup and
has worked with several community and micro-fi nance banks to develop rural
empowerment programmes in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya and other countries.
x 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 chil-
dren. Blackshear is a certifi ed 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 Chem-
istry 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 for-
mer 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 Lincoln’s 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 Ni-
geria, 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
Sofi a, Bulgaria and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
xiContributors
Christy Essien Igbokwe, popularly known as Nigeria’s 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 fi 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 Offi cer of Sweet Sen-
sation, 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 Microfi nance Bank, which
empowers micro enterprises and small sized businesses, trade associations
and others to grow their businesses by making fi nancial assistance available to
them at aff ordable 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 Uni-
versity 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 Molokwu’s experience has spanned administration,
law, public relations, planning, and corporate fi nance sectors. She holds a law
degree from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and was called to the Nigerian Bar
xii The HerStory Project
in 1976; a Masters degree (cum laude) in International & Comparative Law
from Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium; and certifi cates in management from
Columbia University, USA and in International Banking from Manchester Busi-
ness 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 women’s 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
fulfi l 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 manage-
ment 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 Man-
ager at Nigeria Airways; as a partner in the law fi 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 Account-
ants) where she trained and qualifi ed as an accountant and later worked with
xiiiContributors
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 Tech-
nology 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. Godric’s 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 direc-
tor 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 Foun-
dation and Chairman of the Asset Management Group. She is a legal practitioner
and business consultant with an LLM (Public International Law) from King’s
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
xiv 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 Interna-
tional 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 Institute’s 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 Honorary Vice 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 eff orts 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 Ad-
dis 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).
xvContributors
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 Nigeria’s 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 fi rst to open a fashion boutique in Nigeria
and a pioneer industrialist in other sectors of the economy.
Doyin Abiola
A Sketchy Start, a Daily Concord with Self
Memorable as it was, the day I fi 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 off er.
My choice of journalism was somewhat accidental because I thought my
career choice was somewhat limited with a fi rst degree in English and Drama.
But a chance meeting with the then Managing Director of one of Nigeria’s
regional government newspapers, Daily Sketch, led to my appointment as a
reporter for the women’s column, now known as the Life Style page. I took
to journalism like fi sh to water as I’m 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 off ered the editorship of the Women’s
Page by an all male interviewing panel. Of course, I minced no words in letting
them know that I had a diff erent career path in mind which precluded another
stint on the Women’s Page. An off er without due regards for my qualifi cations
and experience seemed sexist. A compromise off er 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 signifi cant 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. People’s homes were built close to the seaside, and
children loved to play in the waters. Fishermen bring in an array of sea foods:
prawns, crayfi sh, crabs, and fi sh, among others. The sight and sounds from the
sea provided breathtaking scenery for many a child’s 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-eff ect 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 children’s upbringing, as the chil-
dren 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 fi fties to Mr Alfred Natetejio, a native of Teshie, a suburb
of Accra in the Ledzokuku constituency. He was the fi rst Agricultural Extension
Offi cer 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 suff ered. 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 family’s
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 Ghana’s
Opral Benson
Primary concerns
I wasn’t 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 con-
tribution to the society. I wanted to acquire the necessary training required to
make an impact on people’s lives. I craved to be looked upon as someone peo-
ple had learnt from. That, however, did not make me overbearing or assertive
against authorities. Taking to my father’s 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 fl ow along in whatever situation I fi 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, fam-
ily 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
Grandma’s 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 didn’t 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 confi dent. 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 wasn’t keen on going to school because I was so much attached to Grandma
and didn’t 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 woman’s hat is diff erent from mine.’ I wanted her straw
hat so I befriended her. She became my role model. It’s a long time ago now
but she remains so vivid in my mind. She taught me diff erent 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 electrifi ed as we
did other tracks like ‘Say it loud - I’m black and I’m 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 I’d like to do in the future
and I told him I’d 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 isn’t easy to realise one’s dreams, especially when there’s 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 suff ocated 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
don’t use it will never experience true peace.
The earliest I could remember about my beginning as an artiste was some-
time 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 didn’t write my songs. When I had enough numbers on
Bennedikter Molokwu
Baptism of fi re
‘Are you sure you are qualifi ed? Are you already a lawyer? You look so young!’
‘Yes, my Lord. If I were not qualifi ed, 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 Pros-
ecutions (DPP) to complain. By the look on his face when he returned a few
minutes later we knew that the DPP’s answer must have angered him the more!
He went on to read the judgement.
That was the fi 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 Ofi li), 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 fi les we handled covered two extremes
of prosecutions in the High Court – road traffi c off ences/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.
213Aminata 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 fi rst to come and the last to leave.
If she is not in the fi eld, she’s here at the offi ce. You can see she’s 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 affi rm your stand and it’s 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 fi 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 fi eld I had to supervise; therefore I felt like a head of department. I was
recommended and it was later put into eff ect.
Models and motivators
My elder sister is my model. She was the fi 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, espe-
cially during the festive holidays. Academically, she did very well. She attended
diff erent 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
sister’s example and I am involved with the welfare of women because of the
early exposure my cousin’s infl uence gave me. I owe them a big thanks to my
success story today. They had positive infl uences in my life.
Nonetheless, one of the motivations that really inspired me career wise was
my cousin’s organisation, Intermediary Training Seminar, dedicated to uplift-
ing 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 fi 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 excellenceThey 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 biog-
raphies, 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 actu-
ally 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 diff er-
ence 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 don’t believe anyone is bet-
ter or worse than me.
Everything about Surulere was nice: the houses, the people and the activi-
ties. 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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