Businesswomen from Nigeria

"I would always push women towards more of learning the datasets behind anything that they’re trying to build, get information on it and, if you don’t have it, let’s talk with partnership organisations to see what information they may have. And if they still don’t have it, this is where you come in to build a solution that incorporates some of that."

"The key. Is oering things that make that type of impact towards their careers. And the end result is seeing some of those girls and the things that they've accomplished within their chosen eld or their entrepreneurship journey. And then being able to mark that as well. This was impactful. This made a dierence. And I helped make that dierence, so my job is complete, because now I have essence of self gratication. And that feels really good."

"Be your own hero.” — From a statement featured as her personal motto on her Twitter cover photo, reflecting her philosophy toward personal drive and achievement"

"Technology makes you have to think outside of the box.” On how tech drives innovation and problem-solving in business and society"

"Build a support network with a few other trusted entrepreneurs to share war and success stories with, otherwise, it becomes a very lonely journey."

"Every day is a roller-coaster ride of emotions in the life of the entrepreneur. My survival strategy is to take it one day at a time."

"Focus on one business idea at a time. Perfect the model before adding on the next one."

"Small is not beautiful in business. Build businesses that scale. Deliberately establish business models that scale."

"Find creative and strategic ways to retain your customers by engaging with their staff at all level."

"I am an Igbo woman and I have learned over to years to be able to work alongside my husband because I know that, together we can rise."

"We have to provide mentorship, practical role models to serve as experience for our girls. It is not just about education."

"As young girl, it is important to be focused. The young girl should not fear. The Holy Bible has fear not written in it multiple times."

"We must be begin to clean our mindset so that young women will believe that they can attain the highest potential."

"Any society that failed to harness the energy and creativity of women is a huge disadvantage in the global world."

"The joy of walking around or riding around their neighborhood and playing with their neighbors, which is often difficult in a city as densely populated as Lagos."

"The recent floods, droughts, and locust infestations that have plagued most of the continent over the past few years reinforce the reality that climate change can completely reverse the advancements in the agriculture and food ecosystem unless urgent action is taken. As entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture landscape, we must all become climate champions, driving behavior change in our companies, communities, and the broader ecosystem, as well as embracing innovations and technologies that support climate adaptation in Africa."

"Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s smallest number of motorized vehicles but the highest rate of road traffic fatalities, with Nigeria and South Africa leading the pack. Trauma has become a silent epidemic in Africa, an epidemic that will only spread as the economy grows. More and more Africans are buying cars and working in heavy and dangerous industries. At the same time, infrastructure is poor, safety laws lax, and cars badly maintained."

"We take pride in being the first Nigerian indigenous company to do this...We are training more people to go into the air ambulance sector and I think our paramedics now have a huge amount of management skills. I just think that we need to start thinking outside the box and be more confident in the concept of African innovation."

"True success is about a passion to create a better world, live a life that you can look back on and be truly proud of."

"I did not want to have another charity setup and rely in fund fund rasing to create impact."

"We have a mixed-pool of more than 20 aircraft that we use for different types of evacuation, and about 30 staff all employed in different capacities with us and branches in three major cities in Nigeria."

"One of the most interesting things that happened to me when starting the business was the realization that all my academic medical training and the prestige that comes with the title of being a doctor was not enough."

"I have a very different definition of mentorship, to me, it means 99 percent of giving to a person."

"Mentorship to me is to continuously figure out how i can add value to the lives of my mentors so that those relationships will be sustainable."

"You’ll find true success when you are passionate about improving the world and using your skills and talents to make a positive impact. And, to be honest, it’s impossible to hide the fruits of passion."

"The more passionate you are about the world (and your business), the more likely you are to succeed."

"If you can find a way to combine your passion for making a difference with your desire to live a life that you can be proud of, you will be well on your way to finding true success."

"“We don't need aid, we need partnerships. We cannot continue to be a beggar nation. I have always believed yo shouldn't give the man the fish,but teach the mangiw to fish and he will be able to take care of himself and others“."

"“West has taken and borrowed a lot from Africa…now it’s a renaissance: we’re claiming back what is ours and we’re adding value to what is ours, making it globally acceptable and globally appealing”."

"“We know that Africa has potential, all we need is investors – either local or foreign – to come on board with money and partner with us and take it all the way up there. If Burberry, Armani, or Prada, instead of coming to look for inspiration, actually partnered with the craftsman or designers to do a line, it would be a world-class hit”."

"“Being a Nigerian was no limitation for me because I just thought, well you haven’t seen me and there’s loads more like me”."

"The West has taken and borrowed a lot from Africa… now its a renaissance. We’re claiming back with is ours and we’re adding value to what is ours, making it globally acceptable and globally appealing"

"African designers need to celebrate their cultural roots and fashion history in order to become globally competitive"

"I try to fuse African cultural style with a modern approach to design. I love the dynamism of creating modernity out of something that is steeped in history. I think it’s what gives my collection such a cultural mix"

"I didn’t choose fashion, it chose me, ... I think the only way I’ve managed is because I know fashion was my destiny. African designers face so many challenges, producing collections and working hard to rise above the manufacturing infrastructure problems. For me, it’s about rising to the challenge and I think it’s made me a better designer. I feel I produce more intelligent clothing as a result"

"African bespoke is different from European bespoke, in that Africans are very much more endowed in very specific areas. My challenge is that I work with a lot of lumps and bumps, which almost turns me into a type of cosmetic surgeon. Except that I’m not cutting you up or anything, it's just that I do a lot of things with fabrics and accentuating, to create that perfect hourglass shape"

"When I started out, it was with a certain philosophy, because at that time it wasn’t cool to look African. Africa wasn’t on the map as it is now. … There was nothing really happening in terms of African fashion going global, or Africans being able to make a business of African fashion outside of the shore of Africa. So I went into it, sort of, to prove a point and to say ‘Listen. We can do this. We can add value.’ And to also bring the attention of the world to our own native abilities"

"I just had this can-do spirit. I was just so convinced that my product was so genuine and would no doubt conquer the world"

"Developing my own fabrics is essential for me. Every time you do it, it’s fresh; the drawings, the process of making Adire, starting with indigo and then just making music with colour and patterns, 'fabric jazz'. I wanted to play with floaty fabrics this time. It was just my mood. Of course I’m still in the throws of my love affair with Aso Oke which is still a huge feature in this collection."

"Fashion chose me, and I believe that it did because I had been sent to impact African fashion as it relates to the world. It’s not just me; it’s my family"

"Family plays a huge part in our business because it’s the cornerstone. We do everything together, whether it’s deciding the theme for the season or what each feature of every look that will form the collection we are working on might be"

"Everything is done in-house. From the conceptualisation to filming campaigns, everything is always completely done by the it-girls.” Their orientation of family extends to their clients, “We get so involved with clients, we want [our clients] to be a part of our family as much as possible"

"The real core of our business is God. So, if we have different opinions or a strong opinion about one thing, the final opinion we seek is His. It’s what holds us together as one and what has made us stand so strong in the face of every challenge that we’ve faced"

"One of them had pushed me and the raised hand might be what some saw as a slap. No, I wasn’t slapped and I refused to cower and I turned and gave them a piece of what I thought of their pathetic selves and if I am going to die, it would be with my fist high up and my mouth open."

"I would never give up on Nigeria no matter what it throws at me. I owe it to unborn generations on their way to Nigeria and I will continue to fight for Nigeria just as I wished others had fought for me before I came to be Nigerian."

"Herdsmen who are criminals have to be criminalized. Those who aren't shouldn't. No one has monopoly to cause trouble and no one is safe from what trouble can cause."

"Politics affect lives and we all have to be politicians. You can be the one being voted for or the one voting for or the one volunteering in someone's campaign or helping to raise money or donating or giving governance or making demands."

"It is just unbelievable how we tend to reward incompetence and punish competence."

"One thing I have learnt, is that, sometimes you need your opponent to do so badly and make you a choice."

"“There is nothing to go into fighting mood over this nothing – so focus on your message and the results that you want is the most important.”"

"No rigging can happen without our support … INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem and they are among the 220 million people. There is no INEC Chairman that can rig election if the people working in INEC do not collude. … The police are not the problem, the people in the police are the problem.”"

""Educated Nigerians should realise that their education is not for them alone and they should be working towards changing the system; that is how you will have a bloodless revolution. If you don’t do that, the hungry people are going to jump on the street one day …”"

""Your actions, not words will attract foreign investors … ‘In this 2023, travelling to woo investors is still being used?!’ … ‘Stop wasting tax payers money to go woo investors. Sit at home and do the needful.’”"

""People must resolve to not move on from issues. … Until good is more tenacious than evil, the evil ones even though smaller in number will continue to have the upper hand.”"

"You see this table full of older generation men cannot be the only ones allowed to make the decision as we go on! Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthoughts in the form of tokenism.”"

"“No country has the right to call itself civilized if it allows 219 of its citizens to be kidnapped with no repercussions.”"

""Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthoughts in the form of tokenism.”"

""You can now call me JOBLESS with a capital J! … My last born is done with university … I have a lot more time on my hands now, and I will be devoting it to NIGERIA! Welcome to a new dispensation.”"

""In this 2023, travelling to woo investors is still being used?! … Stop wasting tax payers money to go woo investors. Sit at home and do the needful.”"

""It is only when it comes to hypocritical morality that they will become actively present. Money they will beg for. Food they will beg for. Job they will beg for. Marks they will beg for. Merit they will beg to be exempted. Even advocacy they will beg for.”"

""Even though my parents or adults were angry at me for speaking up especially when it does not favour them … I have the gift to look at issues from both sides even when I am involved and when I am not.”"

""I am okay. I refused to run. I walked with my fist high up … One of them had pushed me and the raised hand might be what some saw as a slap. No, I wasn’t slapped and I refused to cower and I turned and gave them a piece of what I thought of their pathetic selves and if I am going to die, it would be with my fist high up and my mouth open.”"

"The right Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to call out government in 2014 is the right Aisha Yesufu has in 2024 to call out an illegitimate government … No Nigerian is more Nigerian than any Nigerian. This country belongs to all of us, and nobody can intimidate us in our own father land."

""No rigging can happen without our support … INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem … The police are not the problem … The people in the police are the problem.”"

""To Nigerian Politicians, 8 years is FOREVER! Little do they know!”"

""When asked on … what she thinks of the President’s assurance …: ‘We are used to a president whose words mean nothing. He says one thing, and another thing happens’ … ‘The body language of President … enables the terrorists.’”"

""I am a politician. All my life I have made choices. I am into Nigerian Politics and … I will ensure it is clean.”"

""I give it to the illegitimate administration of Mr Tinubu. He has gotten defeated people fighting themselves instead of fighting him … Imagine the fight is over who are being killed rather than that citizens are being killed.”"

""When we talk about International Women’s Day, I don’t want a day. I just want to be treated with respect, I want equality, equity and justice. That’s really what we want. Because at the end of the day, this whole International Women’s Day has been turned into some performative thing …”"

""There is no government in Nigeria. Terrorists have a field day!”"

""Peter Obi has more hope in 2027 than there was in 2023. … Nothing has been put in place. Nigerians must realise that the 2027 election is a fight for our lives.”"

""You can now call me JOBLESS with a capital J! … I have a lot more time on my hands now, and I will be devoting it to NIGERIA! Welcome To A New Dispensation.”"

"I always knew that the risk of running the business in Nigeria is high but sometimes you do not know to what extent, until my products were counterfeited."

"It is very tough and this is about perspective. My prayer is that as a nation, we would learn the lessons in this season and we would not forget what we have learnt."

""It is important for you to marry someone who buys into what you are doing.”"

"I struggled with unforgiveness for a year."

"“Be true to who you are on your own journey. It makes the road less traveled be easier to enjoy”."

"“There's a place for talking and criticism. But there's also a place to let our ACTIONS do the talking!”"

"“Strong nations are built on SOLID HOMES not big houses”."

"“Many men have children, but not many children have 'Fathers'. Age releases to you reproductive skills Fatherhood requires LEADERSHIP skills”."

"Everyone including YOU suffers when you refuse to BE all & DO all you can."

"When you don't know where you are going in life (No Clear Destination), you don't need direction... you need Divine Revelation."

"A nation is not defined by its borders or the boundaries of its land mass Rather, a nation is defined by adverse people who have been unified by a cause and a value system and who are committed to a vision for the type of society they wish to live in and give to the future generations to come."

"Our nation is ripe with a multitude of successful people, who have achieved much for themselves with little impact on anyone else."

"We must be the ones to re-define the world class standards of excellence"

"What we need now is a nation of great people who live to positively impact others and build enduring legacies."

"If the path you are walking today won't lead you to your desired destination, then you are STROLLING."

"In the innovation age customer experience is key. Your impression defines their expression."

"Be a solution provider and not a part of the problem to be solved."

"Despite the turbulence our nation has experienced, we WILL arrive safely and without incident!."

"Real Fathers make a positive impact on their generation, and so give the next generation the advantage of a better nation to live in"

"Direction is only necessary when your destination is certain but the path to get there isn't clear to you."

"We must see the new Nigeria The Nigeria We Want we must accept personal responsibility to build it."

"Houses are built brick-by-brick. HOMEs are built word-by-word. Houses don't build themselves. So YOU must build your home."

"Many people read History books but it takes just a few people to LEAD the cause that will shape the course of HISTORY."

"Great nations are built by great people, not just successful people."

"If your Idea cannot change the industry, you have added no value."

"Without Purpose, LIVING is downgraded to Breathing a boring routine of inhaling oxygen."

"We need to adopt a set of common values and be ready to live out those values."

"It is important to be Cordial and be nice when Relating to people at work."

"Don't play second fiddle. Don't Be a sidekick. It is better to be alone and find the one who treats you as a priority than stay where you are an option."

"Don't be a backup plan. Don't be a power bank that someone uses to recharge and bounce back whenever their relationship gets sour."

"https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-18540650"

"If there is love and understanding, the sky will be one’s beginning. The first thing you would want to beg God for is for Him to give you an understanding partner."

"In every profession you belong, it is not always a bed of roses. You have to pay your dues and strive to come to a level where you can say your price."

"A lot of people tend to feel for me forget that we are only acting."

"Do live your life. No matter what. Live your life for yourself and your children. Because no matter what you try to do, no matter how you try to satisfy them, they still always want to compare you with somebody that is not You."

"“Be your own competition and what goes around, comes around. She said, If you want to win a race, never mind the opposition because the moment you start minding oppositions, you are likely not to win a race.""

""It is always easy to condemn those in authority when we are the observers. Until we get there, you now realize that change is a difficult thing"."

""Life is full of ups and downs and a lot of things. If you are the kind of person that does not cry over spilled milk, you will just move on no matter the obstacle"."

"I don’t have any regrets at all. When I was coming into Nollywood, I had at the back of my mind that like every other industry, it was not going to be a bed of roses. I only needed to remain focused and mindful of what I do in the industry. I joined Nollywood with the vision that the sky would be my beginning."

"Marriages of people in other professions are crashing too; lawyers, doctors and bankers are experiencing a similar thing. And nobody is talking about it. Why ours is different because we are celebrities and whatever we do must come to the public notice."

"Well,one thing l believe in life is that you should do your best and leave the rest to God. Always be focused. I've done that and I thank God for where l am today."

"I am a woman of many parts."

"I just felt like doing something else for myself. I decided to go back to school and, you know, put my hands into something else. I’m happy I did. Now, I can boast that I’m a cyber security analyst. I’m certified in information security in the US. It felt good to at least try something out and go out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been somebody who would always go out of her comfort zone. I don’t believe in impossibilities."

"Persevere – Never give up! Today’s world enjoys electricity because of those who did not give up!"

"We have grown past the stage of fairy-tale. As women, we have one common front and that is to succeed. We have to take the bull by the horn and make the change happen by ourselves."

"It’s essential to draw up a “things to do” list on a daily basis and set priorities in executing them, making sure that any unfinished task gets posted to the next day’s list."

"Unemployment should not be handled with kids’ gloves, but curtailed through the creation of jobs by the instrumentality of entrepreneurship."

"Be diligent to succeed as there is a way where there be no way, only the persistent and diligent find it."

"Thinking opens the doors to our minds and makes us receptive to the very idea of broadening our horizons and learning new things."

"Always see challenges as opportunities in disguise. It’s not really about how much we possess, but rather how well we manage and use what we are entrusted with."

"Just start small with what you have and you can grow the business."

"For as long as one is alive, one will always have other things to achieve."

"My wealth allows me to reach out to others, to those in need. I am a God-fearing woman and I am not in competition with anyone. I use my wealth to touch the lives of others."

"It was a real eye-opener. It made us better Christians. For every battle we fought, a better lesson was learnt”."

"It is not every business one ventures into that one would succeed at."

"“I once dared to dream and if I could succeed, then so can you!”"

"“Rome was not built in a day. As you continue to struggle to make ends meet, somewhere, somehow, you will make it.”"

"“People should not just look at people who are on top. They should go and study how they got there and the challenges they had to face as they while climbing the ladder.”"

"Don’t give up when things get tough, just hang in there, stay focused and be patient."

"I really believe this is the best time to be an African start-up. This is Africa's time and we as Africans need to seize this opportunity to contribute our quotas to our respective countries."

"To improve innovation in Africa, we need to invest more in education. You cannot innovate when you do not have a good education."

"At the beginning of a business when you're just starting, you have to be very hands-on to get the business to run. But there's going to be a stick because you have to understand every aspect of your business inside and out. But there's going to be a stage where you have to step back and be more strategic..."

"Not many people know what recycling is. They don't appreciate it. So dealing with that is very important."

"It's about how you present. How do you ensure that people understand the story, understand what you're doing, and they are buying into it? So it's actually a science."

"Why is it that you go to other countries, Nigerians that are educated, do very well. It's not a fluke. It's just that we're not really utilizing our resources properly."

"Traveling to other countries has just shown me that Nigeria is a fantastic country. I think one of our issues in Nigeria is that we don't have very good marketing."

"And as we become more affluent, people become richer, they begin to consume more and also look at things that make their lives easy. They consume things that are more packaged. And when you consume things that are packaged, you also create waste because you deal with packaging."

"The most important thing I will tell a young entrepreneur is that once you've decided on an idea, and you really truly have done your research and you believe that it's a good one, please, don't give up."

"I believe that once you can just marry your idea, believe in it. You will begin to see the results."

"Why not waste? Why not recycling? I think as a woman, people might think that it's dirty, it's not something that women should do. I saw the opportunity that was there in this field and also the impact that we could have on people's lives. And that's really what drove me."

"We want to make money, wanting to make money is important because the business is sustainable. But, then, we also want to be able to have a good impact on the lives of people."

"“The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years”."

"“We must say the truth”."

"“It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard-earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared, and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices”."

"“It is commendable that state governors have closed down schools; however, this could be counterproductive if parents are still going to work. We should not isolate students and expose their parents. Let us remember that they will meet at home”."

"“The establishment of the Future Assured College in Maiduguri, Borno State recently is to provide for the education of young girls affected by the insurgency”."

"“This intervention provides a lead way of what we can do together to support these young brains to attain a brighter future because of the challenges facing girl-child education”."

"“Prospect of promoting quality health and education of girl-child both at school and at home are seriously challenged”."

"“I am optimistic that our common interest in promoting girl-child education can expand beyond its present scope”."

""The regime might not have been a perfect one, but I want to seize this opportunity to seek forgiveness from the Ulamas and Nigerians in general. We all need to work together to achieve a better Nigeria.”"

"“Money is not an end, Value is the end. Focus on adding value to the society and money will follow”."

"“I followed my passion”."

"“Finding my passion has really helped me, I go to work not thinking I am working”."

"I'm a woman of faith, but what I found in Nigeria is that a lot of people have increasingly been driven into this crazy love for worshipping men instead of God."

"And a lot of men are turning this spiritual institution into commerce and they are using it for personal gains."

"I am a student of literature and history. I believe that art is a powerful tool for us in our society to use, to depict all the things that are going on, and a possible escape for some of us who are traumatized by the things we see in Nigeria."

"So in directing over the past 10 years, I understand how to make a connection with people. This is because what’s often lacking in a lot of productions is the ability to connect. So, once the emotions are not there and people can’t feel what you are saying, you have lost the audience."

"The resources we have as a Nation is not what is critical, what is critical is the development of the human mind. The creative mind is the most important resource tool in any nation."

"There is no laziness in any business, that wants to succeed."

"Even though your family and friends discourage you, and you know where you're going, keep your focus and surround yourself with positive minds."

"You're bound to meet a lot of stumbling blocks, and you’re bound to fail at certain things, but the number of times you fail is not the issue, it is the number of times you pick yourself up, dust yourself and continue your journey."

"Relevance itself is wealth, it's a quality and a value. Time buys you relevance, time buys you greatness, time buys you money. So you must stay in the vision and with time, you would reap the benefits."

"Whether you are just starting out and in your first job, or you are approaching retirement, or somewhere in between, you need to take your personal finances seriously."

"Our values influence our views, our decisions, and our behaviours."

"I do believe that every child is born with a God given talent. Have you found that thing, that ability that makes your child stand out? Go for it!"

"The education of their children is the greatest legacy that parents and guardians can leave their children. Education helps nurture their dreams, aspirations, and prepares them for the future."

"Ultimately, you alone are responsible for the choices and decisions you make. Your future ultimately depends on what you do with your present. It's those small decisions, those choices that can change your life forever."

"If any thing good came out of this global pandemic, it has forced many families together. You may never have such extended time with your family again; the children will be gone soon. Make your presence count."

"Stay close to the number. It is so easy to rely on experts and delegate key areas and that is important but as CEO, you must ensure that you understand what is going on with the numbers."

"Career success and personal success are derived from having set goals and staying focused on them as well as having integrity,being reliable,diligent and hard working."

"I hope every ladies see themselves as Great."

"One thing I want my girls to hold onto is, regardless of where they are coming from, they can make it..."

"I believe you can still find diamonds in these places"

"Technology is a space that's dominated by men. Why should we leave that to guys? I believe girls need opportunities."

"Most girls are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. Many of them are not thinking education, a plan for the future... They need to be shown another life"

"You can imagine the kind of brilliance we have in people, but you never discover or see them if you don't give them opportunities to shine."

"Makoko is a case study, isn't something you can fully understand. It took me a while to understand a lot of things about what goes on in that place."

"Managing the affairs of a financial institution at this time is a yeoman’s job. The best bankers in the world will affirm this."

""The fundamental approach to managing customers situation was professionalism, patience, and a people-first attitude"."

""The Bank recognises that good customer service is essential to earning its customers’ trust and loyalty"."

"“I am not a product of my circumstances; I am a product of my decisions"."

"Children who learnt bullying from home and their peers will eventually be shielded by their parents and where they cannot justify the actions of their wards, they will ferry them to safety."

"I would want to see women go actively into politics, and by politics, I do not mean by appointment alone. I will like to see women run for office so that they can be in a better position to effect more change as against just being appointed into political offices, which is good in itself."

"All these terrorist groups are walking around with the same agenda. They may believe differently, but it’s the same agenda. They’re anti-all of us."

"I’m disgusted when I hear some of our current public officials excuse their non-performance on Sabotage."

"I laugh again not in humour at the seeming punishment of the staffs who participated in the padding of our 2016 budget."

"As a religious person, you are subject to the commandment of God and as a Nigerian, you are subject to the laws of the land whether you like it."

"They’re not girls who have social status. Their parents are not economically well off, she said. “But I can tell you, if any one of those girls belonged to a government official, they’d be found."

"What got me really enraged was the fact our government hadn’t said a word because they didn’t believe the girls were taken,” she said. “They didn’t say anything until about 19 days after."

"What we fail to realize as humans is that our world may be large, but we’re all just in a small cup,” she said. “What affects one person affects every single one of us."

"Please do not push your luck in challenging the status quo or seeking to insist on your high ground, it is a proven means of soliciting for your middle name."

"I believe there is power in the words that we say, and our words have enough creative power such that what we say and believe in our minds & hearts shape our reality."

"I believe in Nigeria’s potential to truly be a great nation; the giant of Africa and indeed, a giant in the world."

"Citizens who understand the power they have to elect and hold those in public office accountable can truly move mountains!"

"I believe very deeply that Nigeria should and will be great. I believe I deserve better."

"We must stop looking outside of ourselves for a messiah but look inward, making a conscious decision to play our parts in the puzzle."

"God is awesome."

"I have failed, made mistakes, trusted, and had my lows and highs. But today, I stand firm, stronger than ever and living my best life."

"It has been a journey of personal development and to do what my heart craves for."

"Never dim your light for anyone. If it’s blinding they should wear shades! shinebright."

"When you start gradually, you tend to appreciate where you are right now. When you crawl before you walk and then you fly, you’ll appreciate your roots."

"I love putting people on especially black people and especially black women."

"Telling engaging African Stories brings me joy."

"Everyone has a different experience in their various African countries and every one of those experiences is real."

"I absolutely love to see young people realize that their voices matter own that power and use their voices responsibly."

"We all matter and deserve to be treated with human dignity and respect regardless of age and other discriminating factors."

"A feminist leader is empathetic and understands the importance of intersectionality."

"Employ more women into leadership roles and pay women fairly; be willing to unlearn biases and listen to constructive feedback - then effect change; and be conscious of intersectionality."

"You need to define your voice, your community and what your brand represents before hiring a PR Firm."

"If you have that skill to teach, actors are great teachers on public speaking."

"As long as you have more of the sweet times than the challenges, then you’ve got yourself a successful marriage."

"Interestingly, doing something always starts with 'Saying Something'. To be silent to a wrongdoing in your church, home, workplace , neighborhood ,country, regardless of rationale is to be complicit."

"Four years is a short time. Power needs to be sorted, without it we are going nowhere fast."

"They were foreigners, they could divest, pull out their funds and go back home to their countries. I couldn’t go anywhere."

"You must strive to make people happy...Whether people appreciate your efforts or not, God sees you and appreciates you."

""It is important for young female entrepreneurs to start small”""

"“The current forex situation has made our suppliers think less of us as a country and that is not good enough.”"

"“We must encourage our own local manufacturers to meet the needs of their people locally as well as export to other nations to avoid recession.”"

"The reason she is successful is because of her integrity; no matter what she is passing through, she has always done good to others."

"We have no business allowing importation of drugs that we can produce here because all we are doing is importing poverty. There has to be industry where the young pharmacists can fit into after graduation."

"There have been policies over the years that have favoured the trading multi-nationals, to the detriment and disadvantage of those of us who have invested in the development of the manufacturing aspect of the industry"

"Business is business. There is no special business for man or for woman."

"... everything I did not achieve before 70, now is the time to get started”."

""I believe in learning and understanding any major assignment I undertake. Directing is an art form that takes years to master, so I’m beginning with baby steps"."

""Anyone who wishes to be an entrepreneur must know that bright ideas are great, however, they are not even half of the work; execution is everything"."

""Our goal whenever we tell African stories is to be truly authentic and stay as close as possible to the original work"."

""If you can think it, you can do it"."

"“Never stop dreaming. If you are not obsessed with what you’re doing, you’re probably doing the wrong thing,”."

"”Have big ideas for yourself and for your business and if your ideas do not scare you, then they are not big enough”."

"One thing that disruptors have going for them is that they’re very passionate about the things that they do, and they have the ability to persuade, positively, and convince people around them that they’re making the right decision"

"Anything that comes out of Africa, there will always be a Western equivalent of it for people to understand"

"I believe that following your dreams and hard work are necessary ingredients to a successful career"

"Society and culture play an important part in determining gender roles, and women sometimes find it hard to break free from such norms"

"Motivation alone is not enough. You must remain determined and committed to the pursuit of your goal if you want to truly succeed"

"I have always reckoned that the vision to project Africa in a different, more positive light, needed a big platform and this was what spurred me to start thinking of establishing EbonyLifeTV"

"I knew that we had a responsibility for telling those stories and sharing our stories. With a talk show, I was able to cover a plethora of topics and engage with a variety of stakeholders across the continent"

"Scary thought at the time, but I knew instinctively that I wanted to do more. On reflection now, I understand why some friends and family were worried about my decision. I had a great job, [was] paid well, the sky was the limit and I walked away from it all"

"I believe having the right cast mix, infusing high production value, working with the right teams, marketing, and personally for me, prayer and fasting have all contributed to our success"

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come’, but when that time comes, you must be prepared to bleed sweat, tears and blood to bring your ideas to life"

"I think anyone who isn't investing in Nigeria is missing out. If you look at Nigeria today, literally all of the business class cabins are full of foreigners, because these guys see opportunity."

"Before you know it, we have an army of strong and powerful women that can stand and compete anywhere in the world."

"Information is out there but local communities don’t have access to it, and they will rely on the next alternative."

"Over the years, people have gotten inappropriate medical advice from some practitioners, especially at the local council level and of course the consequence was disastrous to their health."

"I incorporated it in 2016, and it has grown beyond my wildest dreams."

"Government’s focus mainly on research findings from institutes is not encouraging to the young ones who have fresh and modern ideas that can help fast tract socio-economic development."

"Also, available seminars and conferences are expensive and not flexible, so to address this problem, I designed O’track to enable health workers to easily choose courses online."

"They say Fame is nothing but Grace is everything and I pray for grace in everything I do."

"I dedicate this to every mother, may God make you strong enough to survive and enjoy the fruit of your labour."

"Most people who started theartre started it with passion and not money. But the new practitioners are more interested in money. They don’t show passion. What they don’t know is that money comes when the passion is there."

"What I experienced is in this indigenous setting and I cannot abandon all these or throw it away. The fact that you are educated should not mean throwing away your indigenous culture."

"Being a single lady and a mother are two different things. Now I have a family and children looking up to me. There are certain things I could do when I was younger that I cannot do as a mother. When it comes to my job, when I was single I was always on movie sets but as a mother and a wife, I had to balance it; know when to stay at home with my family and when to be at work."

"I love wearing jeans, I feel so comfortable in it but on occasions when I have to go out, I feel comfortable wearing dresses. I also love native. I feel comfortable in all attire but it is easier to just wear my jeans and move on."

"My selling point is my face. I have a round face with dimples, so I consider my face as my selling point."

"I am not bleaching, I have never bleached. There is a way I maintain my skin by toning it."

"I do not want to be a size 12. I think I will be contented with a size 14. I am no longer a skinny girl although as a youth, I was quite skinny. I feel size 12 will be too small for me. I am currently a size 16 but I will be happy if I can reduce it to a size 14."

"Yes, why not? I can do it in reality even if it is not for a movie role. I can do it just to have a different look."

"It looks good on people and I think it is a way they believe they can beautify their body. As for me, I do not really like it, besides there is a part of the Bible that is against it. It is not that I am holy but I just do not like tattoos."

"Sometimes when I go out and I see my mate, some of them have really become big and they do not care about what they wear but my job entails me to always look good; besides I have people who look up to me. People want to see what I am wearing so that they can copy some of my style. My job has really put me on the right path when it comes to fashion."

"I met him on the Island in Lagos, at Ikoyi to be precise. We dated for three years before we agreed to settle down."

"I take two glasses of water and four spoons of pure honey."

"Nothing is more difficult than saying goodbye to a loved one but in everything, I give thanks to God Almighty."

"At that interview, the head of legal (who is English but whose partner is of Asian descent) asked me if I thought my race had been a factor in me not getting interviews with other organisations. That was, honestly, the first time I had even considered race as being something that could inhibit my progress. Thankfully, I was offered a role by her and was able to qualify as a solicitor in-house."

"I have experienced bias and situations where, being a black woman, I was judged more harshly over other colleagues. You are more likely to be noticed and are far more likely to have negative judgements made about you if you are part of an ethnic minority."

"I have experienced both racial and gender-based discrimination in the workplace and was angry about this for many years. Instead of staying angry, I decided to do something about it! My aim is to level the playing field by empowering the next generation (and, indeed, others) to maximize their potential with a view to seeing an end to all forms of discrimination in the work place and in wider society. This challenge is huge but, to me, is worth pursuing and making sacrifices for."

"I was absolutely stunned when I received an official letter from the Cabinet Office informing me of this in early May but have had to keep this news confidential until now."

"Studying law was a real break from what they expected of me. It was a big deal to choose an alternative career to medicine, so I had to make a real go of it."

"When you have more than you need, build a longer table—not a higher fence."

"I decided not to become a doctor – my mum and dad are doctors, my three younger siblings are doctors. I loved the science, but not the blood and pain. It wasn’t going to happen."

"I found it extremely difficult to secure an entry-level position when I finished the QLTT (now QLTS) transfer test and needed to gain experience before qualification. To get my foot in the door, I drew up a list of the top 100 law firms specialising in corporate law and did the same with the top 50 in- house teams. I then proceeded to cold-call the heads of department at all 150 organisations."

"My CV is sometime 2-4 pages long.i would never advise anyone to have a CV run 22-23 pages.certainly,my LinkedIn profile runs to 22-23 pages because I have been very creative."

"My first career was in law, working as a corporate lawyer. I practised law as a corporate solicitor for 12 years. My second career was in healthcare where I worked as a C-suite healthcare executive for 2 global pharmaceutical organisations for almost a decade."

"Alongside this, my consistent goal throughout my career is to promote, encourage and campaign for more equality, diversity and inclusion across the corporate world and society as a whole."

"To this end, I personally lead on, sponsor, champion and support a wide range of initiatives and projects, working with a number of organisations to drive change. I have worked with the Law Society, large corporates, various national and global law firms, Aspiring Solicitors, Speakers4Schools and the UK Government to name a few."

"My focus is on 3 main diversity strands - gender, ethnicity and social background. I am also an LGBTQI and disability ally. I regularly spearhead positive change through various fora and write regularly about diversity and related issues."

"In addition, I provide inspirational talks to thousands of school children and University students annually as well as leadership mentoring & coaching to students and young professionals. A solid, rounded education is of paramount importance and I have twice served as a school governor. I proactively sponsor development opportunities for my mentees whenever I can."

"I am also a regular media contributor, providing commentary on both BBC TV and radio channels."

"I believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to maximise their potential irrespective of background. Sadly, it is often only those on the field who are aware of the uphill struggle that they face. We need to empower others if we find ourselves in a position of privilege, embracing and celebrating our differences to work towards building a better society"

"Juggling all this is not at all easy and I do decline most requests for my assistance due to time constraints."

"Please understand that I must prioritise what I devote my time to. I am extremely mindful of the importance of my own wellbeing and I am careful not to over-commit, often saying 'no' to various opportunities and approaches for assistance as a result."

"It would be impossible for me to do everything and I mean no offence by declining your request."

"I have been honoured to receive several award nominations and other recognitions for my work which is truly humbling. I deeply cherish every single one and I am greatly encouraged and uplifted by them."

"However, I want to be absolutely clear and say that I do this work for a cause and not for applause. Improving diversity and maximising potential is my calling and I would still make sacrifices for this cause even if no recognition was forthcoming. I am visible about what I do not to brag, show off or self-promote but because research has consistently shown that there remains a severe lack of visible, accessible role models in our society, causing fundamental issues for those looking for an example to follow. This is particularly acute within the ethnic minority community."

"I remained an invisible diversity campaigner for several years and shied away from the exposure and vulnerability that comes with raising your head above the parapet. I later realised that my influence and impact would be much enhanced if I was more visible. A friend once told me that "a world of opportunity awaits the visible". Since making the decision to become more visible a few years ago, I have been able to drive more impactful change."

"Staying focused, determined and tenacious, being brave enough to stand out from the crowd and be my own person, constantly learning from my mistakes and getting constructive feedback to help me improve, giving back to others and maintaining my faith have all been key to my success."

"With that in mind, I do hope that you will be inspired and motivated to join me on this exciting journey."

"Definitely! When my son was younger, I learnt to do a lot of things very quickly, especially if he was having a nap. We are a single parent family so I became a lot more efficient in how I spent my time generally. I found this mindset very useful when I returned to work full time after maternity leave. Part of this was learning to prioritise very quickly what was important and what could wait. I became less of a perfectionist after having my son and realised that ‘good enough’ was what was required – perfectionism is totally unattainable."

"Yes. I am less likely to suffer fools and my core values are deeply entrenched. I refused to compromise on my parenting, ultimately leading to me leaving my role as a corporate solicitor in a central London law firm for a similar role with a regional firm. At the same time, I moved out of London to Hertfordshire, creating a much better life balance. I became a lot more decisive (again, because this makes best use of time) and even more driven to deliver and get things done within the time available. Ultimately, having my son improved my leadership style and my overall performance."

"I look at my son and realise that I must have done something right! He is a very mature, 15 year old boy who helps me a lot with chores around the house and is really kind and considerate. He is popular at school with a very loyal and supportive group of friends. We, of course, have silly rows (he is a teenager after all!) but everyone comments on how polite, respectful and articulate he is. He knows right from wrong and has a clear sense of his own identity, always standing up for what he believes in. My diversity campaigning has also clearly rubbed off on him – he is a HeForShe advocate and a strong male gender champion. I am very proud of him."

"I love combining leadership roles with caring for my son when he can benefit from seeing the impact of my leadership."

"It was definitely the first time my son came with me to a speaking engagement at the London office of one of the world’s largest law firms. He was only 9 years old but immediately started ‘working the room’ and networking with others. He spoke to everyone from the receptionist to senior partners of the firm. I have a picture of him sitting on the balcony with the firm’s global chair, having a conversation, a priceless and memorable moment"

"Initially, it was juggling long hours working as a corporate solicitor in central London with being a mum. Eventually I left London for a regional law firm where I could enjoy a much better life balance."

"The responsibility that all parents have to shape a young life is truly admirable."

"I rarely feel guilty these days as my son is older but when he was younger, I did experience a lot of guilt. This is par for the course when you have very young children whilst also holding down a demanding career – you never feel as if you are doing a good job either at home or at work. However, before you know it, your ‘baby’ is a teenager who needs you less and less and you start yearning for the days when he was more dependant on you!"

"To not worry so much about the things I couldn’t control and to focus on changing the things that I could control. This attitude would have saved me many sleepless nights and lots of angst."

"More affordable childcare provision for working parents. The economic benefits of empowering parents to work is huge yet many families find that it is not worth both parents working due to exorbitant childcare costs. This has a direct impact on the pipeline of women in business and is a huge factor in why we have such a small number of senior, female leaders. I would love the opportunity to radically shape and influence government provision and policy on this as a way of both boosting the UK’s economy and empowering parents."

"I do this work for a cause and not for applause. Improving diversity and maximising potential is my calling and I would still make sacrifices for this cause even if no recognition was forthcoming"

"There remains a severe lack of visible, accessible role models in our society"

"I’m in the mood to give out gifts……what would you guys like? It’s summer and people are smiling."

"From your time in the Ministry as Commissioner for Women Affairs, you have clearly demonstrated a passion for women and girls in Lagos State."

"This is a Nigerian-based women’s clothing label that incorporates vibrant, colourful and urban designs on high quality fabrics to create unique apparel. This ready to wear brand targets women between ages 20 to 40."

"I said yes. Why does he have to do it today of all days. Love you always. This butterfly has been captured."

"Being single is a blessing. I feel ready to serve my King daily. Can’t wait. Be still in your singleness.You cannot become who God wants you to be without disruption."

"Being single is the time you use in getting yourself ready to serve your household. Do not take it for granted ladies."

"Someone will try to destroy you. You will be controversial while walking with God. He is teaching you the importance of vision. Teaching you to build that proverbs 31 woman."

"“We continue to innovate and improve our review process with tighter measures that would help to minimize future occurrence of negative incidents. We also need our users to help us kick out bad players and ask them to report any dubious activity or user on the site for immediate action.”"

"“One key difference between a boss and a leader is that of hierarchy. You can have a leader among peers and a boss as someone who is at the top. The way I prefer to manage is very much more flat structure with almost hierarchy. I sit with the team. This place we are is for conference meeting. Here, we relate as peers, no idea is a bad idea.”"

"“I believe women are the strongest sex.”"

"“Women should know that they are more powerful than they think. Even though it is difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance, it is possible and women need to find a conducive work environment that effectively supports them.”"

"“Our decision to come to Nigeria was informed by the fact that Nigeria is a market that you can’t ignore and we think the potential to truly give Nigerian buyers and sellers’ value is tremendous. We believe very strongly in the value that we provide in connecting buyers and sellers and in promoting trade that is one of the reasons we are here.”"

"Trust and safety is our number one priority and frankly if we didn’t build that, we wouldn’t be where we are now in 12 months. For us to have successfully done business during this period, we must have built trust and confidence in our platform."

"“We are determined to put a smile on people’s faces, especially the less fortunate in our society, which is why we opted to paint Modupe Cole who empower kids with disabilities with the skills to earn a living in the society.”"

"“We are deeply touched by the recognition from OLX of the work the men do on the road as we know it’s not easy for them despite the weather condition.”"

"“I don’t think we have taken over from the men, simply trying to make our mark, make sure we are heard, but we are very far from taking over. We are just more empowered, there is a lot more room to grow,”"

"It’s just enjoying what you do, a lot of people keep doing things with the wrong motivation, so, if you are staying in a job simply for the money, simply for the brand, because you want to work for so, and so, simply for whatever reason, but you’re not enjoying that activity and the impact it has on you, mentally, physically, physiologically, spiritually is negative, that’s not right. Make sure that whatever activity you indulge in or spend your time on, make sure you enjoy it and that you still add value."

"“There are definitely unique challenges faced by female entrepreneurs. We are often underestimated by our male counterparts, but more concerning is that we also underestimate ourselves. There are still stereotypes around what we can and cannot achieve and well as what types of roles we should be performing. However, I think there’s a significant opportunity for us to convert this misperception into strength; by over-delivering when others expect less from us and by leveraging our collective strength in any environment we find ourselves to shine and achieve stellar results.”"

"“Be deliberate about the people you surround yourself with. Create a strong team at work; at home; have dependable support structures whether at church or any other religious body you affiliate with and finally, never neglect your social support i.e. friends that can provide positive encouragement and frank, fair feedback.”"

"Just be known for your work, be known for excellence. Be known as someone that works hard."

"Until we start to tell our stories, who we are to celebrate us, it will not happen especially when our stories are mainly of failures. I want to be more involved in education and health which have scary indicators."

"I loved my job and what I was doing but I felt it was time for a change to try something different and grow because at the end of the day, no matter how old one gets, you want to grow and keep challenging yourself."

"I want to implore those with disabilities to embrace their situation and believe in themselves that there is no stopping them, if they don’t hinder themselves with negative attitudes and self-pity."

"We want laws that can back us in our society and also help our children."

"We have the right to employment, health and education and we can do excellently well if we are supported, encouraged and equipped."

"We are first and foremost women before our various challenges. We are not our challenges, every woman has her own challenges some are physical while others are hidden, they are challenges all the same."

"It is time we begin to think of strategies to ensure women inclusion in all levels of governance."

"My life may look rosy on social media but I am really not living the life of freedom. I have a calendar that I am obligated to follow accordingly and this has really deprived me of the freedom to live life the way I want"

"When she told me that, I had told myself that I had to make it, whatever it took to be somebody. I had to make her proud somehow for what she did for me."

"If you have a mother and also have sisters, and you slut-shame hardworking women, shame on you. And if you are a woman and partake in such stupidity, I don’t have words for you. You all should know better."

"I don’t have #COVID and COVID is not a death sentence like y’all are making it look"

"A whole 365 days have passed and it still feels so surreal. On this day, we changed the narrative. I was crowned the winner of BBN Pepper Dem, and also the first female winner the show was to have. We told the female child “dare to win”? We created history and became a force? We changed the game and leveled the playing field."

"when a man is useless in every aspect of life, drop him like used sanitary pad that you’ll never use again."

"Would-be women entrepreneurs should never conform to gender stereotypes. They should get rid of any self limiting beliefs they hold and do what they are passionate about."

"Don't do something just because other people are doing it and making money from it - do it because you are passionate about it and are good at it."

"Before starting in business, you have to research and plan - remember, not all great ideas make good businesses."

"Some of the youth claimed that they are not using the internet whereas they are using it and unaware of how they can make a huge income from its use."

"Instead of wasting money on social media, why can’t we turn it to productive use by advertising what we do;.."

"Technology is being used to solve many problems now; ICT can be used for what we call e-Commerce. We can now trade without going out of our homes. All transactions are now done on internet."

"when a software is developed, the bits of code that make it up do not know whether it is a male that wrote them or a female. They perform based on how well they are written, regardless of the gender of the developer."

"Before giving up their day’s job, I’ll ask would-be entrepreneurs to plan very well, research and understand their market. They need to have enough start-up capital, learn about financial management and marketing. For existing entrepreneurs, I’d say, do not give up on the dream."

"I wish I had known that running a business is a lot more than having the technical ability to do a job."

"If you consistently do the minimum expected of you then do not be surprised when your life becomes minimum."

"As a technology entrepreneur, I believe technology provides a solution to every business, social challenge or need."

"I decided to start up a truly indigenous software company to show that local people can be good software developers, and also to showcase and promote locally developed applications."

"Anybody can do whatever they set their minds to do."

"My mission is to use technology as a tool to help people and businesses get from where they are now to where they want to be."

"A lot has changed about me in terms of my way of reasoning and communication skill. Anybody who knows when I started will wonder whether this is the same Mary he or she used to know. The industry has helped in grooming me to become what I am today."

"Everybody is saying that I have an innocent look. Do I really have an innocent look? I guess this is my person and nothing more. For me, to be a good actress I need to be original."

"Everybody’s heart has been broken once in a lifetime. I can’t really pick on anything that really broke my heart. But in as much as I have this innocent outlook, I am a very strong woman. Things don’t get at me the way people may think of me."

"So for me, I want people to come out and see this movie because it lends a voice to the physically challenged."

"“We can’t survive with money made from acting alone … I try to do other things aside acting … The money in the movie ‘thing’ is really not enough for us. I do buying and selling. When I travel, I come back with a whole lot of stuffs to sell and all that""

"At a point, sex became a condition for getting movie roles so I just took a walk … But the passion was so strong … I took time to look for professionals; people who would be interested in my talent and not taking me to bed.”"

"“I may not be a pastor but I am going to be a prophetess. I know that in the end, I am going to do the work of God. I would be a prophetess. Already I dream and it comes to pass...”"

"“I don’t see anyone as a threat in the industry because everybody has his own life to live and things to do for him/herself. Everybody has his style. So, nobody is a threat to me.”"

"“I try to do other things aside acting, … The money in the movie 'thing' is really not enough for us. I do buying and selling. When I travel, I come back with a whole lot of stuffs to sell …”"

"“I’ll always prefer a loving romantic man over one with so much money to throw around but lacks respect for his partner. Because in life, what matters most is having a peace of mind … It’s not all about money or his pockets, she noted.”"

"I was very excited when I got the script of ‘Sandcastle’ from Sylvia because Nollywood producers like to stereotype people a lot. This movie will give people a chance to see the other side of me. I’m versatile but I have been stereotyped.”"

"Gone are the days where girls are relegated to doing domestic chores, leaving boys to go to school and have a career."

"It is best at this age for parents, guardians and teachers to give the girls the opportunity to be the best, have confidence in themselves and basically dream as widely as they can."

"Revalidating the role of women in technology is not meant to compete with the men, it shouldn’t be like that because we all have our area of strengths and perspective. We are bringing different levels of exposure to the team or workplace."

"There is a greater awareness of the issue of, the gender gap in technology."

"Over the years, we have been able to create awareness about the gender gap."

"We need more women in the space because they bring their unique perspective to development, technology and policy."

"It also encourages women who are in technology all ready to step out."

"We encourage the women we find to give talks to the girls so that there is visibility."

"It also encourages the girls to rise to the top to see these women as options."

"I see a bright future. Traditionally, we have had few women in this space. Globally in terms of people studying STEM subjects across the world, 35 per cent are women. In Nigeria, the figures are just about less than that. In terms of Women studying technology and engineering in Nigerian universities, you have about 25 per cent according to the figures from JAMB."

"It is one thing to get girls to study these subjects, it is another thing to transit to the career and stay in the career. A lot of research shows that within the first ten years shows that women who are working in tech tend to drop out. So, the workplace must be also friendly to women. Things are changing but change also takes time."

"If success means living with joy, contentment, and doing great things with my talent, then failure is the opposite of success. It means not living with joy, contentment, or using my skills and gifts. Failure would also mean not pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and not daring to try new things and ideas."

"It is important to grow people. To realise that people are individuals with their dreams."

"CNBC All Africa Businesswoman of the Year (2012)"

"Africa's Most Powerful Women In Technology (2013)"

"There is so much opportunity, there is so much need here that we need to transform our society, when you look around us. No one is going to do it for us and we also have to get our government on board with us to meet the aspirations of Nigerians because that’s what democracy is all about."

"“I came back from the US and the Internet had been exploding over there, but in Nigeria there was no Internet and no infrastructure. So we decided to put the pieces together and make this happen."Funke speaking on her vision to bridge the Digital divide in west africa"

"“If we’re going to transform our society, our society needs to be developed. It’s a youth population, it’s education, access to information, it’s the ability to innovate. It’s giving young people access that is going to bring about the full benefits of this.”Speaking on her vision and the importance of internet connectivity for the African youths"

"Every entrepreneur has to raise capital. If your business is going to grow, you have to raise capital. You have to be smart about raising capital, you have to be determined about raising capital."

"For anything you are trying to do, there are a thousand other people trying to do the same thing. Even if it costs a billion dollars."

"So if you are growing a business you have to be very deliberate and you have to do your homework on who exactly has the capacity to buy, how much money do you need, where should you prioritise your efforts."

"...Now, of course, there are opportunities here, because we haven’t fully developed our society, that are not available elsewhere as well. So, it’s a risk-reward type of situation."

"While the developed world was fully connected, here in Nigeria the average young person didn’t know what the internet was."

"We can’t leave an entire generation of young people without proper access to the internet."

"“It’s not really that you are innovating new technologies, but you’re innovating processes. You’re innovating deployment methodologies. You’re being very resourceful in terms of how you get things done to deploy what is already known and established practice in other markets.”Funke speaking in an interview with Harvard business school"

"A connected Nigeria is a more economically prosperous Nigeria."

"When you look at the original vision and the potential and where we are, you will know that there is so much to do. If I get complacent I may have to step aside so that the vision can move forward.Funke speaking on the need to stay motivated"

"“I don’t know that I am unique in that regard. It is all the things we learn: hard work, integrity and focus, but it is really about value creation. Each individual has to think about how they can utilize the opportunity and the assets they have to generate value and if you create value, you will be successful in business. That is what I strongly believe.Funke on the secret of her success"

"Through MainOne, my goals and ambitions have become more focused on improving Internet access for the citizens of West Africa in order to drive economic growth and human development.Funke speaking on her aspirations for starting MainOne"

"I believe mentorship programs for girls will provide the exposure, encouragement to acquire the foundational skills, and networks required for higher education and future career opportunities in technology.Funke on encouraging young Africans girls to pursue careers in tech"

"The major challenges holding women back from success in this region are the lack of access to educational and professional opportunities and an inadequate number of female role models in the tech industry. However, African women are maximizing the opportunities that improved access to education and technology careers offer. Our representation in the industry is not far behind what you find in more advanced economies.Funke discussing the challenges facing African women in TECH"

"We can promote more female empowerment in startups by creating a larger pool of women in tech, giving women in tech more visibility, and addressing challenges around gender bias with regards to funding.Funke speaking on the increased participation of women in the TECH space in Africa"

"Do not be afraid to take bold steps and ask for help. The most successful people did not make it on their own. You need to find mentors and advisors along the way: experienced, wiser people who know a lot and can help you fulfill your aspirations.Funke's leadership advice to African women and girls in TECH"

"Raising money is the most difficult thing I ever did as an entrepreneur"

"“A woman who does not mentor another young woman or does not hold the hand of another woman up is working to diminish her own continued relevance within the public space.”"

"“Everywhere one turns, the Older Men have a retinue of younger Men in their kitty to whom they owe their continued relevance. They mentor, support, teach and create opportunities for the next generation of Men and thereby lives their dreams in these young Men.”"

"“There are so many God Fathers in Nigeria, where are the God Mothers? The Men are making the Boys, Dear Nigerian Women, where are your Girls?”"

"“You are in your 40s or 50s today, Minister for ABC or D, MD of that Company or the other, Wife of the Governor of State A, General Manager or HOD of Department Q, one day, you’ll be just a memory for some people so please do your best to be a good one because there is a place called TOMORROW when the younger woman you despised few years ago will now be the one occupying the position you currently have.”"

"“You can build a Legacy. An Army, a circle of young, strong women into whom you pour yourself often, to whom you make yourself accessible; sometimes it’s not your money we want, a simple line of encouragement or guide on ways to run a business or advice on how to deal with sexual harassment at work or a word of prayer can change the world. You may give a book sometimes. You can also give money to those who need it if you have some extra cash.”"

"“Not all the young woman are ready to learn and give honour and I believe in service and respecting my elders. Please don’t give up on them and don’t use them as a yardstick to judge all of us.”"

"“Everything will come. Nigeria has the promise of a bright future.”"

"“I just want a Nation that works. I've run out of fancy speeches and motivational quotes about Nigeria.”"

"“I don’t like to be given any special treatment because I’m a woman; don’t put me in a box and stereotype me. I am a complete human and a legitimate member of society before being a woman.”"

"“In my marriage, there’s no lopsided leadership; it’s not a master-servant leadership.”"

"“Those are men with low self-esteem.”"

"“Boys are not special and girls are not special. All children are legitimate members of society; treat them as such. Give them equal opportunity and support. That way, we will raise perfectly-balanced human beings and build a perfectly-balanced society.”"

"“Humility is one of the greatest things that I’ve learned about leadership. The second is inclusivity; don’t discriminate against anybody. The third is equity; what you cannot take, don’t do to people.”"

"“We cannot face today’s challenge with yesterday’s knowledge.”"

"“It is important that young people are prepared for the future of work in this 4th Industrial Revolution that is upon us. If we don’t fix our education, what we’re going to have is a generation of university graduates who will not be able to compete with High School students in other countries.”"

"“One of the greatest challenges of Nigeria in this 4th Industrial Revolution is that we don’t have a central data mining system that provides information that guides policy-making on the side of government and guides decision-making for the private sector. If you don’t have data, how can you do national planning? We are not a data-driven country, so, it’s difficult. All of the data that Nigeria is using to innovate are foreign data.”"

"“With technology, there will be a few job losses; but I always say that it is the lazy people that will lose their jobs. If you grow with the trend as the trend evolves, you will be constantly relevant.”"

"“If you can read, unlearn and relearn, you will always be relevant.”"

"“I strongly believe that in my lifetime, I will see Nigeria become the country of our dreams. I will see a prosperous Nigeria that works for everyone irrespective of who you are or where you come from.”"

"We need good governance that puts women at the centre of its policies, and is seen to defend and enforce these policies. We need an enabling environment that supports women at home, in the workplace and in public spheres."

"Many times, people will tell you it is impossible, it can’t be done, you are too small or too inconsequential to make change happen. Look them in the face and show them just how to do it."

"No one said it’s going to be easy, the only assurance is that the difficult times won’t last forever. Never give up on your passion, follow your dreams, keep lighting up the world."

"....when you are dedicated and passionate, even when you think no one is watching, today will be the tomorrow you always dreamt of."

"There are no two ways about it, women must continue to advance. After all, we make up more than half of the world’s population."

"My charge to women is to keep climbing the career ladder. Climb it anxious. Climb it confidently. But just keep climbing. And when you get to the top, because you will – give a helping hand to the women coming behind you – this is how we grow!"

"The government can do a lot more to ensure that there is a sustainable environment for the private sector to flourish."

"I am a firm believer that the world is experiencing rapidly total transformation and if you don’t adapt and move with it, you will get left behind."

"The path to true happiness is following one’s dreams and living out your “Ikigai”. Ikigai is a Japanese term that advocates doing something you love, that has an impact on the world and also serves a bigger purpose."

"Knowledge is power, as is experience."

"I strongly believe that unity is the way forward and is required for the world to be a better place."

"What I have learned from this is addressing problems and challenges with your innate nature and authenticity is in fact as effective if not more."

"A smile, a gentle demeanour and a kind word coupled with confidence, and persistence can take you as far as you need to go. A leader can take many forms, aggression is not always the answer."

"Work hard, stay positive, do some good, walk your own path and keep persisting. You will definitely see the fruits of your labour."

"Give Gratitude. Start a gratitude journal. Write ten things you are grateful for everyday. Don’t stop. Even when things get better, which they most certainly will, keep the gratitude going. What you appreciate appreciates."

"There is so much potential for culture to be used as a vehicle to influence people’s perceptions of a country, a destination, a civilisation."

"Soft power is not just a squishy concept. It is used very deliberately by European and now Asian powers."

"The thing about the creative sector is the potential that it has in Nigeria’s economy going into the future."

"What is important in a relationship is love and understanding. Are you guys good with each other? Do you bring yourself peace? If all these are positive, then age is just a number."

"Whether there is love in Nollywood or not is a function of the experiences one has had."

"Money is not everything but being comfortable makes a relationship richer and enjoyable."

"We have identified challenges in the industry which include the gap between theory and practice and the urgent need to provide professionals with the right training, equipping them for every-day work."

"We want the academy to represent a holistic approach to Sales & Marketing training and development."

"We will address these challenges by providing world-class practice-focused sales and marketing programs with experienced business experts, trainers, and innovators through teaching, mentoring and experiential learning."

"Organisational creativity dimensions that drive market performance are more complex than previously thought."

"Segmentation involves categorizing markets along homogenous or related lines, using some similarity criteria to divide the market into groups."

"Continue to put in your best effort in everything you do, all the time. Please don’t let the present situation in the world distract you and make you lose interest in the work you are doing. The Igbos say that “if the chicken stops pecking, what would she use to feed her children."

"Everybody’s destiny is different; everyone should determine what to do in order to make progress. It is not everything you can do. All things are not expedient; please find where your strength lies."

"We women must join hands to help one another, so we can all move forward because Igbos say there is strength in number."

"We need to be prayerful, praying to God to bless our homes and businesses. It is good to understand that the future is bigger and brighter. Everything would be ok. Because of this, please be diligent in your work and let honesty be your guide."

"The system has three major types namely, Igba-boi also known as Igba Odibo (become an apprentice); Imu Oru also known as Imu Oruaka (learn a craft) and Imu Ahia (learn a trade). All types are geared towards the transfer of knowledge or entrepreneurial skills but they differ in approach. Unlike the Igba-boi/Igba Odibo where a mentee will be tutored for free for a period of pre-agreed years, in the Imu Oru/Imu Oruaka and Imu Ahia types, tutorship is paid for by the mentee or mentee’s parents/sponsors."

"I enjoyed the programme and had some wonderful facilitators that made me realize there can be possibilities in the midst of impossibilities. Ogechi Adeola is wonderful, very helpful and knowledgeable."

"My country is a country where the entrepreneurial spirit is just outstanding. You’ve got really hard-working people who are keen to make a difference in many ways, and the capital markets provide the opportunity for people to raise capital and for people to also invest in the market."

"For any country I do feel strongly that capital markets are extremely important, but more so for Nigeria than any other, because it’s almost been 50 years since independence."

"Capacity is an understanding of the risks of investing in the market, an understanding of the products available in the market, an understanding of the role of different players."

"Evidently, a world-class capital market is absolutely essential to Nigeria’s economy."

"Academic economics is the lab, or economics in the lab, while policymaking is economics in real life."

"I believe that no one benefits when anyone is in distress. So if we don’t have capitalism that works for all and addresses all the various forms of inequalities, we will neither have prosperous citizens nor have a safe and peaceful planet."

"Economics indeed matters because it enables us to measure all aspects of the well-being of society using what I consider a common standard, especially because I do believe - like it’s often said - that it is difficult to manage what you can’t measure."

"The role of Treasurer, World Bank, is one of the most prestigious finance roles globally, not only because of the volume and level of sophistication of transactions, but also because of the laudable mission of the World Bank, and the fact that it is owned by most countries of the world and operates everywhere."

"I believe that mentorship is a way to give back and contribute to preparing future generation of leaders."

"Every single day presents a different and more difficult challenge which you must rise above."

"Things are going to happen that you least expect, but you are going to be fine, either way."

"Not everybody will handle or treat people or situations like you would, because people are raised differently and have different exposures. They have different family values and backgrounds."

"Women have it a lot harder when it comes to raising capital due to the usual stereotypes and expectations of women."

"I would just ask them to go for it. It’s your space and your industry too, and we’re privileged and honoured to be paving the way for you, so do it. For so long, women have deferred to societal norms and practices that dictate that technology is for men. It’s not. Women are doing amazing in tech, maybe even better than men. So, please come on board, follow your dreams"

"When I started, I thought it was impossible, probably because there were not enough women just breaking down the barriers.I consider it an honour to be here, in tech, doing what I’m doing today; and I desperately want to see more women and girls just come into their own."

"Embrace failure and be ready for it: it will happen at some point, so it just depends on what you do with it."

"Why not empower people that make up half of the world’s population? They are human beings. But if we did need a reason, it would be that there are statistics that show that the empowerment of girls and women is always to the betterment of any economy. And there are social reasons. You empower a girl, she pays it forward, you empower anyone, they pay it forward. So why not?"

"I thought that it was interesting how young people were going to be able to contribute to the future of Nigeria… I can only say that I was taking a chance on being a viable part."

"It's a lot of work to start and grow a business in this climate. Some of the challenges include the regulations and a lack of adequate infrastructure, We know for sure that there is talent in Nigeria."

"move out of the way so we can work. I like rules and when they are clear, you know what is right and what is wrong. The problem we have is that a lot of the rules are grey, and innovation moves faster than regulations."

"I just feel a sense of duty in that I am one woman who’s had it relatively easy. I have a strong support system and I think that there's been a healthy amount of luck involved in where I am today. Where we started from, where the journey has gone—right place, right time, and all that."

"My co-founders are probably the best I could have met because they don't hold me back. They allow me to be the full expression of who I am and so did my parents, so did my siblings. So, I have gone through life surrounded by people who allowed me to be who I am. It doesn't seem like that for all women, but it should."

"For me, the mission is that all women should be included, and I feel I have a responsibility to bring more women in."

"Women need to stay steady, know who they are and where they are going."

"A feminist leader will recognize that all women and all men deserve equal opportunities to pursue fulfilling careers and lives, and put structures in place to help others live up to their potential and drive meaningful change."

"We put everything we had learned into starting up new projects like PiggyVest. So when you fail, don’t let it disturb you, instead you take all that knowledge into the next and the next, till you strike gold. I don’t want the narrative to be skewed to the positive because it is about learning from these failures, and not just assuming you can’t fail cause you probably can and you will, so don’t stop. I will fail, stumble but I will get up to find solutions. Keep moving forward because the successful ones are built on the ashes of those failed ones."

"“Aim very high. Work very hard. Care very deeply.**"

"Set ambitious goals, dedicate yourself to relentless effort and show genuine care in your endeavours. This combination of aspiration, hard work and heartfelt commitment is a recipe for meaningful achievement."

"Keep working hard, keep building. Eventually, the world will recognise your worth."

"Aim very high. Work very hard. Care very deeply.” This principle, inspired by her father, underscores her approach to entrepreneurship—setting bold goals, dedicating effort, and maintaining empathy and integrity"

"When you have a problem, the problem is there, and it’s not going to go away. You can cry, you can be sad, but the problem will still be there.”"

"We’re not just building tech. We’re building systems that allow people to dream again—women, young people, the underserved.”"

"You were born a woman, you don’t have any control over that so you have to make the best of it.”"

"I think that women hear a lot of ‘Don't quit’ or ‘Speak up’. Women have been working and pushing, so perhaps, it's time to speak to the other part of the table: Give Women Capital."

"“The biggest resource for you outside of school is Google.”"

"I invest in capital markets because I learnt it from Google, I invest financially because I learnt it from edX, open source technology and you being able to pick up digital skills are going to be key.”"

"I think it’s easier than most people think to get women talking about and interested in those kinds of topics. You just have to meet them at the point of their needs, figure out what they’d be interested in, and consider what angle we should approach this from. When I was studying, we had women who were willingly studying engineering, and at every stage in my life, I have been able to point to women in the sciences. So while there are cultural and societal pressures not to go into fields perceived to be dominated by men, I think that there are women who are there and are making great names for themselves—across banking, fintech, and many other fields. That’s the kind of representation we need."

"“Solve the problems you see around you.”"

"Acting was something my parents knew I had a talent for, so they encouraged me throughout my schooling. When I got to the crossroads, that was my A levels year, I asked the Lord where he wanted me to be and when he gave the answer, it was entertainment.' '"

"' ' I discovered that I still felt as though I was lacking something so I went back to train. For my parents, they wanted me to be sure of what I wanted to do. I had such a wonderful time, I was earning good money so it was a case of ‘well, this is what you are cut out to do’, so it might be a good idea to do and train properly for it.' '"

"Every cake is unique; whether it is simple or complex."

"Make it simple but significant and if it has to be complex, never leave out the important details."

"Cakes are a very significant part of celebrations."

"We were each born for some higher purpose and it is now our cosmic mission to find it."

"Baking is pure chemistry."

"We live in a competitive world and there is no business where one would not have a competitor who offers similar products"

"if I saw challenges in the past, it has changed and I can tell my own stories my own way and produce my own works."

"I do not see any challenges in being a plus-size."

"Motherhood is the best thing that can happen to any woman."

"" It’s not that the roles come in every time, but once I grab that role, I deliver""

"" I think passion makes you want to have only the best.""

"Co-working spaces are important for the development of the young tech ecosystem in Nigeria."

"A Co-working space operator cannot be a Real Estate manager; co-working spaces need to be managed by people interested in collaboration with, and growth of, the tech ecosystem."

"IF WE DON'T TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF GENDER INEQUALITY, NOBODY IS GOING TO SOLVE IT FOR US."

"The digital transformation of Africa is no longer a luxury or a nice-to-have. It has become a necessity; a necessity spawned in fact by Africa’s developmental agenda setters. This is because none of our documented aspirations - the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Agenda 2063 – the Africa we want, Africa Continental Free Trade Area, Boosting Intra Africa trade, the Single African Air Transport Market can be achieved without significant advancements in information and communication technology."

"The narrative and hype that we hear about digital transformation is again being largely fueled by what people see. And what do they see – they see the tremendous opportunity and potential that is before us to truly transform this continent through digital technology."

"About 50% of Africans own a mobile phone; another 15- 20% who do not own a mobile phone have access to one, making the mobile phone access rate about 65-70%. Arising from this is a paradox: more Africans have access to mobile phones than to pretty much anything else that they really need – only 28% of Africans have access to financial services, only 33% have access to power through their home country’s national grid and only 31% have access to decent sanitation."

"Africa doesn’t have enough software developers, network and communication engineers, data analysts, data scientists and even the few that we have are looking for the next opportunity to board a plane to Canada, Germany or whichever country is the highest bidder for the world class skills that they possess."

"It is not enough to say that women are less likely to own a phone or be connected to the internet than men, which is by itself a serious problem of gender inclusion that needs addressing."

"The goal of universal access requires several billions of dollars to be invested in the expansion and improvement of digital infrastructure across Africa. African governments need to make it easier for both private and public capital to be deployed to finance the expansion of internet/digital infrastructure. All African countries must have a coherent, well-articulated and documented broadband plan that provides the public and private sector with clear guidelines and a roadmap to sector development and gives mobile network operators and other infrastructure providers the legal and regulatory certainty that promotes investments."

"Africa needs to prioritize the funding of institutes of middle and higher learning that focus on the development of STEM skills and ensure that the curriculum for these courses are aligned with the needs of companies in the market."

"There are 1 billion Africans and the continent’s median age is 19.4 years, both of which suggest there is a larger demographic pool of potential STEM students and eventually, professionals, in Africa than in most other continents."

"Technology is a very important part of innovation as it brings new ways of doing old things and new ways of doing new things."

"“Building a greater nation requires all hands to be on deck. Women want to be partners and collaborators on this journey and we cannot behave if we are excluded by law, cultural practices and norms.”"

"“I don’t have pressure of any kind, I do my work the way I should”."

"I’ve lived a life that’s full I’ve traveled each and every highway. But more, much more than this I did it my way”"

"All your hard work will never be in vain, especially if your work is clean."

"Once you set up a company, whether you are a woman or a man, and you have to pay salaries, it does not matter who is involved. When you are in a battlefield or in a competitive field, you forget whether you are a woman or a man."

"If I had my choice, I won’t borrow from Nigerian banks because on three occasions, they threatened us over a loan."

"Whatever idea or concept one has can easily be destroyed by the banks. There has to be some kind of reforms in the banking system for things to thrive."

"Nothing good comes easy. To build a successful business, it takes a lot of patience and dedication."

"I realized many companies did not have enough computers. I saw an opportunity, so I started initially by buying foreign brands and selling to my customers."

"And now, the end is near"

"Whatever you do, do well. You never know who is watching."

"Once you have a good plan and a good concept and you work through it, the funds will always come."

"We need to create an environment that would drive creativity."

"Start with end in mind and work towards it."

"A society lady and Iyalode of Gbagura in Ogun State, Chief Mrs. Adunni Bankole, has passed on."

"The ex-wife of Chief Alani Bankole died today, Saturday, January 3, 2015 during her daughter’s wedding, an event she was eagerly looking forward to and had even planned elaborately for."

"In life, the late Chief Adunni Bankole was always in the news for the good reason. The renowned Lagos socialite and Iyalode of Gbagura land in Abeokuta, Ogun State, lived a fulfilled life, even to the envy of some. But her death on January 3, 2015 was not only shocking but also dramatic-she died few hours before her daughter, Mopelola's wedding on that red-letter day."

"Surprisingly, while the burial arrangements were being planned, little did the world know that there was a smouldering 'war' between her children and their father, Chief Alani Bankole, over the choice of the burial site."

"Lagos society woman, Iyalode Adunni Bankole is one person who is always in the news. Remember that she is a trained journalist and this possibly explains why she is close to the media and why she is the darling of the media any day. She was in the news a few months back when she clocked 53 and shortly after that, she graduated from a Bible School where she bagged a degree in Theology. Many were surprised because she holds several Chieftaincy titles from Abeokuta, the capital of her home state, Ogun State, among which is the Iyalode of Gbagura, Owu, a title which has become synonymous with her name over the years."

"You can only be yourself,dont try to be any other person."

"More than ever before, we have to realise that it is important to come together as a community."

"There are so many opportunities available right now for African designers to access funds. But the no one is taking advantage of these opportunities."

"Life is a journey. Once you understand that some of the most important things are purpose and passion driven, combined with a deeper need to make a difference beyond self as well as contribute in some way to what is happening around you, it certainly makes waking up daily an easier task for me. When you earn a living this way, it is certainly more fulfilling."

"You never know who you are going to meet, what doors could be opened, or what opportunity awaits you."

"Understanding that some of the most important things in life are purpose and passion driven, combined with a deeper need to make a difference beyond myself and make an impact."

"For us as a company, it’s always been beyond Lagos fashion week. I’m more inspired by the work that we do that people don’t see and they don’t even know about."

"To see where we’ve been and coming back to Earth, it’s almost impossible to deny that there is the existence of a higher being, it surely can’t just be science."

"Only the dead have seen the end of the world."

"Through all these years...all I can say is this marriage thing is 95% faith in God and 5% works."

"Failure Shouldn’t Mar You, It Should Make You”"

"if they apply themselves to what they want to do they will succeed."

"Failure comes with a lesson for the individual"

"Be bold, be confident, be fearless, you’re beautiful, the world is yours go ahead and take it."

"Don’t Ever Look Down On Anyone"

"Don’t imagine that just because you hear fantastic stories about people who drop out of school and make a fortune, and do things the easy way, that this is typical. It is far from typical. If you work hard, even if you don’t get what you are aiming for, you will get something."

"The process you’re educating yourself, you are learning about yourself, you are learning about other people, you are meeting people, and people can see your work and your passion – and it will lead to something."

"We're about sustainability because it is the smartest, most effective, most profitable business strategy."

"“My [paternal] grandfather was a bishop in the Anglican Church, while my [maternal] grandfather was Nigeria’s first Finance Minister, Festus Samuel Okotie Eboh,”"

"“I grew up with a very strong sense of pride in what it means to be Nigerian and what we can achieve as a people, which strongly contradicted the feedback I got from the world. For me, it is very important as Nigerians that we take time out to look for our personal heroes and learn about our heritage, who we actually are and what we have achieved as a people, instead of listening to the negative narrative the world gives us.”"

"“I think people more easily dismiss a woman in the workplace or try to put women down,”"

"“I have found that you have to set your mind to be 100-percent professional at all times. You must know what you are talking about before you open your mouth and do your work in such a way that you leave no excuse or doubt for people to derogate you or your work because you are a woman… I think you also have to be smart about how you come across to people as a woman.”"

"“We need a continental-focused solution that is developed by the [African Union], and targets making the trade agreement a mechanism for local industrialisation,”"

"Our world is changing, necessitating a greater need for diverse and inclusive leadership."

"We are there not because we are women. We are there because of our competence as managers."

"I was surprised at how low the percentage of female directors was [in oil and gas firms around the globe] - 11%, most of them are in non-executive positions, 1% of executive board seats are held by women."

"Watever u sow u shall reap. Do unto others what you wish them to do unto You.'"

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams , living the life you have imagined, What is worth doing is worth doing well."

"Little is essentially a pocket money card. It comes with a personalised debit card with a security pin, for children aged nine and above to use and a mobile app for the parents to send money, monitor and set boundaries."

"Parents with children can deposit money into this wallet and their kids have access to it for needs within and/or outside school premises."

"I believe the magnificence of creation is enough inspiration for faith."

"Self-evaluation is key on an ongoing basis to ensure that you are making intended progress."

"All around us, there are opportunities to create moonshots. What is the purpose of education if not to help you 10X the quality of your life with the opportunities available to you, helping you go beyond limits?"

"In 2018, Ogundeyi was appointed to Facebook SME Council for Nigeria. In 2016 She was listed by the World Economic Forum as one of the top 10 innovators in Africa as well 10 most influential young Nigerians under 40 in Technology. In 2014 She has was listed by Forbes as one of the Top 10 women emerging entrepreneurs to watch in Africa. She has also been recognised as a One Young World Ambassador, a Junior Achievement Nigeria Ambassador and mentors and leads various women in tech initiatives."

"" I am going to revolutionise fashion commerce in Nigeria and Africa using the internet." Honey speaking on her big dream to bridge the fashion gap in Africa by leveraging on technology"

"I am driven by the desire to leave an impact to contribute to growth and development of the fash-tech industry in Africa."

"To change the way African’s shop for fashion is my mission, my passion and life’s work."

"" There are also no incentives to encourage more investment in technology. So whilst there is a growing interest in Nigeria’s technology scene, it remains very difficult to access funding for technology startups especially for companies like Fashpa, who need growth funds to scale." Honey on the challenges in the African TECH industry"

"“We are building the largest learning platform in Africa. We are solving a real problem of lack of access to quality education in Africa.” Honey on the mission behind Edukoya."

"Once you change your mind set about something, for example, about your ability to take on a new challenge or move to another country, it changes the way you look at it"

"What might have seemed difficult to do, becomes quite simple."

"Changing your perspective on things is very important."

"The important thing is not allowing those challenges to distract you."

"Whether it’s your gender, your race or your religion, you must remain focused on how you can improve your skills and your knowledge base, remain professional no matter what circumstances you see, and conduct yourself with integrity. Invariably the promotions will come."

"staying current and ahead of the curve is the route to success."

"Africa grows despite all the challenges we see."

"You’ve got to conduct yourself in a way that is above board, even if this is to your own cost."

"you can't belong to a club you don’t want to join."

"From a very early age, I was made to believe that I can."

"My spoon was so silver it was nearly platinum"

"It is an honour to be part of something so great. Everyone did everything in togetherness and that made us all multitalented."

"Difficult to say, but do it I must because someone else might just be going through this"

"Tears don’t solve the problem, it only relieves the tension you are feeling"

"“We see media not just as a platform, but a catalyst for social impact. We’re shifting mindsets, elevating community solutions, and putting women’s health squarely in the public consciousness.”"

"“We are laying the foundation for a future where no woman is left behind, no matter her income or location.”"

"“I hope women will say, this was the moment we became visible. This office wasn’t just symbolic; it was systemic.”"

"Live a life in alignment with their true passions and purpose, and create meaningful change in the world."

"I Am Not One Thing: Breaking The Mould to Achieve Your Full Potential."

"Keeping up appearances is the most expensive thing in the world."

"Life has taught me to be helpful, honest with myself. It has helped me to be able to make a contribution when I can, know that there are ups and downs in life. It’s not always up."

"Life has taught me to be humble, make friends with those who want to be friendly and help the society as much as I can."

"By taking advantage of this nature's gift, the aggregate values of the larger society are inculcated, acquired and enhanced. So womanhood presents itself a positive direction for the wider society."

"Business is an enabler of good, it's not just about money, it's not just about revenue, it can bring other people up it can raise other people because you build a successful business."

"Being a bold woman means standing firm in your purpose despite challenges."

"In the face of difficult circumstances, be responsive, not reactive, Dara advises. There are things you can’t control, and there are things you can control. Separate the two."

"I’m able to bring everything that I have to offer to this position, which is wonderful, because I know that as a Black woman, people don’t always get those opportunities."

"Chase down opportunities, especially the ones that frighten you a little bit. Those are the ones that will ultimately yield the most personal growth, satisfaction, and value."

"Connecting with people is the only way you can build a successful business. Try to find people who you think will disagree with you, especially early on. You may not change your idea, but you will refine it, if needed, and strengthen your conviction."

"Mutually beneficial relationships. Helping others has helped me throughout my career. Business leads come from people unexpectedly, often months after a random discussion. And this all starts with trying to figure out how to help others. I have learned over the years to focus on what I can give instead of what I can get. It’s a discipline that I continue to strive to uphold."

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal."

"I realized that a core part of this has to be the elevation of our brand and telling our story in a more creative way, in a more engaging way, on a bigger scale"

"We had the insights, we had the data, we had the stories — we just had to start acting on them"

"Leadership is never a solo act. The best leaders lift as they rise, creating environments where people feel valued, challenged and empowered to do their best work"

"As a leader, it’s easy to focus on what’s going to happen, and how. Spending time going through the ‘why’ really helped the team rally and come together"

"It’s really about cohesively thinking of the job to be done, thinking about the tools in your toolkit and then bringing these things together in a way that drives results. I think a lot of myself as a conductor of an orchestra"

"There are not a lot of Black women that get to grace stages like this ... And, for me, I’m trying to demystify that"

"We need a world where more people in positions of power reflect the population, and so I think about how I can contribute to that in a small way"

"This was an NBDB [never been done before]"

"This is a strategic brand partnership, but to actually get it all the way through, it had to be a cross-functional initiative, right?"

"I knew there was authenticity there"

"When you’re taking these risks, I always give the credit to the team, but you have to be willing to say, ‘Who’s the executive sponsor? Who is this hanging on?’ And you have to be willing to say, ‘Hey, this is all me.’ And so having that courage gives the team permission. Because when you show that you’re willing to take a risk, you’re willing to go out on a limb, that’s where great things happen, because you unlock the creativity of your team. But if you create a culture where no one wants to take any risks, you don’t get any reward"

"I want to become… I’m not going to be so bold as to say an expert, but I want to make sure that I know enough to be able to make good decisions. I know enough to be curious. I know enough to allocate resources in the right way"

"What I say to my team is that AI is raising the floor and the ceiling. You have to be AI proficient, but that’s just the floor, right? How do we crack and break through the ceiling"

"I use AI now almost every hour of every working day"

"You cannot just use AI at a basic level. You have to treat it as additional horsepower. If my seven-year-old could use a gen-AI tool to make a movie and if you, as someone with 20 years of experience, produce the exact same thing, then yes, we have more content, but more isn’t necessarily better"

"I want people who are swimming, not skimming"

"Too many people skim – they read a 50-word post on LinkedIn and now they think they’re an expert. I need people who are actually curious, who ask questions before they jump to judgment, people who listen to understand, not just to respond. I’m looking for people who have courage… when there’s tension, that’s when you have great work. You have to find people who have the courage to take risks"

"The walk track is the talk track. We do the work, then we talk about it"

"Slow down and enjoy your time at the university. If you are not sure about something, ask questions. When in difficulty, don’t give up."

"The best thing about your past is that,it shows you what not to bring to your future."

"There is no box. Again, I say there is absolutely no box. So never let anyone define or set limitations on you."

"Indeed entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of a Nation’s economy. Cheers to all SMEs across the world, especially those here in Africa, creating jobs and driving economic change."

"Children carry the hopes for our brighter tomorrow and the dreams of our happy future."

"Life becomes more meaningful when you realize you’ll never get the same moment twice."

"You can have a job or you can have a career, and if you’re lucky, you can have a calling."

"Stop trying to get other people to invest in something, you haven’t invested in yourself."

"Preparation is no longer a dream, it’s a map towards the goal."

"The difference between a dream and a goal is the date. As long as you don’t put a date on it, it will always be a dream. When you put a date on a dream it becomes a goal."

"Every scar, every scratch, every fall is yours. Embrace it, because this is what makes you truly beautiful and unique."

"Sometimes God will do certain things to remind you that he alone is God. Just in case you forgot for a minute and became dependent on man. He will mess you up just to set things straight again. Trust and rely only on him."

"Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless."

"Entrepreneurs should not entertain fear as it’s a mirage. When you look deeply, you would see that fear doesn’t exist. Therefore, look past your fears and work on achieving those goals. You have the absolute power to achieve anything you dream about. You just have to put a date to it."

"You will make mistakes in life. You will even fail. It happens to all of us, no matter how qualified or capable we are — take it from me."

"make real what matters through the creation and adoption of high-end technologies that address issues across water, health care, education, transport, manufacturing, basic infrastructure and other things."

"“we have focused on turning our strategy into one where we are not just seen as an equipment provider but as a solution provider, partner, and advisor for investors in the power sector.”"

"Siemens has a vast portfolio of products, systems, and services providing solutions all the way from gas to generation, transmission, distribution, smart grids, metering, and revenue collection, and we seek to use our best practices from around the world to resolve the challenges that investors face along the entire power sector value chain.”"

"The only way to get rid of your past mistakes is to learn its lessons for the future; God will waste nothing. Make every experience count."

"We underestimate the value of what each one of us can do."

"So don’t quit just yet…you’re closer to the finishing line of your challenge than you think."

"A job is a challenge and not an achievement."

"Greatness is a process and not an event."

"Your words weigh 1000 tons… Choose them carefully."

"Every new person we meet presents a new opportunity from God, to be blessed or to be a blessing. Don’t waste it.”"

"Experience they say is the best teacher, but the school fees are high, so save yourself fees and copy handouts from other people’s lessons."

"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations."

"God is working, though we often don’t know just how."

"As an entrepreneur, let passion be your driving force on your entrepreneurial journey. Constantly look for ways to learn, re-relearn and unlearn so you will stay relevant in your industry."

"Executing with every fiber of your being, putting in your all, and pushing that idea till you succeed, making an impact to society at large."

"Hopefully, things will change (for the better) and we wouldn’t throw in the towel."

"It’s very rare but possible."

"Beauty keeps evolving, trends change, but what has separated us from the pack is the high standard that we place on our services."

"I have learnt to appreciate people that are loyal to me and have my back."

"if your health is in danger or you risk looking ridiculous, don’t do it."

"The world is better with happy people rather than people filled with regrets."

"One of my mantras in life is ‘as you lay your bed, so you lie on it’."

"They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but some still look ridiculous."

"Beauty is relative and a confident woman would be self-assured on all levels."

"Never hold anyone responsible for anything concerning you."

"One owes oneself the privilege of enlightening oneself."

"Confidence in your own abilities is the key ingredient to success."

"It only becomes Failure when you keep trying rather thank thinking of failure as a negative experience, think of it as a learning experience."

"Cut out the noise, focus on doing the right thing, making an impact on opening doors for others to come."

"Believe that spiritual aspect sets the tone of my day."

"There are so many things beyond your control that can happen in a day, praying helps to keep your focus."

"I’d like to think my superpower is patience."

"Are you imposing your values on other cultures?"

"Focus and cut out the Noise"

"Apart from the design of God's grace, hard work, integrity and good public relations are the keys to sustaining success in the life of a Lawyer."

"Be strong and always believe in God and His promises."

"I was able to cope with the challenges because I knew what I wanted and nothing was going to stop me, not even the distractions at that moment."

"It’s good knowing that the efforts put in are being appreciated and recognised."

"I am a product of polygamy and I don’t see that as a perfect example"

"Believe in God and His promises, believe in yourself, do not procrastinate."

"Go for what you want as long as it is of positive impact, work hard and work smart."

"They always say their minds and stand for what is right and rebuke what is wrong. I admire these men greatly."

"Those things they said about me don’t really exist. Perhaps, they exist only in the imagination of the tale bearers."

"Being a queen is not an easy task because you have to always be at your best in terms of dressing, walking, speaking, sitting, wearing a smile at all times. That’s challenging and at the same time great. I must say that I enjoyed the ride."

"I love everything throughout my reign."

"I have learnt to give more to the less privileges I have realized that giving remains a better option."

"Experience is Better than Money."

"Indeed of all the regions in the world, Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world."

"Turn every moment into an opportunity and get out there and hustle."

"No one will fight for your success if you don’t."

"U constant hustle with problems coming at every opportunity but that’s what being an entrepreneur is about."

"You’re creating something that doesn’t exist; that often times the world often doesn’t think is needed."

"You need to fight for relevance every day."

"Launching your own business, especially in a developing market, is very different from being a consultant at a corporate."

"You need to step away from the pages and models and step into real life and most importantly, you have to get comfortable with risk."

"Men, we need you. We women share this earth with you and cannot afford to be disunited from you. This means we demand to be included in the heavily-male saturated halls of power and also need your presence and power behind our causes for equity and justice. We need you as our allies,our Fathers, Brothers, Husbands and Sons. We need you on this global task force to right societal wrongs. We cannot make sustainable change without you on board, without you using your agency to protect the whole."

"If you continue to hurt half of your population, your industry, your workforce, then you bind your own hands from achieving growth."

"Earlier this year, we saw the 2 millionth subscription to the Spinlet service, and our website sees 1,300 unique visitors a day on average. In order of volume, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya are where most of our users are based, though we are seeing a gradual increase in UK and US subscriptions as well."

"AI could be the very tool that allows us to leapfrog and monetise our cultural assets to the next level. Ignoring this shift will be a mistake."

"Music, art, film, fashion, and all creative mediums are unified by a common theme: their ability to powerfully communicate, and engage people through narrative."

"Gain as much knowledge as you can – know your rights, know the policies, and know who you can go to for help to ensure they are properly implemented."

"Silence can – quite literally – kill, and when you speak out against workplace inequality and harassment, you stand up not only for yourself but for the conditions of all women."

"The creative industry in Nigeria has the potential to drive growth, innovation, and employment, but it lacks scalable and predictable investment frameworks."

"It’s time for our creatives to see themselves not just as artists, but as business people, institution builders, and financially literate architects of enterprise."

"Our creative industry will not and cannot achieve its full potential through isolated success stories."

"Be creative, think out of the box. Identify your unique selling point and always make a concious effort to improve on yourself."

"First it takes believing in yourself to be a pioneer in an industry that no one was sure of what the future held."

"it’s always also good to surround yourself with good people. People that are like your mentors, that will guide you. People that have also gone through what you went through."

"We cannot be everything, every time in our lives. You have to determine how you want to make it work."

"You can't compare yourself to other families, because you do not know what is going on in their homes. It's about knowing what you want so a balance can be created."

"One is the ability to organise− you are managing people, so you must know how to organise. You must be diplomatic. Pay attention to detail. Interpersonal skills are skills you must learn. There are also attributes such as knowing how to manage a crisis, being result-oriented, being very resourceful, being creative, and having the ability to manage a team. There are so many character traits that an event planner must have, but at the same time, there are non-negotiable skills. You must learn how to negotiate, have good communication skills, and have good relationship skills."

"One of the things I’d say is lacking is the lack of standard, in the sense that everybody is working to a standard where nobody understands what is expected."

"To many people, their relationship rests on their related professional calling but it goes beyond that."

"Our business philosophy is hinged on integrity, transparency and high ethical standards."

"Being able to nurture the womb (women) of Africa, was truly a honor, an experience I will never forget."

"I don’t have to rely on my own judgment which when you’re on the go- can be a disaster."

"Our goal is to make Africa a reference destination for luxury brands. Adiree observed the way Africa is seen and what happened for designers who associated with us during our Fashion Week"

"The positive perception of African fashion is due to a couple of factors, and actors"

"My dream for Africa is to promote our own fashion. The continent has many millionaires. They should be able to spend for fashion products right at home. It is a starting point for a process of responsibility for national brands"

"Africa is everywhere. We are highlighting the fact that African fashion is something that not only inspires people on the continent or is of interest to people on the continent but it’s competitive globally"

"Adirée has created this kind of trend where people are understanding [that] by creating Africa Fashion Week in [global] fashion capitals, you’re kind of bridging both worlds. You’re allowing these business transactions to happen or to be built on platform that everyone knows and loves, which is fashion"

"I think what makes African fashion different from other fashion is the sustainability. … As much as we want to shy away from talking about the hardships and the economic disparities in Africa, at the end of the day it is still a developing continent"

"They are teaching women how to be self-reliant and helping to develop their business skills by hiring them, helping them to create clothes. When you’re supporting designers from Africa who manufacture in Africa, it’s that sustainable impact that they are having"

"And honestly, I will give everything to ensure that it happens. That is my own contribution to our nation, Nigeria."

"Overcoming Obstacles is the True Measure of Success."

"I pride myself on being a person who is able to juggle several balls in the air at the same time. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of diligence."

"People perish for lack of knowledge."

"Life has taught me to also to be persistent and consistent with my passion."

"Life has taught me not to be discouraged and not to be distracted in the pursuit of whatever I believe in."

"Don't think too much of yourself, go easy on yourself life can be fun, others don't take you serious anyways."

"The courage to think and act differently does not come overnight; it takes time."

"My goal is to make the world a more beautiful place for women and young girls. You're either part of this or you are part of it."

"I thank God for it and all the experience as it has helped shape me to the powerful force that I am today in the music industry and personal life."

"It is a mans world, so they like to say and think but we all know that really isn’t the case – for me women just need to work together a lot more"

"Am I a feminist? Yes , you can say that but I am also a great lover of human beings, freedom, justice, economic well being and human rights."

"Have a growth mindset."

"An empowered woman can change the course of a generation."

"When it comes to our work, funding! With more funds, we can do more."

"IUf you don’t want to work full time don’t become an entrepreneur."

"Always remember you are a constant in your life."

"Love yourself enough to plan for your quality of life and the best of your financial stability is that you can now have the ability to pull someone else up."

"The same effort you put into changing your style to look updated, put that in your financial life"

"Invest in financial education and do what you have learnt."

"We are an organization that powers financing for female entrepreneurs while also equipping them with the knowledge they need to succeed in business. The work we do helps to reduce the gender financing gap in African countries by giving women the opportunity to access business loans and by providing financial education to women. We also offer business training services to women."

"Another experience that ignited my passion was from the time I spent working with a seed funding company from 2015 to 2018. I had the opportunity to sit on panels, review pitch decks, and visit different seed investing companies. I noticed that women were notably absent, and it bothered me a lot because the higher I went on the corporate ladder, the fewer women I saw."

"Women make up 50% of the population and play a key role in nation-building and many of them manage small businesses to make a living as a result of unemployment but they are not getting the funding or the financial advice they need to be successful. So, I decided to start a company that focused on women and addressed these issues, and I started on this journey with the savings I had."

"Our vision is to establish ourselves as a leading Pan-African brand that supports women’s financial independence. We would be bridging gender financing gaps not only in Nigeria but in other African countries and expand to the US and other markets as well. We plan to improve our processes, grow our community to 100,000 women, and expand our service offerings to include a financial literacy learning platform for women."

"Through my work, I have found satisfaction in being able to meet people from different backgrounds. Also, being able to create moments of uplifting for women and drive positive change has been fulfilling."

"My biggest advice for women who want to start a business is to know your “why”. I feel that your why is an important compass for achieving your vision. It is also very important to believe in yourself and also surround yourself with people who share your passion and can understand the vision. When starting a business, connecting with other women in entrepreneurship and building a strong network would be beneficial for guidance and support."

"Be curious, stay flexible and keep learning. Its ok to make mistakes and learn from them, its ok to ask questions if you don’t understand."

"Demystifying technology and STEM early on in girl’s life/education – it’s not magic, and you don’t have to be a genius. We should encourage curiosity and not assume that because one doesn’t have an interest in STEM courses when they are younger automatically means they won’t change their minds as they grow and learn more."

"Digitising African languages will help make information more accessible to Africans."

"Contribute to the momentum needed to work towards making voice technologies accessible to all Africans."

"For as long as one is alive, one will always have other things to achieve."

"It is when one dies and gets to the ‘beautiful gate’ that one would know if one has achieved all."

"it is not every business one ventures into that one would succeed at."

"when one loses, one should not give up or run away. One just has to keep trying."

"One would win some and lose some."

"It is the mistakes that one made that would teach one lessons that one could apply to improve on subsequent attempts."

"one can turn one’s challenges into bigger and better opportunities."

"When one is too busy with work or business, something could happen in their lives that could lead to regret."

"Charity begins at home."

"one should not do things in ‘one’s way.’ Rather, one should do things in ‘God’s way.’"

"“I once dared to dream. And if I could succeed, so can you.”"

"It’s not that audacity doesn’t belong to women, it’s that women don’t know that they can harness it to the best of their ability."

"We don't feel confident 100% of the time, and sometimes, we just need somebody to remind us of our awesomeness."

"Don’t be comfortable being the only woman in the room."

"It’s okay to be the first, but it’s not okay to be the only."

"I realized that when people underestimate you, you don’t even have to do way too much to blow them from their seats, based on how excellent you are."

"You always just have to show that you’re the better person in every space that you go into."

"I grew up wanting to be a medical doctor because I wanted to save lives, and I am doing that now, but not in the hospital."

"“I think that tech might be our way out of poverty.” On the role of technology in transforming economic futures in Africa."

"I didn’t grow up thinking there was anything I couldn’t do."

""The goal of an experiment is not to be right but to discover.“Blessing's favourite quote"

"I think that Tech might be Our Way out of Poverty."

"Tech is showing a new perspective on the African continent, showing how amazing and talented our people are as opposed to the general opinion of us as a poverty-stricken continent."

"Being able to be scared and still do things and be successful in them is inspiring, the people around me are inspiring."

"Seeing people’s lives change or watching them be just a little bit better is very inspiring for me."

"I just want to be sure that I’m a catalyst no matter what I’m doing."

"Tech is a leveler. It doesn’t care about your age, race, gender, country, or anything like that. It only cares about your skills… You just have to start.” On democratizing access to technology education."

"I especially love Neo traditional projects, which is building with traditional and old style features, like round windows and arches, it brings back the renaissance period."

"The idea is to get the youths off the street, so they can acquire skills with which they can sustain themselves."

"Heading the Angola-Nigeria Business Council is an opportunity to deepen the relationship of both countries beyond government to government interactions by bringing together business leaders for the purposes of exploring opportunities that both countries have to offer."

"For this reason, the Angola-Nigeria Business Council has been established. It will serve as a driver for advancing economic cooperation with the private sectors of both Countries taking the lead; it will assist in exploring opportunities for investments; support entrepreneurship on a global level; provide a platform for CEOs to network, share best practices, be a credible promoter for industry related public discourse, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable operations in the extractive industry and beyond."

"I am a creative person, so I would create for myself the things I want to see around me."

"There is need for more government support in the hospitality industry."

"We’ve encountered various obstacles, but we are still here."

"Health and well-being are essential at every stage of life, beginning from birth."

"Not everyone has the privilege to still stand, but we are grateful to God, and we do not deny it"

"As trust crumbles, the overall stability of the market is jeopardised."

"Enlightenment and awareness play a vital role in preventing real estate fraud."

"By working together, we can protect consumers, safeguard investments, and ensure a transparent and trustworthy real estate sector for all."

"Buyers and investors must exercise thorough due diligence throughout the real estate transaction process."

"I feel that being a single lady is not a disease and you should not be cast out because some people feel that because you attain some certain age, you ought to be married."

"You need to understand that people don’t talk about someone that is not known. When people talk about you, it means you are in the spotlight where everybody can see you. Some of the people who say hurtful things about you even want to be like you."

"Marriage is not a do or die."

"Anyone who does a great thing except the fact that they have the courage to think that it’s possible and then just ignore the naysayers, surround yourself with supporting people and just keep going."

"You have to argue the devil’s case. [People tend] to hide the not-so-great part of a new solution, but I really lean into those bits."

"There was no discoverability there unless you are going to download a list of all the companies you might work for and go through one by one, there didn’t seem to be a repository where these opportunities existed."

"The way that people work has changed; it’s no longer a job for life. You’re probably going to do a couple of different things in different places. Sometimes it’s not what you do particularly well it’s what you aren’t able to provide, when an employer is looking at so many graduates, they’re looking to disqualify you more than they’re looking to qualify you. Small things, the growth of social media means everyone is on Facebook, some people put their whole lives on display."

"He is an inspiration to me. Whatever challenges that are thrown at you, I know I have the stuff to make it happen and I know my dad is cheering me on."

"The more people you invest in the better for you."

"I saw some of these youths, they sleep in uncompleted buildings, they sleep in plank houses. I spoke with them as a mother that should give back to everybody. I decided to help these youths."

"In 2020, God told me to go and look for the homeless boys."

"I could remember how youths went out to protest for the end of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and most of them are from rich homes."

"I used to be part of Better Life For Rural Women with the late Maryam Babangida."

"Dodan Barrack was my second home then. I was close to the late late First Lady of Nigeria H.E Stella Obasanjo also."

"I have eaten and dined with several important people both locally and internationally. Former president of United State of America George Bush gave me an award."

"I am an honourary citizen of five states in the USA."

"I have done so many things with the United Nations and Silicon Valley California USA."

"There is lack among the people and we keep on pushing it under the carpet."

"Don’t regret what you don’t have.’"

"Now I enjoy it from the bottom of my soul. Both things can be true. I can enjoy talking and thinking about business and tech and also enjoy fluffy romances with a HEA and debate celebrity fashion choices like its paying my bills."

"In my opinion, creativity is best defined with this quote by Mary Lou Cook, “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."

"Focus. Keep improving your craft on all fronts – technical and otherwise."

""I believe as an individual, I have a social responsibility to make a difference any way I can"."

"We have serious issues in this country but at the end of the day we only have ourselves to blame."

"Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out."

"Dear Artiste, Management is a bit like a marriage. Your career can be significantly affected by who you choose to manage it."

"To new black entrepreneurs is “to believe in your idea,”"

"Don’t lose your own goals and what’s important to you.”"

"Be 100 percent behind it because you’re going to be putting your heart and soul into it."

"I thought people would be interested, but I never expected the amount of support or the amount of press attention we received. It’s been a real blessing for which I’m truly grateful,”"

"I was not born with any silver spoon. My father, late Pa Emmanuel Abiona Jiboku alias Jiboku Tannatanna was an electrical technician with the old Electric Company of Nigeria for 42 years. And my mother, late Ruth Olabisi Aina Jiboku(nee Aderupoko- Coker) of the famous Itesi area of Abeokuta was a trader."

"There was nothing peculiar about my birth, at least as far as I know."

"I attended St. James’s African Church School, Idi Ape, Abeokuta between 1957 and 1962. Before that time, my father enrolled his children in a kindergarten school founded by a Sierra Leonean woman who we called Mama Saro. All she taught us were bible verses and we crammed them."

"She never used the cane, but she had another way of doing this. Her countenance when anyone misbehaved was more potent than the cane. Once her countenance changed, one got the message."

"I was not troublesome but I stood for my right and asked for it. No other student could cheat me and I never gave anyone the chance to cheat. No one could take me for granted."

"I got into trouble each time I took my mother’s clothes and wore them for a photo shoot. I would have poured perfumes on the clothes and my mother would get to know. She would then report me to my father, who would use cable to beat me. You know my father worked with the ECN and he did about two years with the National Electric Power Authority before he retired, so he had cables to beat anyone of us that misbehaved."

"No. My parents were disciplinarians. If my father asked any of us to recite any verse of the Bible and he or she fumbled, he or she got spanked. Again, any of us could be asked to handle the morning devotion and such a person should not mess up or else… There was a cable nearby to beat sense into your brain. We were well trained, most especially in the fear of God."

"Yes, I travelled to England. I attended the St. Nicholas Teacher Training College, to train and at the end of the third year, I graduated with a First class diploma. I really loved the training I got."

"None at all. We were close to 30 Nigerians who went for that training. Blacks and the whites co-existed in a convivial environment. We were treated like human beings."

"I think those South Africans doing that are crazy. They have forgotten so soon what Nigeria did to help them fight the apartheid regime to a standstill. Nigeria spearheaded the boycott of the 1983 Commonwealth Games because of apartheid. The United Kingdom which was then hosting incurred losses due to the boycott, because so many other countries joined Nigeria in boycotting the games."

"It is a divine call. I could still remember that very day at the Green Park in London. I sat there and was enjoying the scenery – the lake, the ducks and the serene atmosphere. Suddenly, I saw some children walked into the park and they were chatting. Something struck a cord in me that I wanted to start something where I could mould the lives of youths. That was when I decided to attend the teacher training college. I went there and graduated with first class."

"It is true. It was given to him in 1957 by the Queen of England. It was a solid sterling silver, which I inherited. The day I was given the MFR title in 2004 by former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, I wore the MBE medal."

"It is true. While I was in the secondary, I was a member of the school’s drama and cultural group. I was good at acting and mimicking others. But that divine call changed everything. But I have no regrets at all."

"I don’t believe that. No one can even pay enough for what we do as teachers. No amount of money can pay for our sacrifice. Teaching is like a calling, you must be trained for it and you must have passion for it."

"I don’t have anything called sad day and I don’t pray for anyone to have a sad day. But there was a day I felt the grace and faithfulness of Jehovah God in my school, when a three-year-old girl swallowed a 5 kobo coin many years ago."

"I don’t entertain any fear, because I live every day as being tailored by Jehovah God. All I needed, Many people know i am an educationist but not many know that I am a big time trader who began at the age of nine."

"My mother trained us the children in the act of buying and selling. She started with clothes. She exposed us to the nitty-gritty of trade. She told me the importance of being a trader as early as when I was nine. My brother-in-law, brought me into commerce by getting me the distributorship of so many breweries and cement companies."

"That is not true. Both installations were done openly and there’s nothing hidden about the two titles; there is nothing mystical about it. Iyalode means prime minister of the womenfolk. It requires someone who has integrity and who’s hardworking."

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Pray and get along with your life."

"I don’t entertain any fear, because I live every day as being tailored by Jehovah God."

"Many people know you to be an educationist but not many know that you were a big time trader who began at the age of nine."

"Teaching is like a calling, you must be trained for it and you must have passion for it."

"The truth is some people get to know their God and are okay to be in a certain way"

"People that think models are not spiritual need to free their minds and not try to box people."

"More women and girls need to know what feminism really means so that when they are pushing the cause, they will know what they are fighting for exactly and tailor their efforts towards getting positive results from it."

"It is not about being popular but about being impactful."

"There are a lot of challenges, but that which is of major concern is getting Nigerians who are so detailed to craft the designs we work on and give it the finesse we expect I think is something lacking in this country"

"tailoring is a form of creation that doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to garment making."

"Love God, Be persistent, Burn that Ship."

"Culture is the bedrock of human civilization, it not only gives a sense of belonging and identity but also has the power to transform entire society, strengthen local communities and forge a sense of identity and belonging for people of all ages."

"I wanted was to create a great piece because I realised that many of our traditional arts and crafts evolved overtime to include practical and decorative items and that human expressions find their way through various forms of art."

"When we were going into the market, we understood that the furniture market was saturated, but we were still able to grow the business because we leveraged on technology. Technology helped us scale our business model, coupled with the strong investment we put into research and development to continue to produce exciting designs."

"I hold a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design and I have also participated in design competitions and design workshops. In September 2015, I exhibited as a finalist at the innovation award. I have also attended design workshop organised by the African Contemporary institute of Design. I am a member of Young African leadership institute (YALI), and I have a YALI Certificate on Entrepreneurship skills."

"I am very much interested in taking the brand internationally and having African lifestyle flagship stores in other continents of the world asides from Africa. Also, I plan to have a foundation that gives back to the African society in the future."

"Nigeria is the only country with over 480 ethnic cultural nationalities art and culture of Nigeria represents the uniqueness of Nigerian lifestyle coupled together with the fact that Nigerian arts draws inspiration from rural traditional folklore heritage. Culture is the bedrock of human civilization, it not only gives a sense of belonging and identity but also has the power to transform entire society, strengthen local communities and forge a sense of identity and belonging for people of all ages."

"I believe there is a need to improve on traditional forms and materials and apply them in the modern context creating a new cultural concept term Modern Africa in which Africans can still maintain their identity living in the modern era despite the conflict in identity and culture and can still be proud of who they are."

"It is imperative for us to come together to pull our resources, share knowledge and innovate for a sustainable future."

"Our commitment to bring investment tourism means promoting a sustainable practices at every level and we must ensure that the beauty we showcase today remains for future generations to enjoy,”"

"The preaching, according to tourism, is the true essence of creating sustainable tourism in Nigeria."

"Achieving the vision of the green tourism requires a collaboration among local, state, Federal, international community, private sector investment and development partners."

"The future of Nigeria tourism is rich and together we will unlock its full potential,"

"Beauty does not keep a man, relationship or marriage only respect and honour from both sides keep a marriage"

"Ugly face with sweet genital, upgraded one and Jaarumatized one too can help your relationship and marriage. If you get divorced three times and marry three times, that's your fault"

"It is really painful when men have to classify all women as dependent, it is a slap on the faces of independent women which is not fair."

"Earn it yourself so that nobody will say they gave you anything"

"Never look down on any hustle."

"Time has taught me that the biggest impediment to a progressive society is a malnourished mind, and the best medicine for a malnourished mind is education"

"Fear is probably not your biggest hindrance, ignorance is."

"With education, we will conquer fears and transform Africa."

"I was born from the loins of a lion, an African trailblazer who blazed the trail for me to follow. Cut in his prime when I was just a child but his legacy lives in me."

"My love and appreciation for beautiful things and my value for artisanal products and respect for artisanship."

"I am surrounded by beautiful products with great history culturally and was always inspired by our own version of Luxury. I felt we needed a platform that challenged us into making traditional luxury objects covetable by ourselves and the rest of the world. Also I looked around and saw that we have great taste and love of Luxury but not many people were investing in retail in a formal way. I am also aware that Luxury Retail is becoming very experiential and that creating our own unique version of luxury retail will be interesting educative and inspiring."

"The exceptional beauty and versatility of Timber and the variety and abundance that we have here. Again the skills of the makers. For me honing those skills to produce simple streamlined and sophisticated designs is rewarding."

"Brands I believe embody the spirit of today’s Africa in terms of aesthetic and culture, luxury and fashion brands that people know, love and aspire to own and exceptional African brands."

"The luxury of having a purpose, identifying it and being able to realise it. It's rare, it's valuable and it's is covetable. That's Luxury"

"Alara was conceived to show the world who we are today, to share how we live and to show Africans that we have a lot to be proud of, that we create and enjoy objects of exceptional quality and beauty, to celebrate those who have done it, and to support and encourage those who wish to exchange, educate, elevate and beautify."

"We will open people’s eyes to the incredible creative renaissance that is growing in Africa and how seamlessly it functions as a part of the global conversation of style."

"Going beyond luxury retail, we’ve become a platform for exchange across all the creative disciplines. Our curation is trusted, and our network authentic."

"I have a huge vision, huge passion and huge ambition."

"We are women. We are meant to rule the world. We are super."

"It’s about beautifully made, bright, colorful, expressive things that have a story behind them. It’s about art, clothing, and design that’s unique and beautiful. It’s African but contemporary"

"I decided it would be interesting to have the best stuff from all over the world along with the very best from Africa all in the same space to get people from outside Africa to see what was possible, but also to get people in Africa to understand the value of what they had. It was a bit of an education on both sides."

"I used to spend a lot of time with artists and designers and I had a lot of friends that were doing creative things and I enjoyed spending time with them."

"I got the impression that although people were making these things, they didn’t feel as though what they were making was good enough to be on a certain level. A lot of what people were doing hadn’t been properly celebrated and there were these very beautiful, very well-crafted African items that people didn’t know about."

"I felt that we needed something iconic that would change our city, change the way we see ourselves and also change the way the world sees us."

"I taught myself to make furniture and then started a furniture factory that still exists. But I realized I wanted to be around creative people. I started to travel within Africa, and discovered people making fashion and design pieces that were contemporary iterations of what you see traditionally—not what we would call contemporary in the Western sense, but in our context. And I thought that was very intriguing."

"I understand the connection: female founders, a strong and unique point of view, curated and presented with a focus on art and its interaction with fashion. But our mission is different: upliftment."

"We are selling our culture. We’ve clearly become an epicenter for cultural exchange for all kinds of creative people. In my native Yoruba language, alára means “wondrous performer, one who thrills endlessly”—that’s how we see African fashion and design, and how we want global audiences to experience it and embrace it."

"ALÁRA was created to be a window to the world, an authentic curation of contemporary Africa...[it is also] a symbol of my personal journey of self affirmation and belief...a fulfillment of a burning desire to celebrate and elevate a lot of what I had come across on my journeys in Africa."

"I think we needed a symbol of what is now called the African renaissance, a showpiece that is unapologetic in its approach about who we are today,...that we have people who make and consume luxury and that we have done it all by ourselves."

"There’s a great appetite for consumption of luxury goods by Nigerians, but in terms of experiential retail with a concept...that is completely new...We have definitely had to educate the customer with regard to African Luxury, getting them to pay more for African goods that they have hitherto seen as craft and substandard."

"It was important for us to have an aesthetic that we believed was our aesthetic...we chose designers who reflected the ideas of bold, unapologetic beauty, [had a] conscience and celebrated craftsmanship. We realised quite fast that people wanted to pay for brands they knew and coveted and if we were to succeed we had to first of all listen to our market, get them super comfortable with us and then start to explore other brands."

"I devote a lot of time reading about and consuming the different art forms that we live with. I have tried to paint, I have made furniture, I have designed clothes, and I have always created experiences."

"When I’m trying to define African luxury, and this is not an exclusive definition, it has to benefit the person who’s buying it in terms of its value, but it also must benefit the person who was making it and the people in that chain of making it."

"Reni is showcasing the best and brightest in a way that allows them to shine – and the exhibition is doing the same."

"Reni Folawiyo is a pioneer whose determination and vision have created a contemporary visual language for African luxury. Architecturally, the concept of the Alára store is a celebration of design talent—an architectural promenade through the different parts of the program. Socially, Reni Folawiyo has carved a way to promote emerging talent while establishing a creative hub and an essential new destination for Lagos."

"Your feelings are valid. Feeling like giving up means you still have a small amount of motivation to carry on. As someone who was once in that position, I’d advise them to measure where they are now compared to where they were in the past. The growth, no matter how small, shows their dreams are still valid. Build a solid foundation, block out the noise from naysayers and enjoy the ride."

"STAY PRAYERFUL."

"Corona has always maintained a reputation for academic excellence. But what we were lacking at the time was a sense of the world around us. We didn’t have much general knowledge; that was why we started this quiz – to help our students appreciate the importance of knowing what is going on outside of their particular bubble"

"At the heart of the legal practice today, there are two essentials. The first is business. It is essential that a Law firm is run like a business. This means that the objective is to solve the client’s problem as efficiently as possible. In pursuit of this efficiency, there is a need for top quality support staff in addition to competent legal practitioners. The value of competent support staff is evident in the increasing number of law firms that employ the members of staff to occupy roles such as chief operation officer, head of human resources, practice managers and other similar staff. The second essential for a 21st Century legal practice is ethics. It is of utmost importance that the ethics are not compromised on."

"So I want to encourage us that whatever we need to do, let us do it right. We must not subject this institution to that type of incident again."

"The experience was humiliating for her and the entire management of the bank, said it was the first time that the bank would be investigated in its entire history."

"Throughout my period at the bank, I have one slight regret and that’s during the period I was acting governor. It was the time that the CBN was being investigated. It has never happened before that the activity of the CBN is under investigation."

"We went for the IMF meetings and when we met with investors, they asked us: ‘what is happening? We understand that there was some financial mismanagement in the CBN.’ It was humiliating."

"I think for me, that was a low point. The credibility for this institution was eroded. For an institution this important to be subjected to that is bad. At the end of the day, it was not just the CBN that suffered for it, but the economy as a whole did suffer."

"The exercise paralysed activities at the apex bank."

"The independence of the Central Bank is necessary. The Bank needs the freedom and space to take a long view of what is best for the economy and take decisions accordingly. Central Banks have consistently moved towards policy independence to pursue policies free from political interference. Although no central bank can be entirely independent of government’s influence, it must be free to choose the instruments it needs to achieve its mandate. The Bank must also be free from fiscal dominance; that is a situation where fiscal considerations unduly dictate monetary policy."

"In recent years, academics and policymakers have shown increasing interest in the independence of central banks with respect to the formulation of monetary policy. In the European Union, this interest was realized in the Maastricht Treaty, which gave the European Central Bank complete autonomy in conducting the monetary policy without political intrusion. Most empirical studies support central banks’ autonomy in the conduct of day-to-day monetary policy operations devoid of political pressure. This enables them to deliver better inflation outcomes, without compromising economic growth. The CBN Act of 2007 bestows independency on the Bank."

"The monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria in recent times has continued to focus on achieving price and financial stability for economic growth and development. The persistent inflation in the last one year is an issue of concern."

"The inflationary pressure could be traced largely to structural factors, which included poor electricity supply, high cost of energy arising from scarcity of petroleum products, increase in the prices of imported food, raw materials and finished goods, seasonal factors, increase in electricity tariff, insurgency and insecurity in the North East, as well as pipeline vandalism by the Niger Delta militants. However, some monetary factors included exchange rate depreciation, and budget deficits in the face of dwindling oil revenues."

"Monetary policy management has been made difficult by the uncertain global environment, arising from political and economic developments around the world. There has been an intense attack on free trade, multilateralism and globalization and the situation has not been helped by a growing preference for nationalist interest."

"Key global trends such as Brexit, the rising wave of populist and anti-globalization sentiments anchored by emerging bilateralism, divergent monetary policy stance of the advanced central banks and disorderly commodity price movements will also affect monetary policy at home. These global developments coupled with domestic factors will make monetary policy management very difficult this year. Based on these, monetary policy management in Nigeria must be diligent and collaborative to achieve its objectives of price stability in the home front."

"For Nigeria, like most developing countries, policy has often times focused on the flexible exchange rate regime and financial integration, emphasizing monetary policy independence. However, as globalization, capital flows constraints and other adverse phenomena set in, it has become imperative to seek a convergence."

"The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 2008 recommended the imposition of some form of capital controls that at least restrain inflows of short-term funds, which the CBN has done. The CBN will also do well to stick to its statutory mandate of maintaining price stability for growth. This will go a long way in moderating inflation and stimulating growth in the long run."

"The best way to ensure the desired economic growth and low inflation is economic diversification with a broadening of the revenue base. Reducing the import dependency will also help to curb the demand for dollar; thereby reducing general inflationary pressure."

"In 2016, the Nigerian economy officially entered into recession, recording two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth rates of 0.36 per cent and 2.06 per cent in the first and second quarters, respectively. For the full year of 2016, the real GDP contracted by 1.51 per cent. Achieving price stability has remained the priority objective of most central banks. However, given the high level of poverty and unemployment in most developing countries, it has become imperative for central banks to work hard at achieving price stability with growth."

"A number of fiscal and monetary policy options have been deployed to end the recession and the efforts are yielding fruits as the recently released inflation figure shows that inflation is trending down after 15 months stretch of rising price level. The CBN is also working to increase supply of foreign exchange and boost liquidity in the interbank market to ease the scarcity of foreign exchange for the manufacture of goods and increase the level of production. On the part of the fiscal authority, efforts at broadening the revenue base and increasing the collection of taxes have been intensified and are yielding fruits."

"Nigeria’s economic recession can be traced to a number of global and domestic factors. They include slump in commodity prices, general slowdown in economic activity in developing countries, over dependency on oil, lack of diversification of the revenue base, consumption-led growth, militancy in the Niger-Delta region, insurgency in the North East and unutilized excess liquidity in the banking system."

"Taking these factors together, the effect on the Nigerian economy has been the significant decline in the country’s foreign reserves, depreciation of the Naira and substantial increase in consumer prices. To reverse the trend and put the economy back on a path to economic recovery, significant effort is needed on the part of the Federal Government, especially harmonization of its fiscal and monetary policies to boost aggregate demand and investor confidence."

"It is also expected that the fiscal authorities would provide direction and leadership while the monetary authorities would facilitate an enabling business environment conducive for growth. Nonetheless, the overriding mandate of the Bank continues to be price stability across the major price rates: inflation; loan interest; and foreign exchange. Stability in prices is essential for investment and consumption. Monetary policy can help through influencing short-term interest rate, but monetary policy alone is not enough to pull the country out of recession. Fiscal policy must come in and do its part to fully pull the economy out of recession."

"The challenges are many. Oil price volatility and the unstable global environment are major challenges for Central Banking in Nigeria as they are causing growth challenges and other spill-over effects for the local economy. Central Banking in Nigeria is faced with other enormous challenges such as the size of Nigeria’s informal sector. Globally, developing/emerging economies are characterized by a big informal sector which causes a lot of limitations to Monetary Policy implantation and coverage because a majority of the participants in the sector are not using formal financial services and so cannot be captured formally."

"Poor financial literacy is another. It is only when the vast majority of the Nigerian population is financially literate that they can participate in the formal financial system; the reverse is the case."

"Financial illiteracy results in poor financial inclusion. Non-financial inclusion becomes a threat to the survival of the Nigerian financial sector as most adults and young Nigerians are financially excluded from the formal financial sector. A high percentage of adult Nigerians don’t have bank accounts, and this in the long run becomes a big headache for central banking."

"Nigeria needs to deepen its financial sector as a whole. Deepening the financial sector entails improving financial structures to ensure efficient delivery of financial services to the private sector."

"Then, there is the issue of monetary and fiscal policy coordination. Non- harmonization of monetary and fiscal policies is an issue of serious concern in the country because they complement each other. Monetary policy has a limit and whenever it reaches that limit, the only way out is for the fiscal authorities to intervene in the economy. So, in the absence of such coordination/harmonization between the two, a serious economic problem may arise."

"The threat to CBN autonomy is also disturbing. Global best practice prescribes central banks’ independence to enhance policy coherence and sturdiness born out of freedom of vision and implementation space."

"The future of the Nigerian economy is very bright. The Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERRP) by the Federal Government with other complementary policies are set to propel the Nigerian economy out of the recession and move the economy forward. The broad government strategy of infrastructure development, structural reforms and investment in social safety nets are policies that will position the economy to a more inclusive and diversified growth."

"Women need to remember that opening a successful, small-business involves patience, time and requires you to step back to remember that you must tackle a piece of the goal one day at a time."

"It’s easy to become eager when working to accomplish or complete a goal."

"your plan should focus on these five key aspects to safeguard a future-proof career."

"Learn a new digital skill: In this era, digital skills reign supreme therefore digital literacy gives a competitive edge"

"you can secure the future of your career by setting an action plan for your personal development."

"It’s so easy to get lost or distracted, considering all the hats you wear but with your goals right in front of you, you never lose sight of what you’re trying to achieve."

"Stay strong and confident don’t let them make you doubt yourself."

"Be confident and comfortable disclosing your strengths and touting your success; don’t hide from it — respect will follow."

"Going nude is a no-no for me, hell no how much is a million dollars? I know it’s a lot of money but is it worth it? Common now. Kudos to anybody that can do that, I’m too shy for that. We work, we are paid you know and Nollywood has come to stay, whether you like it or not. This is how we put food on your table."

"I can’t deal with a man that lies. It turns me off instantly. I love truth and honesty. Once you begin to lie, I’m off."

"My breast is all natural and I’m proud of it. Probably because there was a picture of me in which my boobs were partly revealed, people felt I must have gone under the knife. But that’s not true. With me, what you see is what you get."

"I guess that is the price you have to pay for being a star. It was just too much. Anyway, I have learned my lessons. Nobody is going to know anything about my private life again."

"I am someone who has always believed in love. It is a big deal to me so I have to do it, it has to be right. I am a strong believer of love."

"When you’re yourself, it stands you out from others. If you are trying to be some other person, it is not you. I try to be me and I believe it is slow and steady. So, I would rather be here and steady than being forgotten so soon. I take things one after the other. At the same time, I try to be relevant in the industry because it is the only way nobody forgets you."

"I am one person who believes in me. You cannot put me in a position I do not want to be. Nobody should push you to do what you do not want to do because it makes you a lesser person. But when you believe in yourself, you will gain more respect."

"Your beauty is your pain but you have to make good use of it and look at the advantages of being beautiful. That I am pretty is not by mistake; God made me this way."

"You always look good my favorite actress (Ebube). Everyday crush. Special love for you from Ghana."

"I wish something for you my lady (Ebube) and I pray it comes true."

""I’m not a religious bigot""

""we are living peacefully with other Muslim and Christian siblings and family members.”""

""We are not clamouring to take over from men but to work side by side with them.”""

""It's Africa's time... I am an incurable optimist"""

""with me, there's no grey, it's either black or white."""

"""If you cannot stand for something then you will fall for anything""

""I learnt that it was possible to compete with anyone from any part of the world, one on one, and win."""

"Your birth is my birth; your death is my death."

"We’re all not warriors from Black Panther, we’re all not the Milaje. We cry, we bleed, we experience everything."

"I think there are different ways to show solidarity. If you feel like you're able to go and do that, by all means do that to speak out."

"Maturity has a lot to do with the mind and intelligent."

"It gets better as I get older, just like good wine."

"Good people of Garkida will forever remember the nice Senate. The senate are aware that on the 21st February 2020, an insurgent group attack the good people of Garkida, a peaceful town in Gombi local government area of Adamawa Central Senatorial District. The insurgents in over seven gun trucks and many motorcycles attacked the town at about 7:00pm, setting many buildings ablaze. Also aware that three soldiers are killed in the deadly attack. Properties worth millions of Naira were burnt or destroyed including public hospitals, schools, telecommunication facilities, police stations, buses, cars, food stores, private properties belonging to the good people of Garkida. Worrying that the Garkida crisis which has led to the destruction of lives and properties were planned by the insurgents to have a religious connotation considering that churches and residences of some prominent indigenes are burnt. And at aim of destroying the foundation of peaceful co-existence Garkida community and Adamawa State at large..."

"Timbuktoo is the heartland of Civilization of Commence and Knowledge."

"We are borrowing the Timbuktoo to describe this initiative because we are looking at Africa from the past to the future."

"This sense of community instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and the belief that we all have a role to play in uplifting our society. It also fueled my passion for giving back and contributing to the welfare of others."

"Education was also a cornerstone of my upbringing. My parents fostered a love for learning that continues to drive me to this day."

"The creative industry, in particular, has shown remarkable potential, contributing to job creation and export revenue. By nurturing and supporting these sectors, Nigeria can tap into new avenues for growth and innovation, adding to the diversity of its economic landscape"

"Education, they taught me, was not just about personal advancement but also a means to create positive change."

"With the right policies and investments, these emerging industries can significantly contribute to Nigeria’s economic development, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, artists, and professionals while adding vibrancy and uniqueness to our economic profile."

"My career as an economist revolves around macro financial and development economics. My first stint as a professional economist was at the Central Bank of Nigeria where I worked in the Fiscal Division Unit under the research department of the bank, which exposed me to government revenue and expenditure analysis. After this, I worked briefly as a research analyst for African Positive Outlook in the United Kingdom before joining the sub-National Ratings team at Fitch Ratings Milan, Italy."

"Furthermore, my contributions have also supported notable committees setup by development agencies like the World Bank. In addition, I have been included in the IMF Article IV consultations and been an active member of the Africa Development Bank Annual Meetings and currently sit as a member of the Board committee on Research at the Nigeria Economic Summit Group. I have gained hands-on experience with both internal and external communication."

"Educating girls translates into better knowledge and skills acquisition needed to push them towards becoming economically active as adults, so, contributing to national productivity."

"Women are essential in promoting economic exchange across countries; dialogue on trade and regional integration is incomplete without discussing policies that support the female economy."

"It’s crucial to maintain a positive outlook, even when the path ahead seems daunting. Optimism is a powerful force that can drive us to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges."

"Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your efforts. Each small step you take in the face of adversity is a triumph."

"To seize the platters of opportunities available require knowledge seeking with economics at the forefront, as it is a core driver of almost everything that we do."

"Women are engines of economies. The opportunity cost of ignoring the female economy is terribly expensive."

"Every human should have the right to access and the right to compete for opportunities."

"Stop worrying about the future. Equip yourself and Thrive!"

"Failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts."

"Your NETWORK is directly correlated to your SUCCESS level."

"VISIBILITY indeed pushes technical skills into rooms that have resulted in mind blowing opportunities"

"Self confidence is key- you need to develop a mindset that you are giving instead of collecting- be an asset not a liability."

"Visibility becomes a life line as you climb up the career ladder."

"I let you see what I want you to see. Every other thing is private."

"You are married for a reason; you need to keep reminding each other of that and keep the communication open."

"Not everybody can grow with you."

"My mummy will always say you can’t change the world but you can change the little around you."

"It’s like a standard and it’s everywhere. Men will always be men but for you, you should know who you are and what you want."

"Fashion is a universal language."

"I’m excited about what lies ahead, and I hope our paths cross again in the future."

"Peer pressure, substance abuse, desperation, and a decline in morality as the root causes of involvement in cultism and cult clashes."

"The right place to prove the innocence of anyone accused of wrongdoing is the court of law, not on the pages of newspapers or through shadow-boxing."

"They should pray to God to give them the right husband. It is good to respect your husband and men should reciprocate that gesture. It will be a great mistake to be married to somebody who’s not God fearing."

"We should also make our children better off in terms of moral and religious training. In the 50s, 60s, people were not well educated about Islam but things are better now."

"It was my mother’s baby; it started with Egbe Ifelodun. Then, most schools were Christian schools. One of my sisters wanted to get to St. Annes’s school but could not, she advised her friends to start a Muslim school and God helped through Isabatudeen in Ojoo."

"The rich and those in position of power should fear God, help people and be ready to account for everything. I could remember that my mother was always eager to render all accounts no matter how small the amount might be. She loved giving detailed account about every spending. She won’t lie and she hate liars."

"In those days, they played politics with love, now it is money and power. That does not mean women cannot be better politicians; they should do it with honesty. For instance, the likes of my mother and Madam Funmilayo Ransome Kuti used the opportunity they had to help a lot of people; but now, we can’t get close to them. You must know what you want to do before going into politics. Our men should stop holding meetings late at nights. In other parts of the world, no political meetings at night. Going into politics does not mean there shouldn’t be time for the family. Many women are brilliant and will deliver if given the opportunity."

"Child education starts from the beginning. I am in support of decent dressing and early training with regard to the use of Hijab by female Muslims because every girl-child should be well-protected. We should train the female Muslims how to dress well. Tight fitting clothes can be tempting, but that is not the way."

"Women should have contentment, no matter the little they have with God’s blessing. It’s unfair for a woman to be outside her home anything after 7pm. We need to be there for these children. But when you are not at home, so many things can happen."

"Her concern for education was further demonstrated by the construction of the Sango Mosque in Ibadan, during the 1960’s. In this Mosque she personally paid a group of teachers to provide a free or cheap Muslim education for children.Being initially a unifying figure between the AG and the market-sellers, she became an intermediator between women’s organisations and market women, together with Mama Humuani Alade, another wealthy trader.Her stature and contribution were recognised by the British who awarded her, in June 1961, the prestigious title of Member of the British Empire."From a political point of view, she was one of the founders of the AG women’s wing in 1953. For merchants, she was the veritable AG voice in the market : she organized market women for party campaigns, she taught them songs and gave gifts to thank them for their affiliation to the party.""Her wealth and trade abilities, coupled with her charisma, a strong religious commitment – attested by her pilgrimage to Mecca in 1954 – and a particular concern for merchants’ rights, led her to become a rallying figure for merchants, a personality able to mobilise a great number of people, for economic and socio-political goals.""

"I am she who is called Pelewura…. . I will not starve in the country I was born in."

"Alimotu initiated that market women reduce the prices of goods sold in the markets to support the striking workers"

"She also strongly protested a market price control plan, named the Pullen scheme popularly after a British officer, Captain A.P. Pullen, who initiated and directed it"

"She rose to more prominence in 1910 when she became a titled chief by the order and conferment of the Oba of Lagos, Eshugbayi Eleko"

"she led protests against taxation and price control, issues she strongly believed would negatively impact the livelihood of women."

"You will face many nay-sayers who will tell you: You Can’t! I urge you to respond as I always do: Watch Me."

"You will fail many times. I have done! But don’t let failure stop you. Embrace failure! Learn from it! When you were learning to walk, you fell so many times. It did not stop you. So, when you fail, keep tweaking what you do until you succeed."

"“I call myself the jack of all trades and muscle [to mean strength] of everything,”"

"“My business is all about making sure that all black women feel comfortable in their own skin.”"

"“I started Koko By Khloe Beauty as a response to limited quality skincare products in Africa. Unfortunately, there [are too many] hazardous skincare products in the African market. I wanted to go against the status quo and launch a cosmetics line that embraces different skin types and shades, providing them with well-trusted and patented products that nourish and promote healthy glowing skin.”"

"Cybersecurity is not a needle in tech, it is a whole field with different areas and fields."

"Building a successful career in cybersecurity is a marathon and not a sprint."

"I looked around for the most unfamiliar elective and just to ensure I am constantly challenging myself."

"I’ll say Nigeria is still a far cry from where we should be in terms of cybersecurity awareness."

"We have just short stints of interventions; we don’t have very strong communications around cyber issues."

"Acknowledge the fact that your gender can never be in the way of anything you want to achieve and you can achieve whatever you want to achieve, as long as you put your mind in, because the same mind a man has is the same mind you have."

"Don’t be afraid to go after your dreams. Sometimes, it may require courage to pursue what you want, but the minute you determine in your heart that you want something and you put in the work, you will achieve it."

"My focus has always been to shut out the noise and ensure that my talent is undeniable. There is no bone of mediocrity in me, only excellence."

"Every day, I strive to amplify my purpose, by sharing my knowledge and showcasing what is achievable through dedication and action."

"There are lots of challenges I have faced but I have chosen to always look at them from a positive lens and drown out the negativity, so I don’t fall into a perpetual victim state.""

"You truly must be passionate about the field of cybersecurity to be able to put in months or even years of work to gain the knowledge required to break in and stay.""

"Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field. Stay curious and committed to continuous learning, which will keep you thriving and fresh.""

"Believe in Yourself! Confidence is key (pun intended). Trust in your abilities and don’t let doubts hold you back."

"I am keen to see how emerging technologies like Artificial General Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and blockchain technology will shape and shake things up in the field of cybersecurity."

"Nigeria is still a far cry from where we should be in terms of cybersecurity awareness.""

"There’s been no better time to be a woman and interested in tech than now.""

"That’s when we can ensure a ‘full plate’ of opportunities to young talents in emerging economies and help eradicate poverty due to lack of job opportunities,"

"We have successfully trained and provided opportunities to over 10,000 students and entrepreneurs from Africa. We have also trained and primed 120 young adults to earn six-figure salaries in technology,”"

"The goal is to bring an authentic African hero into American pop culture. Having this kind of positive African image in mainstream culture is long overdue."

"highlight unsung heroes of the world community, highlight the uniqueness of every race, and celebrate diversity."

"We intentionally are looking to address the access to the capital gap for women in Africa as consumers and entrepreneurs as well as to reduce unemployment in our markets by providing growth capital to underfunded and overlooked companies."

"Generating strong financial returns whilst delivering positive and long-term social impact alongside tangible and measurable women empowerment outcomes. Enabling job creation for underrepresented groups as well as access to capital for overlooked underfunded women in Africa. We are deliberately integrating gender analysis into our investment analysis and decision-making."

"Access to capital for women and people of colour in my view is one of the most important dislocations in the private equity and venture capital industry that needs to be addressed in the next decade."

"There is a huge gap between intention to do impact investing, and the actual action. So I am hoping that this gap closes in the coming decade and that we have institutions putting money where their mouth is in terms of addressing racial inequities as well as unconscious biases women face."

"Overcoming the misconception that to be an impact fund you have to sacrifice returns for positive social impact remains to be one of the biggest challenges. Mainstreaming impact investing and integrating gender analysis and ESG as part of the investment process and not only reserving this for impact funds will be where we will need to get to as an industry as a whole globally."

"We need to continue to showcase the success stories of impact investing where intentionality around impact actually enhances returns, this will be key in helping impact investing to become more mainstream."

"It’s a business that we remain very, very excited about in terms of the growth trajectory."

"The way that they’ve been able to create this ecosystem that is really enabling the informal economy to really scale and have access to finance."

"The unit economics of these centres are just phenomenal."

"You set up a centre and it breaks even in a short space of time."

"We think that if you’re able to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare services, like diagnostics, in peri-urban areas so outside the big cities you are really able to position yourself in an industry with limited competition."

"Fundraising is not for the faint-hearted. *Getting global institutions to back you, back your firm, back your vision, back your strategy."

"It takes time, it takes years of building trust, years of communication, years of follow-ups."

"When you finally get them, it’s very, very fulfilling."

"You’re fundraising for one fund, you’re deploying another fund, you’re exiting another fund, you’re hiring, you’re reporting, you’re doing investor relations."

"Sometimes I feel there aren’t enough hours in the day."

"Sometimes I feel like I need three of me."

"I didn't plan to be an entrepreneur"

"Anyone can be an innovator"

"You don't have to look a certain way. It's not just for one type of person. Anybody can play a role, and there is so much work to be done."

"so many opportunities and potentials in Africa to innovate and help improve people's lives."

"Dealing with polices and governments can be hard. Also, distributions: How can I get a product that I made in Lagos out here to Austin?"

"Every single challenge and opportunity also presents a space for an innovator and entrepreneur to solve that problem"

"It is important for technology leaders to take the lead and be innovative in the way we communicate to government, because they [government staff] are learning as much as we are"

"They don't plan to slow down"

"the ladies who want to build million-dollar companies, lead corporate organizations and crush it as leaders."

"Absolutely not! My life plan was not to be an entrepreneur; my life plan was definitely not to live in Nigeria."

"I originally thought that I was going to work in public policy or work in Government. That’s what I studied in school, that’s what I worked in after university and I thought that that was the direction I wanted to head in."

"Go and do the work! It doesn’t matter how sweet your marketing is, how fancy your offices are, how shiny your degrees look on paper if you can’t sit and do the work and deliver something that people actually need and value and care about, then it’s a waste."

"You are not going to have much traction or much impact in this world."

"I think every single transition and every time you move to a new level requires you to step up and really build your skills."

"As a young entrepreneur, we don’t get much exposure to quality leadership to learn and build from."

"I think some people are blessed to have great managers and bosses and I definitely was able to get that."

"I didn’t have many chances or opportunities to build that skill myself."

"I definitely found it challenging when I was first starting out to just figure out how do I motivate people that aren’t like me."

"How do I create a structure where people are feeling encouraged to do the work? How do I manage people who aren’t performing and really push them to do better?"

"“The first thing to work on is poverty alleviation. The second is gender equality. And the third is more decent work. But poverty alleviation is at the core of the impact we're trying to create.”"

"I always wondered why financial inclusion was a problem, especially in a country where there is a wide network of distribution for fast-moving consumer goods. If alcohol and cigarettes can be easily available even in extreme northern Nigeria, why is it so challenging for financial services to hit the last mile?"

"I have seen the impact financial inclusion can have on poverty alleviation and I realize impacts can happen anywhere. We tend to assume you can only make impact in medicine or philanthropy, but I believe you can make impact even in a financial institution."

"“We have places in northern Nigeria where women are not culturally allowed to even own a bank account.”"

"Poverty alleviation is at the core of the impact we're trying to achieve, whatever form it takes. We're using access to financial services to do it now; later it could be by other means."

"My Work At Media Concern Initiative Has exposed Me To Many Skills."

"Starting Media Concern Initiative (MediaCon) has nothing to do with my being a survivor."

"I was working with The Punch Newspaper and managing two pages focusing on woman."

"I avoided doing the regular focus of most women’s section make-u, fashion, parenting for mothers (lol), cooking."

"I did differently having two full pages per week."

"I began to raise social issues and one of them was on Child Sexual Abuse."

"No one was talking about abuse."

"This invisible Tsunami was totally ignored as a nation."

"The response across the nation was huge."

"Adults from all six Geo=political zones in Nigeria responded."

"The boot camp programme, It is about how to start and keep the sex with your children going."

"This course was first introduced in 2016, on Teachable.com platform and over 250 parents trained."

"I was just testing the market and it was free."

"Over the years, more parents and care givers have taken the course and paid for. *For the first time in this training programme, other experts are joining us."

"In the course of writing, I decided to do something else on women and children and I got a huge response from the adult population across the nation both on email and hard copy."

"A lot of adults, male and female were talking about how they were molested as children."

"I’m talking about people who were my age and maybe older or a little younger."

"MediaConcern focuses strictly on sexual violence response."

"This means responding to the issue of sexual violence both at the prevention level and in terms of providing crisis response."

"Today we can testify to receive such cases very often because we have sexual abuse everywhere."

"When we started, it wasn’t everywhere."

"You don’t open the papers and see rape as an issue. But then, working together with media partners in early stages."

"Today we are glad that is in their face because we wanted it to come to their face because we wanted it to come to their face that there is a problem."

"When we were crying “it’s a wolf”, it was like “where is the wolf?” Now the wolf is saying, “I’m here”."

"Knowing that, you can talk to your child about sexual education at the home front. *The basic part of the body should be known."

"There is nothing wrong with using the word penis or vagina because that is what it is called."

"When the child knows that these are special areas in their bodies, I always prefer to say that all parts of their bodies are special."

"This is our moment. Let us lead with purpose and build a legacy of sustainable prosperity for generations to come."

"Africa is rapidly pioneering innovative practices in the circular economy, driven by necessity and ingenuity."

"We see a surge in waste-to-value initiatives, such as recycling plastics into construction and housing materials, organic waste converting into bioenergy, and innovative agro-processing that minimises waste."

"Digital platforms are connecting informal waste pickers to formal markets, enhancing efficiency and livelihoods."

"Cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg are adopting smart waste management systems, incentivised by policies."

"My favourite business case, Zubnol, is based in Aba and recycles plastic waste into the most beautiful beddings."

"The Circular Economy and its innovative ecosystems not only address environmental concerns but also create jobs, foster local entrepreneurship anchored in traditional business practices."

"The continent’s entrepreneurial spirit, supported by regional collaborations and global investment, is making the circular economy an integral part of Africa’s sustainable development future."

"In the previous understanding of capitalism, the point of a business’s existence was the pursuit of profits."

"We have taken a significant shift in consciousness since then, with many people moving towards a belief that the value of a corporate entity is also inextricably linked to its ability to create value for its stakeholders, society, the economy and the natural environment."

"My reference to Solidarity Capitalism in the chapter was a way of bringing that consciousness and that awareness to the fore."

"I also wanted to specifically reference indigenous knowledge systems and connect them to prevalent economic systems like capitalism to find a blend that creates a more holistic and sustainable future."

"The thinking that I am describing is not new."

"These approaches and intuitive knowledge have always been embedded in the cultural heritage of many African jurisdictions, kingdoms, and concepts like Ubuntu or Umunne/a."

"The way the Igbo describe culture— “Omenala” and “Omanani”— references “Ala” and “Ani”, meaning the Earth."

"There is an understanding that the Earth is a core stakeholder in how we should live, how we should think and how we should do business."

"A lot of African culture has been oral tradition, not necessarily captured in writing."

"When talking about Solidarity Capitalism in my chapter, I wanted to capture the elements of this holistic thinking that is inherent in where I come from."

"We have always lived by three key values—integrity, clarity, and courage. These guide every recommendation we make, every strategy we design, and every conversation we enter."

"Is not just about frameworks. It is about people. And until you get the human side right, the systems will never work."

"Sustainability is not a western concept. It is an African necessity that we have practised for year, but that globalisation took away from us"

"It is a human duty, and whether you are in boardrooms or in the villages, you must ask yourself—what legacy am I building?"

"Due to cultural practices and poor economic status, women are often at a disadvantage in many communities."

"The harmful effects of extractive activities make these challenges worse and put women at risk of being blamed and discriminated against."

"We had to mobilise some sort of private security for the trip to the Niger Delta communities."

"We liaised with respected people from these communities who briefed us ahead and helped us connect with the people."

"Another was shot in three different regions, which means footage from Jos and Badagry needed to be integrated with the one from River state. It ended up increasing our budget."

"The aim of highlighting the issues faced by women in extractive communities is to reroute the government and its fellow influencers."

"Taking a second look at policies and practices that have hampered the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within these communities."

"This is the social justice advocacy of the project."

"Extractive sector policies and laws help with equitable access to society’s resources which include socially valued goods, rewards and opportunities. *Participation in influencing, what is valued, shaping development directions, and distributing opportunities."

"“I can do something really big and really impactful here.""

""There’s so much opportunity to solve problems.”"

""For too long, Africa has leaned on imported solutions, paying premiums for software and services – But as we say, ‘Yes, there is rice at home!’ And now, there’s a cloud built here for us, and it’s just as good, not better.”"

"“At Okra, we fundamentally believe that convenience trumps everything, and part of our mission is to constantly improve the experience consumers have with their favourite Bank & Fintech apps by enabling the builders.""

"we built impactful technology, worked with some of the biggest brands across the continent, and helped pioneer open banking in Africa."

"It was an incredible journey; we built impactful technology, worked with some of the biggest brands across the continent, and helped pioneer open banking in Africa."

"They are the unsung heroes and heroines of our tedious nation-building efforts"

"They have been holding together this great nation through their ubiquitous trades as carpenters, bike riders, grinding machine operators, mechanics, vulcanisers, market men and women, hairdressers, tailors, photographers, welders.;"

"We have worked assiduously with us at CLP over these past three decades to improve elections and local governance all over the country."

"We plan to celebrate their efforts as we mark our 30th anniversary."

"Nigeria is a platform which we started and launchedin 2010."

"We have been working with grassroots organizations."

"Those we call grassroots civil society,organizations, mutual interest groups, artisan groups, over the years, since we started community Life Projects."

"We have done a lot of work in the area of health, sexuality, and livelihood."

"We found that there was a problem because governance was not really working for the poor, it was undermining some of the gains we had made with these groups, so we decided to launch a grassroots movement for civic engagement."

"These groups who represent voices that are excluded from decision-making tables as far as civic engagements was concerned, that they find a place around the table."

"The sector has been dominated by elite NGOs, so we launched this platform called Reclaim Naija through which these diverse grassroot groups, women’s networks, faith-based networks, and mutual interest groups, trade-based associations."

"We can come together all over the country under this grassroots movement and engage with government on different levels."

"The local government level because it is the level that is closest to the people where their influence will be most felt."

"I found myself starting to engage on health issues, especially HIV/AIDS.In the 80’s and early 90’s HIV/AIDS was a very big existential threat in Africa."

"I joined with a group of women who felt that we needed to respond and to do something to protect"

"I was already engaged along withother women in starting the first real feminist’s organization."

"We’ve had in this country,Women in Nigeria, WIN.2 I had been the national coordinator of WIN."

"We started a society for women and AIDS in Africa, along with health professionals and a few colleagues who were in WIN."

"I cameto the realization that we couldn’t feminize the response to HIV/AIDS,"

"We needed to get the men to get involved and to change their habits and behavior becausethe women didn’t seem to have enough negotiating power."

"The power dynamics within the families and community did not favor women, and I felt we needed to engage with men."

"At that time, it was not popular to engage men in the development world."

"That was the period when we were talking about how to get women in development."

"I was very convinced that we needed to engage with men and when I didn’t get much support for that."

"I decided to found Community Life Projects, where, as the name implies, we relate to young people, women, and families from the framework of community life."

"Thatwas how westarted Community Life Project in 1992."

"I have already mentioned how that’s now led us to found Reclaim Naija in 2010."

"My first experience with 3D printing was probably about 4 years ago in 2014 when YTF launched 3D Africa, an education platform that exploits the power of emerging technologies, like 3D printing, to spark innovation and create entrepreneurship opportunities for youth and women. *I remember first discussing the opportunity in the 3D printing market with someone from a private sector company in Nigeria and he in essence told me that while my idea was noble, he didn’t see it working in Nigeria as many wouldn’t be able to grasp the opportunity. He was wrong. *Youth for Technology Foundation was the first social enterprise to expand into the 3D printing market in Nigeria and since then a few other companies have come into the market. We distinguish ourselves, though by not simply providing 3D printing services, but actually delivering training."

"At YTF, we believe that emerging technologies, like 3D printing, allow people to design, invent and create the world they envision for themselves."

"In the maker movement, 3D printing is a key technology that allows innovation to be democratised, it’s a technology that opens doors and extends interest for people that often haven not been brought into the wings of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) primarily are girls and women."

"Our targets are primarily young people and women living alone especially those in undeveloped communities. In addition, Our mission is simple. We create, enrich the learning communities with the appropriate use of technology."

"However, our programmes take a gender sensitive approach in order to address the gender gap and gender bias for women and girls. This is as almost all our students in YTF academy are girls at the secondary school and university level. YTF Academy basically introduces students to basically digital literacy, free mobile and application software development and then we introduced emerging technologies into our curriculum."

"The Mary Dinah foundation started in 2006 with the school feeding project. Before then, we were doing a job link in London, helping women and girls who were homeless and on drugs in East London. We were not registered at the time but it was something that had started."

"For our first charity project, we worked with another charity called Door of Hope, and other registered charities in the UK. It was just me and one or two other people. So, that was my first work as a humanitarian. We would go out into the street at night in the freezing cold to offer tea or coffee and biscuits to women on the streets. I did that for some years."

"We started with Anglican Girls Seminary School and Christ Church School on Broad Street. We did that for a few years and then the pandemic hit. We had to re-strategize when we realised that the Northeast had the greatest humanitarian crisis. People couldn’t get food into the villages because the roads were bad and the networks were affected by terrorist activities that has gone on for about 12 years."

"So, we partnered with a few international organizations, and donors and we were able to significantly increase our giving, which was 100,000 meals per year, to no less than 28 million meals over the last three years. At the moment, we are distributing about 16 million meals every year. My personal goal is to get to about a billion meals."

"I set up the Mary Dinah Foundation 5 years ago and that has been amazingly satisfying. I have started very successful companies in the past that generated significant income but creating a channel whereby I could make a change and impact the lives of others is bigger than anything I have ever experienced before. It still is my greatest high point in life."

"Through the foundation, we connected over 10,000 youths to gainful employment and trained more than 3,000 students in Lagos on employability skills. What we have achieved is incredible and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to support my community."

"We run initiatives like the HER Safe Space Clubs, where girls learn about their rights, safety, and reproductive health right there in school."

"We also launched the He for Her campaign, which teaches boys how to be allies and stand up for the girls around them."

"It’s about building an ecosystem of support, ensuring girls are not just in school, but that they are seen, safe, and heard."

"Beyond the Classroom has become a way of saying, “I see you. You matter. You’re not alone."

"I know what’s possible when just one person believes in you."

"I want to be that person for as many girls as I can."

"It’s one of the projects I’m most proud of."

"The truth is, if we’re serious about changing the way girls are treated, then we have to bring boys into the conversation."

"It’s been girls doing all the heavy lifting, trying to survive, speak up, protect themselves, and fix systems that weren’t built with them in mind."

"It’s not fair, and it’s not sustainable."

"That’s why we created ‘He for Her’, to show boys that they have a role to play. And not just by posting online or saying the right things, but in how they behave every single day."

"How they talk to girls, how they show up as friends, classmates, brothers, and future husbands or leaders."

"Things like listening, respecting boundaries, speaking up when something’s wrong."

"These things are basic, but they matter so much. And let me be honest, this campaign is so personal to me."

"I know this work isn’t finished, it’s always evolving."

"What I love about these projects is how they work together."

"Each one focuses on a different part of the puzzle. For example, with the ‘Books Over Boys’ campaign and booklet, girls learn about the value of education and how unplanned pregnancy can disrupt their dreams."

"The ‘Go Girl’ board game teaches girls about their rights and leadership in a fun, exciting way."

"There’s the ‘He for Her’ campaign brings boys into the conversation, showing them how to be allies."

"I literally saw how education was transforming my life and I knew that there was no way I would sit back and not help other children, especially girls."

"I started removing the barriers that would prevent children from enrolling, staying, excelling and graduating from school."

"You would find me providing sanitary pads for girls to enable them stay in school or providing free books to children in and out of school to inspire them to either get enrolled or complete their education."

"My current project is the Community Empowerment Against Violence and Abuse."

"in the last one year, I have worked tirelessly to ensure we educate children in remote communities about COVID-19 and I am excited to see these new books reach the hands of many more children."

"It is focused on educating the children at one of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Abuja on abuse, molestation, rape and all sorts of abuse they could encounter at home or at school."

"We have worked with these displaced children for over three years and right after the lockdown when schools were resumed, we visited their camp and noticed a few girls were pregnant."

"Some confided in us that they were abused during the lockdown. The majority didn’t even know they were abused. The painful part for me is that these girls didn’t resume school last September."

"I started to think about what they would do differently if they knew more about abuse and how to keep themselves safe or call for help if they are ever molested. Thinking about them and how much we can help them helped me design this project to not only educate them but their parents and teachers as well."

"The project was simply on paper before we got this funding."

"I recall jumping up and dancing when I got the email. My heart went to the children. I was excited that 200 children would be armed with the information necessary to keep themselves safe from abuse and molestation and able to report should anything ever happen to them."

"I am excited and grateful."

"They’re not just guests."

"They are living proof that your past doesn’t have to be your prison. And every time I hear their stories, I see pieces of myself in them."

"Beyond Her Odds is my story too."

"bEvery hardship, every loss, every struggle prepared me to stand here today and tell girls, not just that they can make it, but that they will."

"Parents have a responsibility to keep their children safe and even though they can’t be with them everywhere, the least they can do is equip them from home with the necessary life skills they need to survive, be confident and stay safe."

"Ultimately, I want to see policies come alive in ways that improve the daily lives of girls, making their rights more than just words on paper but real protections and opportunities."

"Find what you love the most and do it. Because once you find purpose, only you can stop you."

"A ruby is a valued and precious stone. As precious as rubies are, they have imperfections in them. I am a woman of rubies because I am a precious and valued daughter of God."

"My passion for education and sexual & reproductive health for adolescent girls is influenced largely by my background and experiences growing up."

"I discovered that there is a gap in how people find volunteer opportunities and how non-profits find volunteers, so I designed a platform that advances community action by volunteering."

"Volunteering worked for me; I believe it is a solution that can tackle the problem of unemployment in Nigeria. By serving and giving your time, it can turn up to learning or earning opportunities."

"It is good to always remember that everyone you meet is fighting a battle you might not know about. So whatever it is you are going through, keep your spine straight, be honest in all you do and don’t be lured into becoming somebody you are not."

"As you try to make a meaning of your life, learn to build strong networks and collaborate with others in your field. It helps you to not only grow but also to keep hope in times of difficulty."

"At Salpha, we are constantly innovating our operational processes to enable us to come up with entirely new ways of filling orders, developing products, providing customer service, other activities across our value chain."

"Businesses that only prioritize producing money risk squeezing customers for every dime without attempting to add value."

"An illustration would be when businesses reduce the size or content of their products to minimize expenses but keep the price the same in the hopes that no one will notice."

"Long-term gains from this kind of short-term thinking are not enjoyed by anyone."

"Numerous businesses across the world, including mine that call themselves social enterprises are already doing this by combining profit with a desire to improve society and address social issues."

"This idea needs to be applied to both large and small, conventional enterprises."

"As a Nigerian based business, internationally facing supply chain projects are challenging."

"The challenging business environment is exacerbated by fluctuating exchange rates, inconsistent tariffs, and delays in customs clearance."

"The Forbes recognition was a humbling and life-changing moment."

"It provided global validation and sparked a wave of new alliances."

"I am proud that a young, Nigerian woman like myself through hard work and grit gets to represent Nigerian entrepreneurism in such a positive manner."

"The best part about being an entrepreneur is the opportunity to have a vision and inspire other people around me to contribute towards actualizing that vision."

"I’ve always viewed myself as a rebel with a cause, solving issues that are plaguing the African continent and impeding growth."

"I decided to leave my career at the UN to come to Nigeria to set up this solar energy business."

"The excitement was also to see how I can bring young entrepreneurs who could work with me to actualize my vision."

"The deal with All On is the $1million investment that is supposed to help Salpha Energy to scale its deployment of solar home systems across Nigeria and the plan is that we are focusing on the areas where people do not have access to energy."

"These people are the ones that have the most to gain and the most to lose from access to clean energy."

"We are also working with distributors to expand our services and businesses in the Nigerian market."

"We will be opening at least between 10 to 12 retail outlets in Nigeria including the South-South, South-East, South-West, North Central and North West."

"We had a project with All On, with the US African Development Fund, USADF."

"That was a project to deploy 2000 solar home systems at the entry level."

"It lasted for a year and six months."

"The aim of the project is to help people especially women in that area to have experience with clean energy instead of using kerosene."

"We finished the project nine months beyond schedule which is an important breakthrough for us to be able to scale this solution quickly."

"The challenge is that in solar energy, you do not see enough solar products in key marketplaces and we are trying to make sure that these products are visible and they are of good quality."

"Investors need to know that you are well informed about the product you’re pitching. Know your numbers when presenting, what has been your ROI thus far? How much do you need to carry out your next endeavor? Get investors who not only give money but also invest time into your project."

"Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. You do not always want to be the one with the best ideas in the room."

"It’s important that you find investors that fall in line with your business interests. Choose one revenue model that you want to focus on, state what you want clearly and simply."

"Put people first and the governance follows."

"We’re not here to compete with men but compliment men because women bring a completely different skillset to the board room."

"The real test of modern leadership is whether boards can harness the technological power of AI without surrendering judgment, empathy and accountability."

"In an age of algorithms, the most enduring competitive advantage is not computational speed, but human discernment."

"Sustainable excellence is not built on technology alone. It emerges from the interplay of intellect with integrity, innovation with empathy."

"It is important for the country to focus on sustainability, which includes renewable energy that gives a sustainable source of power supply."

"If we can harness God given natural resources such as water, wind, steam turbines, fossil fuel, biomass, geothermal and solar energy source, among others, the cost of production of energy in the country would drop drastically."

"Talking about biogas, I think Nigeria is behind, because presently in Indian, they have so perfected it that one can buy plastic biogas generators at home and cook with it, power the house."

"Q:: Education in Nigeria today is fast dropping in standards. How else can we harness the potential of the skilled child in Nigeria today? A: We can organize programs to discover them as the Project Skill Competition organized here today. Our sole aim should be on how to encourage these children to discover their environment and proffer solution."

"Q: How is the Nigerian technical sector working to enact laws to prioritize the education of the underprivileged children? A: Teachers are encouraged to put in their best. These would ultimately provide a cheaper and qualitative education. Notwithstanding, we would look into ways to ensure that children who are very bright but underprivileged go to school."

"Today, the issue of food insecurity worldwide is at a critical stage. All of us cannot deny that it is a tragedy of today that one billion people go to bed hungry everyday with a no better tomorrow."

"That is to say that every day, about 60 million Nigerians go to bed hungry, this should challenge us as well as touch us deeply."

"Nigeria must increase food production through the development of relevant machinery and equipment to process and produce more food."

"Food insecurity is a major concern to majority of the developing world."

"I transitioned into the field of education with the mission of bridging the communication gaps that often exist around technology."

"The best way to handle doubt is to try out those things you are scared of by starting small. When you try and see the result, it fuels your conviction, you learn, and it helps you improve. Adversity is a faith and muscle builder; it makes you stronger and forces you out of your comfort zone. So, I welcome it with an open mind and see it as an opportunity to learn and create value."

"So, I was convinced that Shuttlers would work, even though everyone around me had doubts. They tried convincing me otherwise, but I didn’t listen. I had a clear conviction that Shuttlers was the way to go."