Women from Nigeria

"I am fairly classless because it is very difficult to class someone who comes from a mixed marriage. There isn’t a class structure in Nigeria, there’s a tribal structure and prestige as far as money is concerned. My mother comes from a family where her mother was very working-class and her father was middle-class stroke artsy-fartsy."

"One bloke approached an entire interview as if I was trying to be a jazz musician. I’ve never said that. I’ve never even tried it. And if we did we’d do a darn sight better job than we are doing now."

"Most things around are very similar in every respect, the music and the way people look. In order to be in a band, you have to have certain colors in your hair—still! Our image is striking because it is different, not because it is particularly outstanding."

"I don’t like segregation…Music is something which should be available to all people. When you go into a club there is no color bar on the dance floor, so why should it apply to radio station? Unfortunately it does. It does not only apply to black and white, it also applies to heavy metal, pop, all that. It’s such a big place with such big corporations everywhere that in order to feel safe they have to categorize things."

"You sort of feel like you’re a gladiator going out there because even though you know most of these people have come from a good place and they love your music and they come with a feeling of love, which is what you walk away with…It’s a bit like being thrown at the lions when you go out there because you have this sort of fear, even though it’s irrational, (that) you’re going to get torn apart, so you go out and you have to be good."

"Be discerning about where you work."

"Failure happens, but it’s not fatal."

"To thine own self be true"

"Life is a journey and in any journey, there is sort of milestones, there are pitstops, there are hurdles, there are successes that we celebrate."

"Women are more confident and have higher aspirations."

"Know what you want and plan your career journey."

"Begin with an end in mind."

"Be Purposeful."

"Success depends on what you choose to ignore."

"Choose your battles wisely, especially in a male-dominated industry where you can easily be perceived as an angry and embittered woman if you fight every single battle."

"As a woman, you should aim to glide through life, elegantly like a swan whose head and body are seen above water, but who conceals her toughness and resilience underneath most of the time."

"Life is never truly balanced."

"I think a woman can have it all — on her own terms."

"He was very purposeful and determined. He didn’t go into anything without having the desired outcome."

"The ability to take a calculated risk energizes me."

"Find opportunities to buy below market price, at a time when markets are depressed, so you ultimately may stand to gain more when you eventually sell."

"The idea [the government's 'You Win' campaign] is that instead of young people in Nigeria waiting to get employment, they should create their own jobs and employ their peers and employ other people."

"So we were not able to save when we should have. That is why you find that Nigeria is now in the situation it is in."

"We have a choice. Either we converge downwards by allowing the virus to drag us all back down, or we converge upwards by vaccinating the world."

"Investing in women is smart economics, and investing in girls, catching them upstream is even smarter economics."

"No one can fight corruption for Nigerians except Nigerians. Everyone has to be committed from the top to the bottom to fight it."

"It's about our common good, because these variants will come back if people are not vaccinated."

"Africa represents our fastest-growing region in the world. If you want to be relevant, you need to be in this part of the world."

"It’s not just about empowering women, it’s about economic growth."

"Unless we can make access to finance easier for women in their businesses, we will be missing out on a significant portion of growth within our economies."

"Compare non retiring income with investment such as bonds and fixed income etc.Annuity is low risk venture, fixed rate and guaranteed income for life and dependable old age."

"“Africa’s opportunity lies not in aid — but in adding value, building trust, and using our resources wisely,”"

"“Our critical minerals are in demand — but instead of giving them away raw, we must negotiate smartly, add value locally, create jobs, and become a true hub of global manufacturing and innovation""

"“Even solving one problem or building one enterprise can have ripple effects across the continent. Everyone has a role to play in building Africa’s future,”"

"“Events like this roundtable are vital platforms to foster collaboration, deepen trust, and unlock the entrepreneurial potential that exists both within Africa and among its global diaspora. It was an honor to join this important dialogue and help shape conversations that will drive long-term impact,”"

"“Diaspora investment is not just about capital; it’s about building ecosystems and reshaping Africa’s economic narrative. We are proud to create a platform where action-oriented conversations drive real change.”"

"“Africa really needs to change its mindset about access to aid. We should begin to see it as a thing of the past,”"

"“Our focus should be on two key areas — attracting investment and mobilising domestic resources.”"

"“The biggest pension funds are in South Africa, followed by Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Botswana, and Namibia. These resources are hugely significant, and we need to find ways to tap into them,”"

"“At present, these institutions have a combined balance sheet of about $70 billion, but our infrastructure needs alone exceed $200 billion annually. Instead of looking outward for financial support, we must strengthen our own institutions,”"

"I’ve developed my own style. It’s a colourful one. It’s African, and it is me."

"There is always guilt. Just make it work."

"If you have a sense of purpose that drives you, then aim high and become a leader and make room as you go."

"There is no right way to be a woman leader. Be true to yourself."

"Get anyone you know talking about gender stereotypes. These false assumptions cannot survive being held up to the light of day."

"Don’t take a backward step. Don’t shy away from taking up space in the world. Don’t assume you are too junior or that people are too busy. Reach out and network."

"I’m told, I’m like my father, and he was the most wonderful man. But I think he was gentler than me."

"I believe that when you find problems, you should also find solutions."

"In the 73 years of GATT WTO, I am honoured to be First Woman and First African to lead. But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget Business as usual!"

"“Nigeria does have a problem with corruption. And so do many other countries, including developed countries. I don’t like the fact that when people mention the name Nigeria, the next thing they say is corruption.”"

"“On my first day I sat in that chair and said Oh My God I can't do this. There are just too many things: we have to reform the budget, to fight corruption, do this, do that. But once I had set out the matrix, which became like a bible, I suddenly got a burst of confidence.”"

"“One of the first big things we did was to delink the budget from the oil price ... Any surplus above that we saved — and we announce to Nigerians how much we had saved each quarter.”"

"Our country is beyond repair at this rate. Diezani who has stolen billions and has the bloody balls to give a speech on how Yahoo boys are destroying Nigeria . And she knows she can do this and nothing will happen to her because our government is weak! And joke."

"That was the main reason. I needed to be back home so that I could be part of the country development. we are at such a crucial stage in our history and I want to be part of the people and form and push Nigeria to its full potential"

"A single mother is raising a child alone due to a variety of reasons- abandonment, broken relationship, out of choice whereas a widow is in her circumstance due to death of a spouse. Widows are dealing with grief, frustration, neglect and also the immense pressure of being the sole caregiver for their households."

"I find programming itself incredibly creative and fulfilling. Aderinokun Speaking on what she finds creative about her career."

"What I learned is that passion is like a great thing. But it's great because it actually just allows you to do all the hard work that you actually need to do to become really great at what you do. Because it's not like passion is going to be what you need to then put into the actual work. But if you have that PASSION that it doesn't feel like you're putting in so much hard work, it's just more like you're just doing something that you love.Ire Aderinokun speaking on Passion."

"In summary, there is no one right answer or one way to go about fostering a more inclusive environment. It is more about doing what you can.speaking on women inclusivity in TECH"

"You just need to put yourself out there the worst case is you will get rejected but you will get a lot more opportunities that you would if you just never really put yourself out and it may not be an easy thing to do to step outside your comfort zone and really put yourself out there.Ire Aderinokun speaking on Rejection."

"I have a problem with not knowing things. But even more, I seem to have a problem with not being able to do everything. Essentially, I am a serial ‘jack-of-all-trades’.Ire on her inner drive to be good at everything"

"I guess there is a part of me that is always dissatisfied with my current knowledge and ability. This trait does have its good sides. It means that I am always up for learning something new, which is essential in the technology industry. But it also means that I may unfortunately always be a master of none.Ire speaking on her "ever ready to learn" mindset"

"Even though I feel like I did not really have a role model to look up to, what has been rewarding for me is being able to be that for other people. I have heard people that say they started doing this or that because they have seen me do it and I am glad I’m able to do that for other people when I did not really have that.Ire speaking about being a role model"

"But I guess the important thing is that I see the value in the range of my experiences. Maybe it does make it more difficult to enter any one field. But maybe that means, ultimately, I’ll end up working for myself.Ire speaking on her entrepreneurial spirit"

"I’m learning that I have a pretty unique ability to learn things very well, and I shouldn’t shy away from that just because a lot of the world seemingly values specialists over generalists.Ire speaking on the importance of self awareness"

"Men trying to tell our story for us. Ire on the challenges females in TECH face"

"".....the fact that I have been able to speak in front of thousands of people and survive to tell the tale has been like a really big achievement!"Ire on her proudest moments"

"My advice to women is that if it is something that you are passionate about, try not to let those other things be the reason that you choose not to pursue this and do not let other people convince you that this is not something that you can do. You can definitely do it. Ire's advice to women"

"One of the most annoying things about Nigeria is the lack of consistent internet.Ire on the issues Nigerians in TECH face"

"There is a bias that women face, and it’s still there because most people still believe that women are less than men, especially in the society we live in. To change this, people need to educate the people they are close to and can have a meaningful effect on. Ire on gender bias"

"Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. You need to be passionate about helping the community grow.Ire's advice for TECH newbies"

"If I create something I think could be useful to other people, I tend to try to open source it. Ire speaking about her inspiration to open source her projects"

"I think if you’re to succeed in this career, you need to be able to motivate yourself.Ire's advice to young programmers"

"Rejection is another thing that everyone has to deal with. I don’t know that there’s a way to effectively manage it. I applied for jobs for months and got nothing but rejection emails. But you just have to keep trying!Ire's advice to young programmers about rejections"

"The best advice is to just get started. Writing is a skill that you can develop like anything else, so the more you do it the better you get. There's no reason to wait for anything to get started!Ire's advice to newbies on technical writing"

"Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it!Ire's advice to women who want to get into TECH"

"You just have to put the work in to get to that level, I believe anyone can do it.Ire's advice to young programmers who aspire to work for TECH giants like Google"

"The best way to enter the industry is to enter the industry. Start doing the work, build up your portfolio yourself. Do not wait until someone gives you a job to actually start doing it”.Ire speaking during an interview"

"Rejection is another thing that everyone has to deal with. But you just have to keep trying!””"

"“If you create something you think could be useful to other people, try to open source it.”"

"If we [lawyers] are corruption-free, the whole country will be corruption-free."

"Speak up against those who cannot speak for themselves. Let’s speak in the language of the youths. Visit schools visit hospitals. What assistance do we offer those who cannot help themselves? We should assist rape victims. We should be the voice of the society."

"The event today has categorically proved that people who attain the age of 70 years and above are not brain-dead."

"It is imperative that the younger people should be made aware that values are constants which must be demonstrated in all our activities."

"Legal practice has become globalized. And I advocate lawyers without borders and like doctors without borders so that you can practice anywhere in the world."

"We must have an easy relationship between the lawyers and the law enforcement agencies."

"And it is important for the Supreme Court itself to engage in self-criticism, self-awareness, self-assessment to address the loss of confidence of the people in the Supreme Court. That is where our salvation lies."

"If anything goes wrong with the Supreme Court, we are in trouble. If anything goes wrong with the court, we are in trouble."

"We should stop applications for Judgeship (that's what is going on now). And it should not be based on where your father is or who your mother is or where you come from. It should be purely knowledge and merit."

"I always say that not all judges are corrupt there are some of them who labour night and day to give up their best and to make sure that judgments are based on evidence received and the applicable laws."

"The judiciary has no alternative than to defeat the monster of corruption for Nigerians to trust the judiciary and have full confidence in Nigeria’s justice system."

"I have played my part and I believe it is time to bow out,"

"When you are a teacher, you are performing before an audience – most are younger than you are, but still, it is an audience in a private forum. But if you are going to perform before an audience you must be very sure of your script and what you are going to impart."

"People will keep criticizing when they want exactly what you have. They hate and they talk, but they want what you have. They crave to have what they have. So when they talk, the only way to shut them up is to even do better and up your game."

"Challenges are normal, going above them and still achieving your dream is humane. Always look at the goal and not the challenges at the side."

"There are always obstacles in life when you want to achieve greatness. It makes you a strong person, being able to go through all the hurdles, and still come out tops is what makes you successful."

"I use the scale of preference. I live my life based on what is more important and that’s how I follow it."

"Health is wealth and how you take care of yourself determines how long you will last. You can use a product and support it with healthy eating and exercise. So anyone that tells you there is a weight loss product you can use that will work without eating well and doing some form of exercise is lying."

"Please Lord, its eight-years, make many more years come to pass. Eternity would be perfect."

"I think African things are really getting better the last cup of Nations was real quality teams have buckled up prepare hard, trained hard and it was pretty difficult."

"I am really excited proud of myself, 4 x is something to always remember."

"It keeps me going but of course there is still more work to do I want to create my own history and not just equal someone else's record that I'm going to give my best to create mine"

"I will never understand why y’all curse out people for not wanting to have kids…..Like, it’s their decision, let them be !!! We all see Life differently, biko."

"I want these girls to know they shouldn’t focus just on football, because when they are like 40 to 50 years, they may not be able to do much; but should also combine it with school or any handwork they are good at"

"I also know that I represent many people on the pitch and a lot of girls look up to me; and so, I tend to give my best as a good time model"

"I am really happy about that but I will also want everyone to understand that most times in football, it is about the team first while individual glory can come after."

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

"Oshoala, an inspiring young woman, is also a great role model to young women in Nigeria and we are very proud of all her accomplishments and effort towards encouraging underprivileged girls through her foundation"

"I never had the intention to play football professionally, I wanted to be a lawyer"

"Moving to Europe made me switch a lot of things. It moulded me to become a proper professional player"

"I have always strived to give back to the girl child in my community and I believe this football academy will provide opportunities for more girls to excel through the combination of sport and education"

"Nigeria needs to be rescued urgently. What we see in our country is massive failure of our leaders."

"To reduce opportunities for corruption, you do things like structural changes in the economy."

"Anyone who wants to tackle corruption must be willing to go all the way. There are no shortcuts."

"How can the cost of education be the cost of life? It is unacceptable; it is reprehensible that we have allowed it to fester."

"When there is no consequences for criminality, it mushrooms."

"The way out for our youths is jobs, jobs, jobs."

"Education has always been known as the pathway to progress. The early child education will be integrated."

"That week that you heard me declare. I got to the point listening to ‘these people’ carrying on as if we are in an ‘okay’ place. We only have an Atiku and Buhari, who are candidates of the BUTIKU family. It was very clear that we were back again in a situation where citizens have to say, we have to choose of between a lesser evil in the two men."

"I am here to change that dirty Nigerian politics. If you are waiting for me to give you money, I will not give you, I don’t have and even if I have, I will not give anybody money. You should ask your self a question: why will a person give you money to go and serve you? How does that make sense? The only explanation is that the person is not going to serve you."

"What is the definition of structure? What these politicians call structure is a captive audience of Nigerians who come out when they need them to come out. You think the structure is that they build story building? No. It is that there is a captive audience of Nigerians who have bought into their message, who when they say to them, there is a meeting at the village square, they all come out."

"That is the point I am making, I am saying to you that the structure is the individual Nigerians, so the question you should be asking is that, do we now have people in each of these places that have bought into the message of the ACPN of today? I am here to say to you, yes we do."

"There is no way the movement can be abandoned. Have you not noticed how frequently we change leadership? It is a model for how to run institutions in Africa. This is a movement that has been on the basis of the sweat of Nigerians. We told ourselves from the very beginning that we will not take a dime from anybody."

"It’s part of the 436 reforms. It’s only one out of 436 reforms. People forget that we had to do ORASS, Operation Reach All Secondary Schools. We grilled secondary school inspectors and gave them the tools and they went to every secondary school in this land and on the basis of what they did, we were able to design what is called the Nigerian Education Management Information System."

"But education is the heartbeat of human capital development. When we say human development, we are talking of education and health. We need healthy human beings who you then give education. That is human development. The programme that we have is very interesting. Number one matter for us in the education reform programmw is to completely change the position of the teachers in our education system because research has showed us that almost 60 per cent of learning outcome is determined by the quality of the teacher in the class room."

"Prevention! A lot of institutional structures will take care of it. For example, systemic change. During the public procurement reforms, you saw how that reduced public contracting corruption. We are going to do process change to improve service delivery. The big banana is the deregulation of the economy."

"I think the endorsement of the Nigerian people is what I’m working so hard to get right now and that is why I want all Nigerian people to get ready to vote for me. All these years, what did you get in voting in almost 20 years of our democracy? Have you not been wasting your votes? A vote for Ezekwesili gets you good governance"

"God is very intentional about your life. It does not matter what anyone thinks or says, what matters is what God’s word says about you."

"Keep dreaming, the best ideas comes in your dreams and the ability to create a world of fantasy. Stalk your mentors and their works."

"The greatest thing you can do for yourself in every time you have the opportunity to handle someone’s project, knock it out the park, and that is what I live by every day."

"I try not to focus on the negatives and limitation. I just work hard and make sure I deliver with the opportunity given to me."

"Nigerians truly have a gift. We can turn the most dire situation into a hilarious joke."

"Every time you have a chance to showcase your craft, your mission is to knock it out the park."

"Again, be authentic."

"The thing about Lagos is that it has so much flavour.It can be better but there’s nothing like home."

"“When a girl is educated, she can read and write, she is aware of the law, and knows love. When a girl is educated, she is aware of her potential; she can read about Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of the World Trade Organisation.”"

"“Imagine if Stella Adedavor, a medical doctor, and Nana Asamoah, a poet, were never educated.”"

"Let us all be our brother’s keeper, whenever we notice an abuse, let us speak out, let us all stand up to help the victims of abuse and stand up to eradicate it in our communities."

"Our girls are precious and should be handled with care."

"Empowering a woman means empowering a nation, I advise that you all add value to your homes."

"Don’t deceive yourself to think that politics will produce all the answers. What is going to bring a change in this season are women who are way ahead of their political happening but key into the spirit to hear what God is saying and they obey those illogical instructions."

"I think we should spare a thought and pray that it is also the set time for those who have the home and the children but have no food and no money."

"Women should be seen as custodians of a prosperous Nigeria and must be given priority in the scheme of things, especially in decision-making."

"“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”."

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

"Why copy and paste when we all have such uniquenes"

"People will try to intimidate you and change you when they think you don’t have confidence in who you are."

"“I was privileged to be the Production Manager/ FOH Engineer for Jesus House Chicago's (RCCG) 2011 Worship Concert that featured Midnight Crew & Sonnie Badu”."

"I wrote my first song when I was 7"

"“Yeah. You know I was always drawn to the music. When I got into secondary school, which was my first opportunity to be able to make my own choices, I joined the choir at Queens College, and it was such a wonderful experience. I just carried on from there; it was a step after the other: taking solos, enjoying the whole scenario, and by the time I got to university, I was fortunate to be a part of a wonderful girl-(musical) group that enjoyed so much success on the Nigerian scene, Kush, and that was an amazing experience. And…you know…it just kept going from there until it got to a point where there was no turning back”."

"“You see because doing music was not about making it, those were not the considerations for me. It was about: oh my goodness, this is such a huge price, and am I ready to pay this price?”"

"With any form of art...authenticity is crucial to success."

"Pray it, i believe it and then worked towards the goal of success as though it was my only reality."

"It’s just part of what I believe. I grew up believing that music is a responsibility and you kinda change lives with what you do"

"I was a bit upset about the KUSH break-up."

"“It’s a very rewarding experience to put songs out there that actually go on to impact people’s lives positively.” [9] Sharing her experience on what it feels like to be a gospel Artist."

"I know that If I had other features it would have been more elaborate. It would have been better if we had had different talents and points-of-views and all that. And I think the songs that have features are amazing and they complete the songs. But for the rest of the songs, I'm very happy that they are the way they are. They are telling my story and I want people to listen to it with my voice."

"Sometimes I'm on a bus or at least when I used to still enter buses I will just have inspiration and start writing or singing."

"I always knew the name of my album was going to be 19 and dangerous, when I was younger and years before I even signed up for Marvin I mean it was going to be that."

"wrote about what I would do and how I would do it. Because I've always known it was going to happen. I've worked hard to be where I am today and I've been saying since I was young that I was going to be popular and famous. I've been Ayra Starr since I was born. I was that annoying child who would tell everyone that I was going to be a superstar."

"“Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.”"

"“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.”"

"“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.”"

"“In order to write about life first you must live it.”"

"“The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.”"

"“There you shall find a piece of advice”"

"“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.”"

"“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”"

"“Get busy living or get busy dying.”"

"“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”"

"“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”"

"“If you hate your enemies, enemies shine”"

"“If you’re not a friend of me, enter the light”"

"“Consistency is the ultimate hack to success in life”"

"“Giving is the easiest way to building lasting wealth”"

"“Never back down, keep getting back up”"

"“If it is true, it will always endure”"

"“Your life is for many, not yours alone”"

"“Protect my energy from your bad aura”"

"“Standing where no man can put asunder”"

"“I wait and take on projects that I think can work”"

"“You just want to try a bunch of stuff, because you don’t know what’s going to be great."

"“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”"

"“Live for each second without hesitation.”"

"“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”"

"“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”"

"“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.”"

"People are going to want to try things and do their own versions of things. The key is that when we stick together as Afrobeats artists and continue with our sound; it can never be diluted. Nobody is ever going to be able to do it like us."

"Because I grew up in different cities at different stages of my life, I feel like my music has almost split personalities. I learned to adapt to whatever situation I found myself in and that's what I do with my music. If you give me a funk beat, I’ll find the Afrobeats in that and give you Afropunk. I always look for and find myself and my identity in every beat.Ayrra star interview with ELLE https://www.elle.com/"

"https://dailypost.ng/2025/03/28/i-dont-like-my-songs-after-recording-ayra-starr/Daily post"

"Ayra Starr official website"

"If there’s anything I owe my fans, it’s good content, interesting and realistic roles."

"I want to work hard enough to a point where I don’t have to introduce myself. My only fear is to fizzle away without making a mark."

"I’ve always had the passion for acting since I was a kid. It just had to be acting"

"One has to be neutral."

"One of the most profound lessons I’ve learnt is that time and chance happen to us all."

"It actually is difficult but the truth is, once you set boundaries and you can establish what you want and do not want, people would respect them."

"When you think about the way your fans love you and how much they support you and you understand the reason in which they love you and support you, then you would have to get the strength and motivation to do everything because not churning out content is like telling them I don’t care about you and that’s why they follow you."

"Where you are today is as a result of your thought of yesterday."

"If you want to see a better you sow Good Thought."

"What are you Seeing About Yourself Think Good things About Yourself."

"Think Positive Thought And you will see yourself Becoming What you Think on."

"You don’t have to wait till you feel the pain. You can start right now. It’s not too late to be grateful."

"We will not put an end to extreme poverty if we do not give priority to education especially, girls' education"

"I think the price is having people who don't really know where you're going, where you want to go where you're coming from, make decisions, and sometimes these decisions can be very bad for you. But it's the price that I have to pay to get my music out and to be here today. And it's normal because everybody will go through it."

"I think artistes are humans as well. Even though they possess special gifts. They're also humans that go through what you go through every day. They have aches and they fall ill. We hear them because they're famous. A lot of unknown people, regular people who all we don't know, we don't celebrate them, they are. I think this life is an illusion. This life we need light."

"We'll never forget this year. But I think every day of my life has always been a lock-down. I'm usually almost in isolation all the time. So this time it wasn't very hard for me. It was like I've lived this every day of my life. I actually enjoyed and got to see what actual silence means; where I didn't have boats on the water and we could see fishes jumping out. And the birds were out, the sky was blue. You didn't hear the sound of cars. It was surreal."

"Tomorrow is your opportunity to fail or be successful if you please"

"“When you just can’t see the future, when you just can’t see the light, you always got to put on a fight.”"

"“I know I can’t change the past, but as the river keeps flowing, I’ll keep on moving on.”"

"“Universal quality education is one of the best antidotes to poverty”"

"“Always stay humble and kind”"

"“We don’t have to go to 360 degrees, all we have to go is 180. We don’t have to climb the highest mountains, all you’re looking for is within you”"

"https://guardian.ng/opinion/asa-nigerias-singing-hawk/"

"If you don’t stand for something, you’ll stand for nothing. While the public service can open you to great opportunities, it can also offer other attractions that can make you compromise your values – it comes with the territory. There will be many opportunities for compromise, you must stay focused and look at the big picture. Ask yourself some critical questions like: Is this why I am here? Why should I settle for less?”"

"I believe African women are burdened by the weight of patriarchy, misinterpretation of religious tenets and a culture that has refused to grow beyond the Stone Age."

"Success or leadership is not limited to a particular gender."

"The difference between a job and a calling is passion. A job will put food on the table, get you life’s luxuries, take you to places and all, but a job that’s a calling will give you fulfilment in addition and endless opportunities!"

"Your love for your job will influence people and bring you big responsibilities beyond your wildest imagination... while the public service can open you to great opportunities, it can also offer other attractions that can make you compromise your values – it comes with the territory. There will be many opportunities for compromise, you must stay focused and look at the big picture."

"Distinguish yourself, be indispensable. One of the dangers of the public service is that efficiency is difficult to measure and because of that, one can get easily drawn into the regular routine of ‘soldier go, soldier come; barrack remains’. Don’t fall for that."

"There is no greater threat to a woman’s agency than violence. As a leading donor supporting efforts to end gender-based violence, the Ford Foundation is further demonstrating its commitment to supporting action and advocacy to counter attitudes, narratives and behaviors that perpetuate sexual violence"

"“Public service is very bureaucratic and routine. The chances of getting into the regular cycle is high. So, always re-invent yourself. Add something to the package of you that makes you a new improved product like marketers do... When it doesn’t work, know when to move on and be open to other opportunities. Take a break if you must and break new grounds.”"

"People will say terrible things about you, especially in our part of the world where strong, intelligent women breaking the ranks and cracking the glass ceiling is considered against the norm. Your greatest critics will come from your inner circle – close friends, family, immediate bosses and even yourself."

"Every party wants to put its best foot forward, and we are not sure that many are going to put women forward"

"Sexual violence does not just happen, it is a learned behaviour, people repeat patterns when they find out that there is no deterrent for a particular behaviour."

"You don’t sit in the comfort of your home and complain that governance is excluding women.So we are encouraging young women to participate in governance."

""We need to change the way we bring up women; otherwise Nigeria will not grow; when you educate a woman, you educate a nation"."

"There is witchcraft all over the world. So I will not join the campaign that says there is no witchcraft, because that is the devil speaking. And when the devil speaks, he makes a lot of people powerless and intimidates them. So I am not going to be part of that campaign. There are witches and those witches have to be delivered as they come for it."

"When you cast out demons and use matchet or nail, then it is no longer spiritual. In our church, we do not even use olive oil. I don’t like it. There is a book I am writing on Inconveniencing the Devil. It is criticising the use of addictives. There are churches that ask people to bring cloth, oil and other things for prayers, we don’t."

"I have never had a scandal. I have members of my church who are in top positions in government. They should have reacted since. People should come to the church to see what we are doing."

"Believe in that but my only reservation is whether government will have the willpower and sincerity to implement it."

"We’re still learning, and we will continue to learn because COVID-19 is so devastating and so impactful that we don’t think the learning period is over. The pandemic drove home to the continent the level of dependency on everything."

"I'm more reform oriented. I like to start things that were not in existence. I get bored going to things that have already been said. I'm constantly looking for innovation."

"Africa is getting tired of receiving aid, adding that it would be more beneficial for the continent to take charge of its future."

"I think there needs to be a paradigm shift from the way we look at collaboration."

"There’s been a lot of talk, and a lot of research but now it’s time for action. And how do you have this action translate properly on the continent? By very quickly, clearly, concisely, looking at the transactions themselves."

"We were very gratified to hear about the launch of the global gateway and the $300 billion initially earmarked for it."

"The homemaker aspect of a woman’s life teaches me one thing and that’s to joggle and manage different things at the same time."

"I had to overcome several obstacles in my life journey to become the Director General and CEO of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) managing over N2 trillion in assets."

"While it would be good for Africa to be given vaccines, the continent needs more of investments to become self-reliant."

"So, rather than looking to be given vaccines developed in those labs outside Africa by people, some of whom are of African descent who did not have infrastructure to do it on the continent, we should be looking at setting up these vaccine plants on the continent."

"Our call now to the rest of the world is to join us, not as aid givers, but as investment partners so that we can quite clearly chart the course for the future."

"Africa is increasingly getting tired of asking for aid when in all honesty we can trade. And that is what we’re now looking to provide at the Africa Investment Forum, a flagship initiative of the African Development Bank, where both domestic and international investors who are looking to invest for profit, while fulfilling a need, are mobilised to finance projects."

"Therein lies a moral obligation to be our brother’s keeper, but whether we are doing that or not is playing out in this matter of vaccine equity. So, quite frankly, from this side in Africa, I’m not certain that it will happen. So, what you’re seeing now on the continent is a realisation that you have an option not to wait to be given, but to take your future into your own hands."

"A couple of years ago, it was Ebola ravaging the continent. Now it is COVID-19. There may be something else in the future. How do we then position Africa to very clearly respond to their own needs without a dependence on aid?"

"The Africa Investment Forum has been supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area through the Forum’s parent institution, the African Development Bank."

"There is abundance of capital and projects in Africa."

"Project preparation and due diligence is very important."

"It’s a start, we’ll need a lot more, but this is something that is very exciting to us at the Africa Investment Forum, because it clearly charts a path where we can have a collaborative effort and ensure that deals on the continent have fruition."

"One of the biggest challenges is project preparation. You can always find capital and it is available both domestically and globally."

"On the domestic front, can I just say that the driver behind the pension reform we conducted was to ignite that domestic resource mobilisation. And across the continent, we haven’t even started to scratch the surface on that front. Just look at contributions as a percentage of GDP and it’s still small comparatively speaking. So there is capital."

"The issue we have found are the project themselves, the way they’re structured and the way they are prepared. We have noticed that you can have some fantastic projects but they are structure is wrong and they don’t have the basic corporate governance structures that make them investible from an investor’s perspective."

"I also think we need to be more ambitious. You see projects and they are too timid, too small. International investors and financiers want scale. So we also help see the bigger picture and help ensure that these projects are appealing and will meet the requirements and benchmarks that we know investors will request."

"We are uniquely placed to overcome all of these different items. We work with every government on the continent. So we can help smooth out issues around policy through discussions and sensitisation and through reforms. We also have proprietary data through the African Development Bank."

"It is always incumbent on the project sponsors and the advisors to structure the deals in a manner that you accompany the interests of the country you operate in. That’s what differentiates success and frustration."

"One should understand that when the presidents come to the AIF they don’t come to AIF as the president of such and such a country, they come to AIF as CEOs of their countries."

"They sit in the room with investors, they sit in the room with project sponsors and they hear first-hand how their intentions, their concerns, how policies affect the investments. And investors also get a better understanding of policy. It helps with decision making and we have seen leaders go back to work on policy to help drive greater investments and get deals over the line. That is the unique proposition of the AIF."

"First let me say that risks do exist. It would be naive and totally idealistic for anyone to say that political risk doesn’t exist. But it exists everywhere. The point is that it’s not going to go away. What we need are the tools to manage it so that it doesn’t become a problem. What we do on the AIF side is to ensure that we unlock these bottlenecks and sometimes it’s a political bottleneck, sometimes it’s a policy bottleneck. Sometimes it’s a data or business intelligence bottleneck because you can’t invest if you don’t understand your terrain, if you don’t have reliable numbers."

"The same principles that we discussed earlier still need to be applied to these sectors. Thinking about scale, structuring projects properly, creating awareness around the impact and upside."

"Talent is not the issue on the continent. We have it in abundance. We are naturally blessed in sports and in the creatives."

"But we want to look at it more than just an athlete or a singer. We are looking to creating the framework so that we monetise the IP. Others are currently making money from our talent."

"Around sports you have the merchandising, you have the whole ecosystem, the infrastructure and for those watching these sports, the hotels, the shops, the licensing. This is why people are paying billions for sports franchises."

"We are helping structure this, and helping channel investments towards this. The same applies to the creatives, and making sure that we are monetising our creations."

"Before I talk about deals, I would like to talk about something that is paramount to me: women as investment champions. This is something I am most proud of, the launch of the Women as Investment Champions."

"We are helping to channel monies to women-led and businesses with a gender lens. We have a dozen deals on our platform starting from $2m – a sheer butter business – to a multi-billion refinery business. Their stories are amazing when you look at the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, the challenges and sheer tenacity and not just the will but also the mental acumen to pursue the deals to where they are now."

"This is something we incredibly proud of and when we talk about women in business, we’re helping make it a reality. We’re helping create scale and impact. This year, mining especially what are termed green minerals. We have many technology projects and also projects around logistics."

"The Lagos to Abidjan corridor highway project has been well documented and it’s fully subscribed – the road, the rail connection. So, now we are working on the next step which is logistics, storage, warehousing along this corridor. That’s what the boardrooms will be focusing on during the AIF. Making transactions happen and getting real investor interest in critical projects that will help drive transformation and development."

"We are constantly putting things on the table that weren’t there before and constantly refusing to take no for an answer when it comes to Africa."

"And I suppose this is a continuation of a culture that goes back to my days at Pencon. There was a lot of talk on pension reform and many people were saying that it wasn’t possible. It took a few senior people and a very willing President Obasanjo to back us and we pushed through the pension reform and did it in such a way that it remains sustainable"

"That’s what we’re doing now with the Africa Investment Forum. Again, building a platform that is multi-transactional, multi-disciplinary and very deal-oriented. We are trying to get away from the endless talk about what needs to be done in Africa to actually doing stuff and we’re doing it one transaction at a time. We distil the talk into projects. We are working with the creative industry, for example, and doing a lot of work and seeing how we can channel funds to where it is needed, not just where people think it is needed."

"That brings me to your direct question about the perception of the Americans in business. You have to deal with people telling you what they think is good for you because you’re not able to speak for yourself."

"They say, this is what you need because you have not articulated your own needs in a manner that you can present it so that it will be addressed. The continent also has not understood its part in solving its own problems, nobody will do it for you. You’re going to have to rise and do it yourself."

"So through the AIF platform we’re helping people join us as partners and shifting the discussion to one of investments. And I see that this approach does resonate in the American market and US investors."

"With the AIF, which is a flagship initiative of the African Development Bank along with seven other founding partners, we are preparing projects for bankability and helping projects progress through the different steps, the next one being raising capital and once that is done also working to unlock the bottlenecks that can cause some deals to not reach closure."

"So we’re involved throughout the value chain, all year round, providing the tools and instruments and know-how to make a deal bankable and helping it see the light of day. Of course, each deal is different and our role will change depending on the needs."

"At the Africa Investment Forum, we distil the talk into projects."

"I explained to African Business why in the current crisis, originating transactions is more important than ever."

"“I thought, perhaps, I should leave the industry while the applause is still loud. It was a scary time and I didn’t want to be known as a failed artiste. Fans simply didn’t know what I was doing and that is what we’re trying to repair.”"

"“A girl needs a father. A girl needs her father, this girl will always love her father. This girl will dearly miss her father. Rest well daddy, you will always be in our hearts!”"

"I can cry over food. My tolerance level is not the same as yours. So let people express themselves the way they want to."

"Marriage is not that important o, joy and happiness, health and well-being. When the time comes we will all dance to the altar but till den let’s thank God for life”"

"“It was one of those moments…I just thought I haven’t gotten to that place I want to get to, so I just thought, do something else,”"

"During secondary school days, I started entertaining my friends during lunchtime...I had a sort of request songs and I would sing."

"I'm glad I can be comfortable as an African and singing my YouTube language when I drop songs, I drop beat songs."

"Maradona was a hit song when I dropped the video I and my team members knew it was a hit song for me but didn't know it was a master jam."

"Go for it and if it doesn’t work, try something else instead of living in regret."

"“Hard work is very important, and it will never go in vain. Just be yourself, and the world will listen to you.”"

"You just need to work for your own, and you have the talent and sky is just the beginning."

"She has also once confirm to go into acting and surely she will be a perfect match for Nollywood movies."

"“Get your bags ladies and gentlemen! Don’t let procrastination stop you.”"

". “Embrace your struggles! We’re all just working to be better. It’s okay to have struggles, it’s a part of life, it will all get better…”"

"“So never beat yourself up for failing to act or getting delayed on something. Just pick yourself back up and continue to push through. “."

"“Plant those seeds of productivity now and, one day, you’ll thank yourself that you did.”."

"“For the vision is meant for its appointed time; it speaks of the end, and it does not lie. It may take a while, but wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. ”"

"“Things will come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle.”"

"“If you strive hard, you can be just what you want.”"

"“If you know who you are, you won’t let what anyone says to you affect you.”"

"“Life is from the inside out. When you shift on the inside, life shifts on the outside. “"

"“When you have positive energy, everyone wants to be around you.”"

"“You can accomplish virtually anything if you want it badly enough and if you are willing to work long enough and hard enough.”"

"“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.”"

"“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”"

"“I pray you to reach a certain level of happiness! The one in which you need no validation. Just casually living your life, knowing tomorrow isn’t promised. ”"

"“There isn’t a person anywhere that isn’t capable of doing more than they think they can.”"

"“Opportunities are like sunrises – if you wait too long, you miss them.”"

"“People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.”"

"“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. “"

"“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.”"

"“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”"

"“What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.”"

"Niniola was a pretty type, while I was the jaga jaga type."

"https://thenationonlineng.net/why-i-reached-out-to-sarz-at-early-career-days-niniola/"

"The last 10 weeks have been the worst of my entire life. Yes the worst since I was born. I have gone from being so angry to being so broken and back to anger. And then Sadly which I am ashamed to admit suicide."

"As an individual, your own speech, your own choices matter, and can make a difference."

"In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experience that shaped you."

"Even my mistake will speak grace for me. Soon."

"Growing up with only my mother really affected my life and I suffered and I do not ever want my children to face the agony of not having both parents together because it was so hard for us. Even right now, the way the world is, children are more enlightened than we were in our days, so the pressure would be harder on the kids from broken homes right now. I do not want my children to ever experience that."

"I want to believe that I have successfully been able to identify and differentiate my brand as Annie Idibia the actress/career woman and Annie Idibia the wife/mother. I prefer being addressed as Annie and not Tubaba’s wife. I hate this because I am my own person and have worked hard to build my career and brand. I should be identified and respected on that basis."

"I have amazing potential i can make good choices i am never alone i can do hard things i am beautiful inside and out i am of great worth he has a plan for me i know who i am a daughter of God."

""I started Sisiyemmie.com in 2011, April 2, and my husband (then boyfriend) adviced me to look up what a blog was. At the time I was studying for my Masters degree at the University of Birmingham UK and I realized I had a lot of free time. I “googled” what a blog was, I opened the blog immediately and I haven’t looked back since!"

"It has to be everything really, but something that keeps my blood pumping is creating content!"

"Life inspires my ideas for my videos. Before I started vlogging, I was blogging and it was the same thing. I carried over the content from my blog to my videos."

"I treat my audience like my friends. Whatever information I feel I would love to share with a friend, I will share the same on my social platforms, especially if it is content that will add value to my audience."

"I can be pretty much an open book but, like everyone, I have my little secrets and moments I keep to myself and for my family. The key for me is to always add value. It could be a jollof rice hack or sharing an experience; whatever it is, I hope it helps my audience somehow."

"https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sisi+yemmie"

"Matrimony is not something to rush into and I intend to live by that I will not fall for the pressure of marriage because if I do and in the end something goes wrong the same people he asked me why I didn't take my time."

"The goal was to come out and to win this gold, Honestly, I believe in my abilities, but I was not expecting a world record at these championships."

"Unknown now, but I will be UNFORGETTABLE … I will Persist until I SUCCEED …."

"At this moment, Kendra owns the record and I don’t have any but she doesn’t have two heads. It will be good for me to run a PR or break the world record if she is not careful–just kidding…"

"Physically, I think I was ready, but mentally I wasn’t. I think my mentality let me down."

"Remember someone saying that I'm a giant in Africa, but a wounded lion on the world stage."

"This is good news for Nigerian athletics and sports in general and I pray and hope it inspires this generation of sports men and women of this generation and other generations to come."

"Hard work pays. Tobi is a hardworking girl who believes so much in herself and her coach (Jamaica's Lacena Golden-Clark). She didn’t give up after coming close to making the podium twice, first at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in 2019 where she came fourth and at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan where she also came fourth, losing by the narrowest of margins, especially in 2019. She never doubted herself or her coach."

"I strongly believe that we all have a part to contribute to making the world better. I’m committed to using my platform and resources to help provide the much-needed health care, facilities, and education especially for our African children and people living with disabilities so they are equipped to live comfortably and compete on a global level."

"I really think I have to find a partner that compliments me but still pushes me and is better at some things than I am, so they can inspire me to improve myself as a person."

"So many guys don’t want me, they want my dad. I dated a guy, and he was like; when is he going to meet my dad. I want someone to love the shit out of me and like to be happy and not my dad."

""I’m excited not only to play music but showcase the vast array of talented artists cultivating the music scene on the continent.”"

"So Neo-Afrobeats is basically a fusion of Afrobeats with different elements. So it can be Hip Hop, it can be House, it can be Pop."

"Africa is endowed with an array of diverse talents and creatives that are excellent in their fields. Music lovers from all over the world have begun to see how phenomenal Afrobeat is and have been captivated by our unique sound. There’s been a spin and the spotlight is on us now."

"I’ve had quite a number of career highlights for which I feel truly blessed that my hard work has met with success. I’m so proud of my African heritage and always have a sense of fulfillment when I’m given the opportunity to serve."

""The show represents a journey from West to East and North to South, but importantly a narrative of Africa then to Africa now.”"

"100 per cent. London was the focal point for me, going to university in London allowed me to fall even more in love with nightlife and allowed me to create a space that was kind of transatlantic."

"Covid-19 definitely threw a wrench in plans made for 2020. Nobody envisaged a pandemic of this magnitude when setting goals for the year. The need to limit all forms of physical contact has definitely shifted the perspective. We’ve had to adjust to the current reality and shift solely to virtual gatherings."

"I’ve grown from being a young girl with dreams to a woman with a global vision. My talent is a platform for more things to come and everyday the Cuppy mission gets even bigger. I have the most supportive fans, friends and family rooting for me and I’m very determined not to let them down. Their love spurs me on and motivates me to keep pushing no matter how rough or tough things get."

"I was like 15, 16 and I walked into a club in Lagos, underaged, and I fell in love with the fact that the DJ had so much power."

"With dating you have to be open-minded; I actually enjoy dating. When you go on a date, it is about talking and getting to know each other. I am ‘super open’, I want to be dating and that is why I met the bus driver."

"Well, Cuppy comes from cupcakes. I was obsessed with baking when I was younger and let’s just say, I had cheeks like cupcakes. I was really cheerful and I just loved anything sugary so people used to call me cupcake."

"So I feel like I’m a bit of a, you know, oxymoron in my environment, I feel like I’m a contradiction. And so for me, it was about finding a name that represented me going against the grain."

"Inspiration behind the Original Copy debut album (20 November 2020)"

"Best believe Tobi IS going to school and the @CuppyFoundation will provide EVERY she needs until she graduates!"

"https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2025/05/04/dj-cuppy-betrayed-they-used-me-to-get-to-my-dad/ PMnewsnigeria"

""So in your quest to thrive, there will be curve-balls thrown your way and you’ll have to take risks, it’s a given. But you’ve just got to trust your journey"."

"" Globally, we are at a tipping point, as we see various forms of injustice being revealed. And so now, more than ever, the world needs brave leaders like you, and me, and all other Kellogg grads around the world, to provide solutions to the existential problems being faced by humanity"."

""It so important to find your voice and help others find theirs too, during these extraordinary times"."

""I believe what’s most important is my quest to live a life that is relevant, and it can only be relevant if I have found solutions to problems that make a difference in the world I live in"."

"As a young woman who has worked hard to promote Africa in all I do, this meant a lot to me. I was sad when due to COVID 19, I was unable to join them in person. But by God’s grace, we will do so next year"

"To demonstrate that agriculture is a money-making business, and not some charity project, and a business that can deliver some astronomical returns"

"Governments must do a much better job as facilitators of enterprise, and not be a hindering force to SMEs that we all know are the engines of growth and employment in any economy"

"She’s a woman determined to break boundaries in the world and play a leading role in the transformation of Africa and its generation of young people"

"“Don’t try to tailor yourself to somebody else’s story because you might just deprive the world of the beautiful story that would have been you.”"

"“Don’t make any decision for now; don’t make permanent decisions on where you are now. Think about you in the future; don’t make temporary decisions to soothe or cater for temporary needs or present purchase.”"

"“If you are not preparing for the future, then everything that you are doing would not add on.”"

"” Success does not come because of one’s background”."

"”We are successful when every other designers who came through us are successful”."

"”Ethnicity made globally friendly is what makes Nigerian designs stand out”."

"What keeps me going is the love for the job."

"I think we just had to find a way to balance everything. We should also know that we’re going to make some sacrifices."

"It gives you some sort of responsibility because you are almost able to influence whatever that person is feeling at the time. Whether it’s from the songs you’re playing, the news you’ve just given or whatever it is."

"One of the things I know I will forever be remembered for is my interviews. I was able to ask the big celebrities the questions that others were too scared to ask. They answered these questions and would often reveal more! And they always came back!"

"Live your best life. Work hard, play hard, love the people who matter, make money and be happy, because life is so unpredictable."

"There’s always this question about whether or not you can do it and have it all. Some people say ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ while others say you can, but not at the same time. I say, you can to a certain degree; you just have to do a lot of juggling."

"I always placed goals for myself because I believe that one should always challenge himself in order to get the best and that is what has been working for me."

"Why do I always choose the wrong men? That’s part of the problem ladies. We are always choosing. Sometimes let go and let God choose."

"I want to inspire young people to love themselves. And I decide to use my documentary, 'Skin,' because I didn't want to restrict my message to a small community. I knew it was important to get the message further."

"The effect of bleaching and colourism is a global awareness campaign that seeks to promote healthy skin, self- love and acceptance in the society."

"There is no point in doing something that you don’t derive fulfillment. It’s always good to do things you haven’t done before. That’s how you can grow as a human being."

"Passion motivates me because on my own, I am comfortable. If I were to rely on the wealth of my parents, I would lack nothing today. But I am willing to create my own wealth. With this, at the back of my mind, passion leads me. I hope to make money from what I am doing, so, I don’t have to rely on my parents."

"As an industry, we need to diversify. As a person, I need to impact on people. I grew up in a very difficult situation. I was bullied and mocked for my skin. The same problem is trending and I have to contribute my best to stop it."

"Every story, every adventure has and must have an ending."

"We have to learn to adapt wherever we found ourselves."

"When Good things happen, you have to know the right time to make a move. When you believe in God, things align and fall into place."

"Even when things are not going in your direction, you just have to learn to adapt."

"Education is very important because you can fall back to it after you are done playing football."

"I think she has the potential to be one of the best players in the world-Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum."

"She is in no doubt an exciting attacker – technically unbelievable, great pace – who can scale the summit of the beautiful game."

"When you are doing something you are enjoying, you wouldn’t bother to take care of your health. Once there is life in you, you keep doing what you are doing. And it’s something that pays back on your body."

"You were born not to make noise but to make impact."

"The ability to speak is good but the ability to speak to yourself is awesome if you can listen."

"As you grow older, you start to understand more and more that life is not about what you look like or what you own, it’s all about the person you have become and the people you have blessed."

"When the going gets tough, that is when I see God coming in his full might."

"It will inject life and fun into the weekday evenings of the viewing audience, bringing a vast array of local and international acts and celebrities from the world of art, cinema, music and politics into the viewer’s living room."

"This is the only interview I’m going to give about it because my children didn’t choose to come into this world or choose to be famous that way. I’m the one who’s famous. My children are not famous. I’m hoping they’re going to be able to live very normal lives."

"These days, no real questions get answered and no real issues get dealt with but the late night shows will be more real and on when the children are asleep. This will give us an opportunity to have real adult conversation, of whatever could be bothering you."

"I like TV. I like watching precisely the kind of show that I am doing now. I want one show which gives me everything from current affairs to the happening music, movies as well as stars that are doing well like Genevieve, Omotola, while at the same time watching conversations with politicians, business leaders without having to change the channel."

"I am impressed with certain females. Being a woman, even though I am not actively promoting this gender alone, there are women featured in the show that dazzled my imagination. Dakore being one, is one of the most intelligent and coherent. She has the most passionate set of morals."

"My businesses revolves around things I like..., I love food, sleep, wish I could say I love exercise but I don't! I like to be healthy. I am not about fashion what I am about is beauty; hair, skin."

"I have lived with endometriosis since the age of 13. I was sent to boarding school in England when I was seven. I went to prep school. It was during the first few days in secondary school that I began my periods (menstrual). They called the ambulance and I was hospitalized for 10 days because the pain started and wouldn’t stop. I thought I was going to die. Living with endometriosis is a challenge."

"I chose to have my children look like my cousins, the children of my sister, and the children of my brother – all the same colour. I did what I needed to do to make that happen. My children bear Oshinowo. It’s a very good surname to have!"

"Like everyone else, I just do the best I can. I’m constantly juggling. I constantly feel guilty. I constantly feel I should be better and should be doing a lot more with them. As a mother, it’s never ending. But I do acknowledge that I am very lucky to have a phenomenal team at home"

"It’s so easy for someone who looks like me to say NO; when every time I look in the mirror the face of a thirty-year old stares back at me. If I didn’t look like this; if I hadn’t aged so well; who knows? It’s an impossible question to answer"

"I have never had an examination without my period, I have never travelled without my period. There are so many things I have never done without my period. When I’m very happy, my period comes, When I’m depressed, my period is there. I learned just to cope with it. I love the quote that women wear their pain like stilettos. That’s what I have been doing"

"Until I turned 40, Nigerians didn’t know I suffered from endometriosis. I granted an interview and Nigerians understood why I never drank alcohol. You cannot be on medication and take alcohol. It was finally understood why I was so clean cut and into healthy living. The first time I experienced the pain of endometriosis was very traumatic. I thought I was going to die. Really, I have lost count of the number of surgeries that I have had but I sure know that it’s more than 17 times"

"At last it was understood why if I come to your party, at 8pm I had to go home to bed and to take my pain killers; because when you live with endometriosis, you live with pain. I have a library in my home. It is a library about pain. I have so many books on pain cure"

"It is extraordinary the effect that endometriosis has on your life especially if you are ignorant. Ignorance is of two types – knowingly or unknowingly. My mother, unknowingly, was ignorant, because nobody had educated her about endometriosis"

"I talk about this pain, now, so that mothers, when their young daughters are starting their periods for the first time, and it is traumatic, they will go and sit with the doctors, ask questions and have it checked out"

"It is about showing people they can be who they are truly, without the masks and pretenses. You are a human being, and you can find yourself."

"Frank Ocean played a huge part; the first song that I’d heard by him was “Swim Good.” I used to also listen to Lil Wayne and Aaliyah. Lauryn Hill’s “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind” was very, very spiritual. I could feel the energy on it. Songs like those made me want to release. The songs that all of these artists sing are releases and the expression of their spirits."

"I got exposed to a couple of studios, and I met a few producers and started seeing the process of music being made. It made me question, “What is this?” I’d been only exploring piano and guitar at the time, and now you’re telling me I can do more than I’m already doing?"

"I love, love, love guitars and chords. I like things that are based on the instruments I originally learned—violin, flutes. I like things that sound raw and pure. When it comes to drums, I like them very percussion-heavy and in my own way. I enjoy hard kicks and tight snares."

"I used to write poems a lot – I’ll just sit down and write things I’m feeling, and it’ll come out so poetic, even if I’m just talking about breakfast."

"That sense of being an outcast continued into high school. “I just wasn’t popular; I cried a lot, I was very shy. I would cover my head with a blazer. I wouldn’t be able to talk – I just was a loner. And my only escape was the music room."

"I was very naive. I didn’t know that people lie, I didn’t know that people didn’t write their own songs. Music has always been my expression of how I felt. It’s always been my life."

"Music is my happy place. Music is the only thing that makes me feel truly at home. If I'm sad, it's the only thing I can run to. If someone says to me "here's a billion dollars, just chill" I would still do music. I mean, I'd collect the billion dollars and then do music. That's how bad it is. That's how much I love it."

"It was just very easy, it wasn't something I had to try for. So I understood music to be my thing and no matter what it was going to take, I had to end up in it."

"Freestyling, for me, feels like a release. A lot of things I feel, I can't explain, I just sing it. So it was one of those days when it was just inside me. I don't know where it came from. By the time I finished, I knew I had something special."

"Everything happened organically. The fact that so many people resonate with it makes me feel really good. I'm happy they can feel it."

"It was just really crazy. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. That was when I realized things have actually changed."

"Locally, I'm definitely hoping for Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Niniola. I'm also hoping for my friend, Dami Oniru. I'm hoping we can release some of our collaborations. Internationally, I'd like Stormzy, Ms Banks, and maybe Khalid. This is the longest shot ever but I want to work with Frank Ocean. Koffee as well! She's top on my list."

"Well, I’ve never felt more connected with my fans like that before. It just felt like we were all in one room and it was a lot of people, but it felt like we might as well have been in a big ass living room, just vibing. I really felt like that experience and the presence was just incredibly intense. I haven’t let go so much as I did before that day in terms of performing."

"I had a show the night before, so on Friday I was just sleeping the whole day."

"But I wasn’t thinking about how to be better in the limelight, I was just thinking of how to be a better person in general, the best possible version of myself. And I think once you start being visible, a lot of these things that you didn’t know existed start coming to light, you start knowing yourself more, too."

"What I hope that God does through me, is for the image of the African woman to be changed to something luxurious, or desired, or sought after. For the demand of the African woman to go up… Let us not be chasing foreign things, let us be something to be chased. And that can’t just happen with me; it’s a together thing. It has to happen with a whole industry of women already doing real and amazing things. That’s the future."

"The more power the people have, the greater we become as a whole."

"I don’t want to be somebody that follows; I don’t want to be the ‘after’ person."

"When I see any one of you gracing a stage, I feel like that’s me. We’re all winning and we’re about to move in like a tsunami… know that love lives on this side. As we show the world how it’s done."

"I think the perfectionism is definitely a Nigerian thing. For me, it’s definitely Lagos. Because if you check around the world, Nigerians are always the best at whatever they’re doing, whether that’s braids, hair, make-up, doctors… They’ll give you food and it’ll be over good, so that when you’re paying them, you know why."

"It’s not necessarily people, it’s really just a system. But once you’re an artist you’re not really an artist, you’re an entertainer – your life is entertainment for people. It’s a system of distraction."

"I can understand, when it's the speaking."

"When did I realize I was blown? When I got a DM from RiRi."

"“I think it’s important to be real with yourself and the people around you.”"

"https://thenationonlineng.net/tems-my-songs-are-mostly-from-experiences/"

"Your life is always as a result of what you have seen in your minds eye.. You first see it in your mind and then you See it in reality!"

"“ don’t ever think I’ve had a ‘this-is-it’ moment. I’ve just known that I love to sing and this is what I want to do.” “When you are serving, you just want the world to be a part of it."

"You must come to the point where you are content being unmarried. Then you would find a man with the same purpose as you. But if you are not content being unmarried, it is unlikely that you would be content being married, because your contentment doesn’t come from being married or unmarried."

"They have the freedom, through song, to discover their destiny and maximize their hidden potential through communion with the one true God. Indeed, your tireless efforts are completely deserving of the respect, administration, and commendation of the United States Congress."

"Refuse to be pull down by voices of condemnation and fear around you. Let the voice of God through His Word be the loudest voice in your ear"

"Without the Holy Spirit and a vibrant relationship with the Father many are swallowed up by the darkness and the hole of loneliness . That is why some may be sorrounded with much wealth, partying friends and family but still feel empty, lonely and surrounded by darkness and they cannot see or imagine a future !!!!! Peace and fulfillment is in Jesus."

"Not being able to graduate on time slowed me down from my music. My parents said, ‘if you’re going to make music, you have to graduate’. I was very frustrated."

"....Uyo Meyo means, when others win and you celebrate with them, your own too will come. I was happy for my younger sister when she graduated before me, and when my turn finally came, I was happy, and that’s where that song came from."

"It was amazing. I grew up in a big family and it was fun most of the time."

"It was alright and it did form a good starting point for my musical career as people took notice of my desire to pursue music professionally."

"For You is a song I really wanted to send a message of sacrificing everything for the one you love and I am glad Davido helped do that and even more."

"“Mistakes are not fatal, and failures are only battle scars"."

"For me, it is freedom; freedom to be yourself in every area of your life. When you have that freedom, you can change the world because you are yourself. Why does another person’s opinion matter so much to your happiness and life?"

"While you’re here, it is about your own happiness. That is how I live my life, on my own terms as Teniola Apata."

"Music is a gift from God. You know what it means to create a song and when you are asleep, people are dancing to it. Some people have sex to it? You go to different parts of the world and people are singing to it word for word. You cannot tell me that is not power. It is spiritual. So, when I make music, there are different ways it comes."

"You as an artiste, should see yourself as a business. You are a walking currency which means your face, voice, silhouette, and everything about you is valuable."

"The finish line is the day I die. Of course, I want a Grammy. But even after the Grammys, I know myself. I will also want more."

"I want to be a billionaire,for real. Honestly if you love to help you have to have some kind of money,” she said, adding that when she becomes a billionaire, she would give scholarships to people because she went to school with some international students and knew that sometimes they could not pay their school fees."

"The way you have ups is the same way you have downs,It's balanced. It's life. It's what makes life sweet. You enjoy and appreciate the good times, and you also appreciate the bad times too because it ushers in the good times and it teaches you how to appreciate [them]."

"I believe education is key to fostering independence, and allowing individuals to make their own decisions and thrive without external constraints … enabling them to contribute positively to society and reach their full potential."

"People say they want your art, but they don’t want the artist to express themselves in truth."

"It’s your own world, create whatever you like. With melodies, with instruments and with words. It’s just fun."

"I would say to an artist, don’t go independent if you are not ready. You have to be ready and you have to want to work and know why you are doing it because there’ll be a lot of nights where you are just tired. You have to have a why."

"It taught me that the waiting period is just preparation for something better. When something isn;t going as you planned, just relax, maybe the universe is preparing you to see another side, maybe it wants to teach you something."

"In whatever you do, in every area of your life, you are not alone. Be free, spread your wings. Just go and set yourself free."

"There’s no pain without growth and there’s no growth without pain."

"https://www.clashmusic.com/features/afrobeats-is-freedom-to-a-new-world-teni-interviewed/"

"If we remove sex from relationship you will discover that most of we ladies have nothing to offer in relationships, search your conscience, what else do you offer aside from sex.”"

"Finding someone you can truly connect with is like winning a lottery, it happens basically never. But when it does, don’t blow it.”"

"And one day, you wake up and simply decide no more"

"Sometimes when you listen to what society says you miss what God has to say to you."

"“If you see an angel passing. Tell him tell him to come my way.”"

"“Look out for people who look out for you. Loyalty is everything.”"

"“I feel like all genres from around the world originate from Africa.”"

"“Strong women still need their hands held.”"

"“I have a platform and that platform is so huge, I can’t just use it for music. I’ve got to use it for the voiceless as well.”"

"I see myself as a new artist again who is hustling. That’s my mentality, I don’t walk into a room expecting anyone to know who I am. I’m just here to get a seat at the table”"

"“Apart from the music and being able to touch people, there is a dark side to being in the limelight, and it comes with it and you deal with it, and I don’t want him to go through that.”"

"I think as women we can juggle lots of things at once; that's our superpower. I can literally be a full time mum and a a full time career woman."

"https://tribuneonlineng.com/tiwa-savage-shares-craziest-thing-shes-ever-done-for-love/"

"I think people have to kind of hear the fact that I started writing when I was nine years old. I want people to know my story and all the things that I do. I realize that sometimes, it is important to tell your own story, in your own words. So, that you can also have young people realize that you don’t give up. You just have to keep dreaming and realizing those dreams."

"Life has taught me gratitude. A few years ago, I got sick; my skin changed colour. I just woke up and my skin started changing colour and just about finding out what it was, I lost my brother, Michael, who was running the Foundation. He went for something and then, they shot him. So, my perspectives in life changed totally in terms of living our life just as it is and in turn I realized that everyday could be your last. I don’t think anything can change you more than something that is significant. He had just been with me in the hospital. When you go through such experiences like that then live your life for the best; don’t live it for anybody else. Don’t try to prove any point to anybody but just be as good as you can to the next person."

"So, I do a lot of things with my hands; from Aromatherapy to reflexology, massage. I have different escentric things that I do. But I enjoy readings, watching films and listening to a lot of music. So, when I’m writing, I intend to listen to music. When I’m selling my fabrics, I’m having fun as well."

"2013 was a very difficult year for us logistically. But interestingly, it was one of the years that we planned very well;there were a lot of issues, people claimed they were strangled and I begin to wonder how one could come into Nigeria with one way ticket. It’s not possible."

"Piracy will never go away. It is even what made Nollywood films popular."

"It was tough especially not knowing many people in an industry that is dominated by the menfolk. I am so passionate about films that my determination helped and a lot of perseverance and learning about how things work here. How I learnt abroad and how it is done here, is very different. So you have to learn, ask questions, and work with other people to gather experience. But when I came to my own productions, I had very high standard for myself even as a producer/ director."

"I like to learn from each project that I do what I can do better. I’ve always pushed myself to the next level. So I naturally expect high standard from everybody; actors, crew and everyone that I work with. I am tired of people telling me this is the way it is done in Nigeria. For me, mediocre is not an excuse. I understand that there are certain limitations we have but for me, with passion, determination and with God on your side, you can achieve anything. I am a testimony to that."

"A lot of people are getting married for the wrong reasons: money, family pressure. A lot of people are trapped in their marriages and they do all kinds of things including adultery. So Flower Girl is about a young girl Kemi, who dreams about getting married to her boyfriend because that is what a lot of the women do. They dream about the wedding and never think about the marriage itself which is a lifelong commitment."

"I’d just want to encourage other young people who want to get into the movie industry that they should not give up hope and that they should continue to be passionate about what they want to do whether it is directing, producing or acting. They could start by reading online about their craft. Buy books and attach themselves to a producer for a while so that they can learn about the business and how things work. I’d just encourage them not to give up because I know how hard it can be because I’ve been there myself."

"For me, every time I have to shoot one of those scenes (a sex scene in a movie), everybody is gone on set except the personnel needed to shoot the scene. I go out of my way to make sure that the actors are comfortable to portray what it is to portray and also I ensure that nobody takes advantage of the other because it is difficult for the guy and it’s also difficult for the woman, so it’s my duty to make everywhere comfortable so that they can portray everything they have to portray. As you were asking me how do I do it, I, first of all, empty the place, and only the people that can be there can be there. I know that some crew members can be okay but sometimes, it might make the actors uncomfortable. It’s just another scene in the movie but it’s a serious scene and I make sure my actors are not uncomfortable and I think that is why they are willing to do it for me in my films as well.”"

"A percentage of my profits from my films will be used to build a computer centre in my village. I am even more committed now to ensuring that every young person there receives free basic computer training."

"You know as a business owner I was looking for ways to increase my profit margin and make the process smoother. The only thing I could think of was to access or book the crew, talent, and equipment needed on time. I thought things would be easier for me if there was a database to access these guys in different countries."

"Working in the media industry as a producer for over a decade, I found many limitations when trying to source creatives across the continent. The process is currently expensive, time consuming and extremely inefficient. I have dedicated the last three years of my life creating this innovative tech-enabled solution that will reshape Africa’s workforce. This is my vision for Bookings Africa; an Africa that works."

"I believe Africa is the future, yet, the biggest problem we face is unemployment. Bookings Africa tackles this issue by enabling millions of freelancers gain recognition, monetise their talent and build a sustainable career on their own terms. This means you can create your personal profile, upload your work portfolio, set your own rates, availability and manage your business better with guaranteed payments all at the tap of a button."

"So leaving radio was simply because I have tried to manage my time over the last 5 years but it comes to a time where you are like, you know what, I can’t marry two husbands. I love the both of you but I have to pick one and I think my company fulfills me more."

"It’s a new year and I have been on radio for 5 years and I think it’s time for me to focus more on my company because it has gotten to the stage where I’m leaving my clients on set running to radio and I am not even concentrating on radio because I’m worried about what is going on at Film Factory."

"The whole point of radio was to get to meet a lot of artistes. The reason behind that was because I owned a TV production company called Film Factory because when I moved to Nigeria, I didn’t know any artiste. So working on radio -Saturday and Sunday was a great way for me to meet the artiste so that I could shoot a lot of their videos."

"We have gone from a staff of 3 to 30 in the last 3 years and the impact in terms of all the TV commercial and music videos I have shot. I feel like I’m impacting the African media a lot more which was my ultimate goal."

"I say to people, depending on what you want to do, you actually have to do it first of all. So if you want to be a radio presenter, have you actually recorded yourself to hear what you sound like? Most people who I ask that question reply that they haven’t. If you want to be a TV presenter have you recorded yourself talking about current events? You have to put yourself in that scenario so you can be your own critic. It’s very unrealistic to have no experience whatsoever, and want to be something like this. Also, be realisti. If you have speech impediments like H-Factor, you might not get that job, unless you’re into the comedic, satirical aspect of media. As a whole, practice whatever field you are interested in, pray and network."

"My advice to women looking to start-up is to "Measure twice, cut once". I advise you to know as much as you can about your business so as to put your best forward when you finally get started."

"The world is going digital so basically, we want to get to a stage where whatever you currently do to earn money, should be achievable from anywhere with your phone."

"My voice is clear and strong but yet, very malleable. I also have a quick turnaround time and I'm able to deliver work to any part of the world via email and other web tools"

"I mean it's not everyone that is capable of objectively going through their past efforts and recognising loop holes and fixing them. For all I know, they may be having post-event meetings (this is me, giving them the benefit of doubt, and assuming they have a structure that includes a post event report and analysis) and patting themselves in the back, speaking about how successful their award ceremonies have been."

"You know, with all the hard work we put in everyday, we definitely aren’t the only ones that want the best things of life. But this is the real world, and in the real world some of us take what we can get. But the truth is, there’s literally nothing wrong in wanting more, cos some of us actually deserve more"

"When you wholeheartedly love a person, you work on those toxic traits, you learn to communicate, you listen to each others feelings, respect each other's decisions and encourage each other."

"Fighting through in my youth, for father land, sweat and blood."

"Beginning of a new chapter for a few more prints on the sands of time. The journey continues, this time in Asia."

"We got off to a winning start and that is a wonderful memory to have. We had a great side in that tournament and should have advanced to the second round."

"We knew that we would probably have to win the game to progress, but I was injured and could not play. That was very frustrating, sitting on the sidelines and not being able to help the team."

"Playing in France has been good. I feel very welcome here. I've been happy since I got here and things have really improved compared to the other places that I've played in in Europe. It all started in New Zealand though. Playing there in a FIFA-organised tournament was a great platform for me. The experience was very good and I thought if I could play at this level, I could play at the World Cup. I told myself: 'Why not go all the way?"

"Though I’ve had a successful career, I won’t entirely say I’m fulfilled because I still believe there’s room for improvement and that gets me working extra hard."

""There were remuneration accumulating from way back 2016 up until 2019, and one of the challenges was offsetting that of the present players in the team, and leaving out the ones that were no longer in the team, which I stood against. I can’t turn my back to such injustice because I’ve collected mine.”"

"Irrespective of the lines that divide us, we need to tolerate each other and being knowledgeable that whatever we do to another person comes back to us."

"It’s important to touch on human rights. It’s important to heal the society and tame the evils before the society and that’s why we came up with this movie. We looked at how we can talk about one of the evils in the society and also mirror the society and inspire changes"

"“Growing up in Nigeria I have known malaria forever and experienced the disease countless times, so I understand how this disease robs so many children of their ability to go to school and why malaria is a major cause of school absenteeism. I have also lost many loved ones to malaria and that’s why I’m here – because we can end one of the biggest, preventable killer diseases of all time.”"

"To achieve full perfection, you must keep working at your dream.”"

"Missing the message and losing the goal is a huge subtraction!"

"Keep working......the world is watching! Your Time will come. Prepare Yourself"

""Consistency …… you will get your results ….BELIEVE”"

"Being self-made is a mindset and belief that you can turn everything you have into something better and greater for yourself.Sometimes, all that you have is nothing, so you have to change that by having a vision for what you want for yourself and turn that vision into your reality. The perfect definition of being self-made is being able to realize that you have everything you need right in your hands, no matter how small it may seem. You have to know that you already have the power to change the world and make it a better place for yourself, your family and for the people around you"

"Criticism always come from people that haven’t even done half of what you have done while encouragement seems to always come from people that have done more than you have."

"“In defeat, we learn more about ourselves and the people around us”"

"“This journey called LIFE, learn to enjoy all your trials and victories.”Yemi Alade's quote"

"I think I was fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time, and to have God on my side. To be able to achieve such a thing at a young age, I am thankful for that everyday."

"I have come to realize that we all have to be healthy; we all have to be aware of what we put in our body, not necessarily to achieve a slim look but for health reasons."

"Taormina is the most charming picturesque town on the island of Sicily, Italy."

"Kids are a blessing, but only if you desire them! And you have to be mentally, emotionally, (and financially ) ready for that journey."

"No diets. I try to make healthy choices and work out when I can."

"Stories can change. Stories change. Let nothing rob you of hope, stories change!"

"My kind, you have to work on yourself extra in following the laws of GOD in building the right core values, having SENSE, emotional intelligence, appropriate body language towards situations, use of words, generally growing in the Spirit’s things! Wisdom. Knowledge. Understanding. Be extra."

"We were all influenced by some people; even when we might not remember their faces, the godly values they lived by stay with us for life."

"The bible is words of people of time past under the influence of the Holy Spirit, so if the Holy Spirit wants to talk through me, I can say them based on my words without quoting the bible."

"When you have a deeper understanding of your life you know whatever happens is pre-destined."

"Been Born again is an event been broken is a process."

"There's greater honor in been humble."

"You know when you go to the location in a city you haven’t been to in a while and you look extra fly so the past comes around you, as expected, trying to sell you hopes and dreams but you’re not buying it this time because you finally know your value and you just wanna chill and be on a vibe instead… that’s basically what I was thinking writing this song. Good vibes at a nice location, surrounded by great people with good energy."

"I know I will make a good wife. I cook well; I am not the outgoing type. If I am not working, I am at home. It is sad that when people see me outside, they have a different impression about me."

"Some people that do not have all these things are worse. I do not sleep around; they have a very bad impression about me. When I am dating a person, I make it known. I do not have to hide it that I am dating somebody. If I am dating a person and the person trusts me, my family knows about the person and knows what I can do. I don’t care about what anybody says."

"I acted as a bodyguard to Segun Arinze’s character in the movie. While on that set, Segun Arinze directed me to a woman who was about shooting a Yoruba movie and that was how I really got into the movie industry."

"At first, I didn’t know I had malaria, I had typhoid, I did various tests, I was taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). At LUTH, I did various tests and x-ray and at the end of the day, they discovered it was a liver problem."

"I just wanted to be fine. I wanted to leave the hospital. I wanted to get back to work. I wanted to be around everybody."

"The movie that led to my breakthrough is Sikiratu Sindodo. It has stuck with me ever since and it is always in the news for the bad reasons."

"As a child my dad wanted me to become a newsreader while my mother wanted me to become a Lawyer.They have always known that I have passion for acting but my dad didn’t like it. However, when I eventually became famous, he became proud of me."

"Nowadays, the internet has taken over completely, compared to when I got into the industry. These days, people only watch cable TV, Youtube and other platforms. The number of people who watch terrestial TV has greatly reduced. In a way, it has also killed the industry because people no longer buy DVDs and the marketers are complaining bitterly. We need government to support us so that we can do cinema movies."

"I am somehow in a relationship right now. My man must be ready made. I also like my man to be very prayerful, loving and caring. I am a very jealous person: I like my man to myself.. I don’t like sharing. I can marry an entertainer because we are in the same industry."

"In an industry that is seemingly dominated by male folks, women have strived to break the glass ceiling which I would count myself among."

"Working on television has always been a dream of mine. Being able to live out my dream is still surreal to me, so to be recognized for living my dream is truly a blessing I do not take for granted."

"I would like to thank my MTV Base family at Viacom International Media Networks Africa for being my wings and my heart. I am truly grateful for all the support and love."

"Well, as a producer you always have to try and balance the creative with your finances and so it’s always a constant battle trying to give as much as you can without breaking the bank. You deal with a lot of personalities and creative ideas. But you realize it’s a collaborative process and you have to bring everyone along."

"It’s easier to just show people who you are. Actions speak so much louder."

"Filmmakers in Nollywood are really tenacious. No matter the obstacle we seem to overcome. If you put a Hollywood filmmaker in Nigeria I don’t think they’d ever survive. So I just wish we had the proper support to help us make magic."

"Inception, Crazy Rich Asians, the complexity of Inception is insane, delivering a story like that takes some crazy imagination. Crazy Rich Asians for its vibrancy and the way culture exudes through every scene. It’s a beautiful film."

"I can’t bring myself to look down when I’m up somewhere that’s too high."

"Running a business in Nigeria is difficult but I decided to focus and do that full-time."

"I just want to keep going, conquering one thing after another until I take over the worlddddd!"

"Africa to the world is how I see it. The World isn’t so big anymore."

"Women. If we come together, respect each other, educate, enlighten, pray, we can do anything."

"And please don’t wish me luck; wish me good favour in the eyes of the judges and the organisation. I pray they see the motivated, ambitious, and goal driven woman I am."

"No matter what happens tonight, I hope I have made my country proud, my family and friends proud and for sure I know my mom is sooo proud! Again thank you to everyone on my team, my sponsors, and to those who have contributed to my #roadtomissuniverse journey. I’m forever grateful"

"My mother once said….and I’m a firm believer of that,” she revealed. “She recently passed away tragically. And I was still able to persevere through and competed in my national pageant. I used my story now to inspire, uplift and impact the youths."

"Mr. President, where is the change you promised?"

"When the citizenry lose trust and believe that their government has their interest at heart, anarchy is unleashed and we mark the beginning of a sorry end."

"There comes a point in everybody’s life when you begin to wonder what meaning you have made of your life. We have all been put in this world to make a difference to humanity and leave this world a little better than we met it. The way we choose to do this leaves us fulfilled or unfulfilled. Caring for someone as a nurse gives me the experience and skills to make a practical difference, and I love that."

"I am a people’s person, a social person, and a nurse is socially oriented. Acting is also a way to make a difference but it was not enough, especially the way it is set up in Nigeria. No royalties, no job security, no investment tools for health plans and retirement. With acting, there is the necessity to maintain a front; a sort of image which you could use for endorsements, and so on. A level of “fakeness” is required. Now, where does that stop? It gets difficult to be true to who you really are as a person and having to tow the line of being politically correct, or keeping up appearances, or saying what you think will make everybody happy just to be liked. I cannot live like that."

"I have always been an army of one. Like me or hate me, I am who I am. I love the freedom to be true to self. That does not mean that I will completely stop acting. However, you will now know me as a nurse; a skilled health care provider."

"Inner beauty will always replenish the outward looks. Be at peace with yourself and with the universe. Be positive. Let your God-self come through. Let go and let God"

"Lol!! There is no silver bullet. Give it your best shot. Stay if it makes happy, and walk if it does not. Most importantly though, give careful consideration to the effects and consequences of your actions, especially on your children, and choose your battles."

"Please learn a thing or two from an honest conversation with my son… If you are in a violent relationship, get help, heal and repair your relationship… We did just that and we along with our kids are doing well 19 years and counting"

"I still look at my kids and wonder, if these people came from me. Life is amazing. To have been the vessel that channelled such brilliant, gifted and lovable people into the world makes me so proud."

"It is through service. The only way to truly be a leader, stay ahead and be on top of your game is to be in service to others. This is the only way you can truly discover salient needs and find ways to meet them. In my case, it was the health of the people. In meeting these needs, you become a resource person. People come to you for advice, direction and help. Another name for one who does all the above, if you ask me, is a Leader. A great man once said, “If service is beneath you, leading is beyond you."

"Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar. I recognise my responsibilities and manage my time with due consideration for all. My first assignment is as “Mom in Chief,” which is a responsibility to my home. Then my job and everything else comes after"

"My job motivates me. Being a part of little miracles everyday motivates me, as well as, living fully in the present with gratitude, the wonders of nature, life’s abundance and the joy of sharing."

"I am a feminist because I am unapologetically passionate about improving the status of women. I believe in the capability and potential of women and I acknowledge the role of patriarchy in the oppression of women around the world. I disagree completely with the perception of women as inferior, subordinate, and second-class citizens. I believe every woman must have a voice to make choices. I work in solidarity with other women and some men to fight patriarchy and make women visible as critical stakeholders to improve their condition and position."

"Small breakthroughs inspire me. I am motivated when I see smiles on the face of a woman who took a decision to leave an abusive relationship; I am inspired when a young woman sees the big picture and dedicates herself to championing the cause of women. I rededicate myself when I see women in positions of power stand with other women."

"“I saw flashes of the manifestations of the war on Nigerian women: women arrested on trumped up charges and raped in custody, commercial sex workers arrested for the sexual pleasure of the Police and detained for days, I saw women who were killed for trying to resist their Police abductors and labelled armed robbers or girlfriends of criminals, accused of illegal possession of hard drugs (which they would have planted on their victims), and so on and so forth. I told God that Temisan should not be added to the statistics and quickly threw a boubou on my night gown, and raced out to save my daughter!“"

"“One of the reasons rapists get away with the crime is that society has a way of violating the victims of rape all over again when they speak up. That happens when we disbelieve or blame them for putting themselves in the line of the rapists.""

"“With this Name & Shame Project, we are saying to victims and survivors that we believe their account of a rape incident and we stand with them as they call out their rapists.”"

"“We have to be proactive by providing sexuality education to boys and girls in primary and secondary schools, as well as make conscious efforts to reorient men by teaching our boys about respect for a woman’s personal space.”"

"“Much as I am against the death penalty I think we are at a point where we have to take drastic measures to protect Nigerian girls and women from the war unleashed on them by the perpetrators of sexual violence. So, that may be an option to life imprisonment. That will surely help reduce the incidences of rape in our society as offenders will have an idea of the fate that would befall them if they dare break the law. It is in our hands to make things happen. If we really want the war on rape to stop the policy of death penalty on rape in Nigeria needs to be adopted.”"

"“Which opportunities have we lost? How can younger women stand on the shoulders of older women so that they can see farther ahead?""

"“Who should we hold accountable for improving the lives of women in order to enrich the nation on the long run? Why should we hold them accountable?”"

"“It is our collective responsibility to break the culture of silence around women’s human rights violations; feminisation of poverty and women’s exclusion from decision-making arenas. Let us demand accountability everywhere and together we shall make meaningful change happen,”"

"“Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let us all #ChooseToChallenge and call out gender bias and inequity,”"

"Take a walk; leave that environment first before taking any decision. Talk to God. talk to the Holy Spirit. You will get some sort of direction. You can’t stay in a hostile environment and excel."

"It is you first before anybody else. When you die, you won’t know what would happen to the family you left behind."

"Don’t stew in your juice if you have made a mistake in life move on, don’t try to carry out revenge or get angry over what you couldn’t control. My advice is let your hurt go so you can be a better person. Let love lead and find you."

"Marriage is a choice, it is not a requirement to fulfill your purpose. Your purpose is not in marriage, it is in you."

"I am pained that our female players are not matching up with their male counterparts in terms of standard and quality. When we started some years back, we were so disciplined and determined but these days, our players are not ready to work hard and maintain discipline. This is one of my priorities for now and that is why I will like to tutor them so that they can imbibe the characteristics that aided some of us to still be playing now."

"I always remember where I am coming from and the fact that for me to move up in life I have to be focused and steadfast. I am not a star, I just want to be the best."

"I represented my school at a competition and was honoured by the headmaster of the school, Mr G.O. Taiwo, who asked me to come out and said a lot of good things about me in front of my school mates. I decided on that day that I stood to gain everything from the game of table tennis, so I must remain focused to be counted among the best."

"He (my husband) is the reason why I am waxing stronger in the game because he did not ask me to replace my love for table tennis for him. He taught me how to multiply my love for table tennis and my family. I think my husband met me playing the game and l think the most important thing is love. He loves me so much and knows that l love table tennis so much. He has never for once, since we got married, attempted to stop me from playing the game. He appreciates what l do and would always be by my side when l am playing to give his support. I have a very good family and l am very proud of my family. Believe it or not, l don’t want to be in any other family than this and l thank God for that. I have a loving husband that can die for me and two wonderful boys that make me happy each passing day. I am happy and very satisfied."

"For the women, l think there are lots of up and coming players but the only thing they are lacking is exposure. They are a bit inexperienced such that they are doing it their own way. They need coaches that will guide them because the way they are playing here is not the same way they are playing abroad. There’s scientific approach to the game. We equally need better facilities. The tables we are using here are a bit slow to the ones that are used in international competitions. Our girls are coming up but they still have more to learn. Government must equally support the game."

"I was not happy that the ministry dropped the female team from going to the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I allowed it and some other factors to affect me in Kenya and I lost in the quarter-finals; I came fifth for the very first time."

"My most exciting time was when I won four gold medals for Nigeria at the 2003 All Africa Games with my child only six months old, and also winning the Africa championship in 2016."

"I won’t allow my kids to represent Nigeria of today. But if they want to, I won’t stop them."

"I was physically, sexually, emotionally and mentally abused. This man beat me for more than three years and I remember always going to UNILAG [University of Lagos] with a battered face but I still never gave up on TT, men or life."

"It doesn’t affect me in any way because what I’m doing right now is to enjoy myself, to play good table tennis, to see that I am motivating all the younger women that in any situation they can still be what they want to be. Even married, unmarried, with children whatever they are going through even with age they can still be what they want to be."

"I’ve been going through depression in my life and people don’t know this. They see me smile and play table tennis, but people can’t tell what I’m going through."

"I started playing table tennis on bricks, then I moved to anything that looked like tables."

"Nothing gives me more joy than seeing all the young, poor players happy with the little I gave them."

"Nobody can understand young female athletes more than female administrators and female coaches."

"I’ve been through racism, discrimination, violence and abuses from men. […] I’ve been through a lot in my life as a woman. I gave love but I was abandoned when I needed help – but all that I’ve been through made me better and stronger. I am a survivor!"

"Always carry yourself in high esteem. You can be who you want to be with determination, dedication and discipline. Never allow anybody to pull you down. The world is like a rollercoaster, never give up on your dream. Stay away from negative people and anything or anyone that’s telling you that you can’t make it because you’re a woman. Remember, you’re you and you’re unique."

"Table tennis gave me a better life."

"I thought singing would be a hobby; a second love to be done in my spare time. I never thought of it as a career really."

"I didn’t think I would go so far. I thought I should just get the experience and move on with my life."

"Television has not done us any good.It is okay to say that you learn from it but as far as I am concerned there are lots of things that should not be on that box."

"People who know moral education know that we lost a lot by not educating our children morally."

"Helping other people and taking care as much as you can means that you are doing something good."

"...this is the time we do this,I must be there at that time."

"Being in the army,we should pray more that they should stop the war because it was not going to help us and it did not help us."

"If you were fighting against Nigeria and you are Nigerian,it did not speak so well of you. You didn’t feel happy about the fight no matter who was winning."

"Josephine was celebrated, but she and her female colleagues faced many challenges as regards to their gender. She retired voluntarily from service on 5 February 1967 and passed on in 2014."

"There is a new discipline that is called Fundamental Studies and this is an area where you think deeply about the origin of things. You don’t deal with effects; you deal with causes."

"I am a humanist, and as a humanist, anything concerning the human condition, the progress of man, civilisation, the human thinking, knowledge especially, are some of the things that I take very personally."

"After the publication of the book, I was sponsored to visit the U.S. as part of the international visitors program. The USIS (United States Information Service) in Nigeria organised for me to travel to several U.S. universities to give lectures and do readings from my work."

"You have to plant all the seed, give them all the knowledge you have, and all the love you can give; make sure that they know love from you so that they can extend it to others in their life."

"I’m not a feminist, I’m a humanist. Being in Women studies and being in African Studies and being a woman, you often find this discussion coming to you."

"The thing is that any work of art that has something in it will always challenge people: Some, in one respect; the others, in another respect. But you will find out that people keep on going back to that work because there is always something challenging in it."

"Because thinkers are those people who are able to pierce into the future and catch glimpses of light and bring it down. Many people do not often see what you are seeing until years and years later."

"The new thing I want to add to knowledge is: I want to connect culture and education, science and technology. I have seen the link between culture and science, culture and education, culture and technology, and that’s what I think I can establish."

"Yes, the gods knew what they were doing. They always joined together in marriage people of opposing qualities and thus ensured harmony."

"I have always been conscious of my surrounding and environment for as long as I can remember. I also studied urban and regional planning at tertiary level, and during my extensive travels, I saw how waste was managed and handled in other developed countries. So, I thought this could also be done in Nigeria, if not on the same scale at least to make a start on it and then get it right over time"

"The time for women is now and we have broken ground in every major aspect of business, politics, economic and social sectors to name a few."

"Working under tension is quite frustrating, to be honest, but it keeps me on my toes and my team active. Truthfully, sometimes tension brings out creative ideas and solutions to different problems and it is a constant part of the job so I’m getting used to it."

"My greatest achievements are my two children: my amazing son and my company"

"My greatest fear would be the fear of failure."

"Being a mother is the best experience of my life. I truly understand why children are called gifts from God. I was lucky to have a baby with little issues, so it was an overwhelming but joyful experience"

"I think originality is being a fruit loop in a world full of Cheerios."

"Nigeria is such an unpredictable place, but I would like to become somebody African youth can identify with."

"You shouldn’t lose your personality once your other half is put in a position of power."

"Yes, you can get that job, get married, but at the end of the day, that is not happiness. It is the people around you that make you happy..."

"I believe that everyone has two sides – especially when you’re in the spotlight. So there is the brand that must always be prim and proper, but at home with friends and family, believe me..."

"And just believe that it would get better. You don’t know how strong you are until you literally have to be strong."

"I think Nigerian women are amazing, they are strong, they are so hardworking. I would tell them to keep pushing. We have been suppressed as Nigerian women; we are told to be a good wife. They should try more to celebrate each other and not pitch themselves against each other."

"For young people who are looking to get into presenting or the entertainment industry, I’d suggest that you take things digital as soon as you can."

"However, I think university can give you a level of structure and confidence, but you should definitely take your time to figure out what you’re passionate about before making a decision."

"Hit the ground running. You have to network in Nigeria, there is no online structure or platform where you can find presenting jobs and opportunities, it’s really about recommendations and who you know."

"The thing is that people will try to overshadow you, especially when they feel intimidated."

"A lot of young women are compromising their peace and state-of-mind everyday because of societal pressures, but it’s important to keep your integrity in everything you do."

"You can decide to prioritise your career, but you must be willing to accept that you’ll loose the time that you can be spending with your child."

"It’s important that you become a brand that people can buy into, because your salary isn’t going to cut it."

"Another tip is to be nice to everyone! You can’t be rude to someone on set because you’re the star of the show. It costs nothing to be nice, and that also helps you to build long term relationships with key figures and decision markers within the industry."

"Sometimes, life actually happens, and it will teach you that you need to be very grateful."

"We have animation studios in Africa, but I am yet to see anybody that can say I am an independent animation studio owner. We are trying to see that animations are well generated in Africa. We want a platform where young people can dialogue and be part of the game."

"Animation can be used to tell stories. My film, The Legacy of Rubies, which won Best Animation at AMAA, tells a story and to make these young ones know that they can do it too. All we need is the capacities to be established."

"I already knew what I wanted to be at the age of seven, but there was no capacity for it here. But I was able to achieve my dream"

"I want to be a brand that African parents can tell their kids to look up to by availing them access to lyrically healthy songs that will Mood their kids’ characters and inspire them to greatness while having fun with the music."

"I chose dance when it was socially, culturally, religiously not acceptable to be a dancer. Dance had almost zero economic value.”"

"We lose our history if we don’t tell our stories,I don’t want somebody from the West to come to tell the story of one African dancer. I am alive and I will tell that story. There’s no other time to do it than now."

"Some people make it back, some don’t; what is ultimate is the outcome borne out of love, rather than looking at someone as the problem, you may be the enabler of that problem."

"When you love someone, you would want to see the best of them."

"There is no impossible for me . In my world that word doesn’t exist. Difficult yes but ACHIEVABLE is my watchword."

"People need to know! A life out there can be saved, a marriage out there can do better than mine and more importantly, a second chance is always there for us all to take!"

"I didn’t want to do what everyone else was doing at the time. I wanted something unique, something special, something challenging, something that would be fulfilling."

"If you are not from the ‘right part’ of the country, if you don’t speak the ‘right language’, you won’t get all the support and encouragement."

"I believe in you, all you need to do is to show me that you can go up and come down on your own. Go ahead, I am praying for you and I know you will succeed."

"We have to train our people, Africans in particular, so that we can manage our airlines by ourselves and when this happens, we are sure of having vibrant airlines within our sub-region as well as making the aviation industry in Africa a more competitive industry all over the world."

"They even made things more difficult for me for having the effrontery to come into a domain that was exclusively for men."

"If the right people can be put in the right places, we would be able to float an airline that would be successful."

"A man should not feel threatened irrespective of the position his wife occupies because God has made him the head. Rather, he should always take care of her and never maltreat her. It is a situation that the husband and wife have to work through."

"I believed so much in myself, and when I got over the shock of the separation and all that, I made up my mind that I was going to make a statement without a man. I wanted to prove that a hard working woman could make an impact and with God’s grace, I have come a long way."

"The truth is that when you are focused and you know where you are going to, you are likely to succeed. I made up my mind then that I wasn’t going to remarry. I was determined to make it and make all men including my late husband know that with God by her side, a woman can make it in life without a man’s support."

"I don’t know how to put it but men don’t really appreciate what they have until they lose it"

"Just believe in yourself and with hard work, you will get there. God is always faithful. I killed my emotions and I said to myself ‘Rachael, your kids must go to the best schools.’ It was just work and my children"

"I have no enemies and I have no friends in the industry. Do you always see me in parties or events? I also tell younger actors who are close to me to avoid keeping enemies and friends."

"don’t party with my colleagues. When you do that always, you are gradually inviting problems for yourself, as people are always looking for opportunities to bring others down."

"I give God all the glory. It is not by my making, and it is not like I am the best. It is just that God has been merciful to me. In actual fact, a lot of people started before me and after me, and they are nowhere to be found again. But I thank God that I am still relevant and I plan to continue to put in my best."

"My children paid the price for something they knew nothing about. Children don’t beg parents to have them; we ask them to come to the world, so we should be able to take good care of them"

"My advice to young ladies is to keep and fight for their marriages. Perhaps, I was naïve; I never fought for what was mine, but I still thank God. We are in Africa, you fight for your life and that of your children first. Maybe that is why God has been merciful to me and my children."

"It was my mistake. I should have fought for it. Any young lady must try her best and fight for her marriage. My decision at that time might not have been the best, but I still thank God. I have my regrets too as a human being."

"When I make up my mind, I don’t regret it. Even if I am meeting a person for the first time, I would be so open. I am very sincere. You may betray my trust many times and I will ignore all. But once my mind is made up about you, there is nothing anyone can do to convince me otherwise."

"Sometimes, I do things and people wonder what is wrong with me, but I always have my reasons."

"When you are in this kind of industry, you are in the midst of enemies. It takes the grace of God for you to be somebody in the movie industry. Whether you are good at your job or not, many people would want to bring you down. However, if you have God on your side and you are good at your work, you would always sail through anywhere you are. In every profession, there are issues. Among the white people too, there are always people who are not happy for others. It is left for you to be prayerful and to be closer to your God."

"I will like to become a musician, an actress, a model, fashion designer and hairstylist"

"I like to make people laugh and make them forget their sorrows."

"At the early stage of acting, at first it was hard for me. But now I’ve learnt how to adjust between going to school and acting.For instance, when it’s time for me to study, I don’t allow acting to come in between it."

"Everything is God’s grace. I never ‘experrit’. When God wants to use you, He will use you at the right time"

"It is the Holy Spirit that inspires my social media posts. We also draw inspiration through my upbringing and the environment that I live in."

"I saw social media as a new media where you could have a voice without necessarily spending all your life savings."

"I am somebody who believes so much in love. So, I started writing love songs and all that. I also developed the art of dancing."

"I can’t go into the BBA house because I am already an ambassador of The Next Movie Star. Moreover, Big Brother Africa is not a career booster but a reality show that showcases how people cope living with strangers in the same house for as long as it lasts. I am a very professional person and I do not have that kind of time to waste. Though the money is cool, I cannot be confined to a particular house for 90 days without being productive."

"I am a very simple person. I do not believe in what’s in vogue, but when I see something that is beautiful, I do not hesitate to grab it."

"Children are born daily and they all have different abilities and selling points. In other words, great talents emerge every day. Just like there are many stars in the sky, but some stars do shine brighter than others without stress."

"I don’t believe in a lead role all the time, once you are good you will stand out. Funny enough, some minor characters stand you out to the extent that they mistake them to be major characters depending on how you handle the role"

"My opinion about Nigerian justice system is that it doesn’t actually work. Often, people say that there is a problem of access to justice but in my own limited experience of the Nigerian justice system, it is not about the access to justice, but about justice been rendered."

"I can never act nude for anything. There are several ways of seducing a man in a movie without completely going nude."

"I find solace in acting than singing, that was the reason I stopped singing. For me, once I get a script, I feel God has answered my prayers"

"Music is my life, music is something I love doing, like I said earlier, I grow up in a family where music runs through us, music is my passion and it’s what I love doing, can’t stop doing music, I have to keep doing it because I love to do it and isn’t that I don’t have other things doing but basically I can’t leave music and music can’t leave me because it’s my passion and I love doing it."

"Whatever happens in this life, our faith in Him, my salvation in Him, our belief and trust in Him, will always help us to overcome."

"I deleted all my old music and I am rebranding myself. I don’t have to hypersexualize myself in order to be successful."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting a girl, but if she blatantly tells you 'no' and asks you to stop calling her, then please take a hint."

"I wanted women around the world to have an anthem for all the times they've had their phone blown up by someone that they really didn't want to speak to, especially if he's a married man."

"I made ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ with the aim to draw public attention in a world-class standard to the challenges that children face in this part of the world, especially in a standard that meets the objectives of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF)."

"Americans do not make films to please Nigeria and I will not make a film to please Americans. That is my style."

"I was stepping into land unknown. But for my love for fashion and a passion for what I was about to venture into, I really knew nothing. I had no formal training or experience in the industry. It was my love for it, my determination to see it through and I guess my ‘naïveté’ that spurred me on."

"Life experiences, my age, my outlook on life, my constant changing needs and wants have seen me do just that. And of course it reflects in everything I do. In addition to this, as a designer, I must move with the times and society’s ever changing fashion needs and desires."

"When you know your vision is not seen through, when there is so much to achieve, when inspiration catches you unawares sometimes, when you know those that rely on the success of the business, when you know what gives you an adrenalin rush more than many other things, how do you stop? You can’t."

"Have your vision, know your truth, stick to it and run with it."

"A lot of people up till date feel like it is an easy cop out. They say “so she’s lazy, she may not have done well enough or she’s spoilt.” Those who have just come out of school, people we say “oh her parents probably have too much money she can do whatever she wants.” Or “her husband has too much money, it’s a hobby.” A lot of people have said that and still say that. It is changing because perhaps Nigerians are seeing the potential in it."

"Fashion design is a profession and an industry on its own. As a designer, you run your own business and you’re in control. It is honestly one of the most difficult things anyone can take on and should never ever be disregarded."

"I feel like you can be schizophrenic with style, some days I want to look a certain way and you see me the next day, I could be completely different."

"I am grateful for the platforms that have helped raised the brand and open doors for us. If not for these platforms I probably wouldn’t be where I am today and probably not have as much exposure."

"Every collection designed is a modern interpretation of a part of our culture, our history or traditions. As a designer, I am intentional that in every design, the Nigerian or African woman is able to see herself and her own experiences and know to be proud of and celebrate where she is from."

"The modern woman today is whomever she wants to be. And she can wear whatever she chooses to. Her fashion choices are not determined or restricted to a time frame or by trends. She can decide to look one way today and look another tomorrow. She is self-aware, she is empowered, and confident. Mostly, she is free."

"Fashion is a universal language and should have no geographical boundaries."

"Despite still being limited by infrastructural challenges such as power supply, a lack of adequate fashion training and educational facilities, and not enough financial aid and support from our government, the industry still forges ahead strongly."

"There is no magic in sports, as much as we the athletes want to go there and win, but there is always somebody who is working harder than you are, and more is being invested in that person than in you."

"It starts from the way you eat or sleep, the people you surround yourself with, the people that educate you, the people that sponsor you, the people that tell you that you can do it, versus Nigerians, the majority of whom just criticize."

"You get to another stage of your life where you just don’t say things or do things like ‘I don’t know if I want to do this thing, I’m not sure’, no you have to want it, that’s just it."

"Sports is big business. You have to invest. And you know we have great talents in Nigeria but you know, at the end of the day, all do not pay attention to these talents. They don’t prepare us for these major championships."

"I feel like most of the time, really some of us don’t pay so much attention on ourselves and try to put other people or other things into it. At the end of the day, we lose focus on the things we’re supposed to focus on."

"She (Blessing Okagbare) is good, she’s got good character and she’s doing fine. She’s hardworking; she sprints and jumps well. I also want to sprint like her."

"When other nations are planning to win, we are praying. God hears our prayers but you have to help yourselves too."

"The separation of sports and education has made it difficult to discover other stars."

"The table kind of turned on me, instead of me being managed when I was an athlete, now I have to manage people."

"There can only be one Michael Jordan, there can only be one Michael Jackson and there can only be one Mary Onyali."

"Talents are usually found in communities and schools. If kids are not identified early, it would be difficult to train them when they are older."

"Hard work, discipline, determination and dedication. You have to learn what you do and do well in what you do."

"Whenever I lose, I take it as a learning curve; I don’t beat myself over it."

"Sport has always being seen as a man’s domain. It was a breakthrough period for women in sports and I am proud to say that I am one of the leading women that championed the breakthrough which led to the recognition of women in sport, both in Nigeria and Africa."

"If I had got married to someone who was not sport-inclined, a typical African who would want you to have a regular job or stay at home as a mother; it would have been a disaster."

"Wherever they are, despite the situation, they should not lose hope and must keep training."

"Till today, the picture and video are still with the IOC and still at the museum. It shows the true picture of Olympics. We didn’t win the gold or the silver but bronze, however it was a golden bronze. To the IOC it depicts what the Olympics is all about."

"I had not practised or used the starting block before. I was using it in Egypt for the first time. I did not know the blocks had sensors that could detect sensitive reactions, So, I triggered the block before the shot. I was disqualified for misusing it."

"Part of the contract stipulated that you must have a minimum of 2.5 GPA or you would be kicked out. A lot of us were from financially poor background. So, it would be silly to lose such an opportunity."

"Do not focus entirely on sport, because there will be a day when your body will fail you. When that day comes, and you do not have the educational background to face the real life after sport, something will fall off you."

"Personally I believe our female athletes are much better than the males because we are naturally good listeners, attentive, focused and a little more disciplined than the male athletes. The male athletes on the other hand get distracted easily than the females just like mothers will be very attentive to the care and needs of her children and I think that’s why we women bring in anything we do not just sports but in anything we find ourselves."

"There is nothing we can do specially for the male athletes to do better it’s just the way it is. The competition in the male category is stiffer. They do their things with more energy, power, ego etc so they are their own monsters creating their own competition or sports making it more stiffer and competitive. It is every where in the world, it’s a general thing."

"“I sit down sometimes and wonder what corrupt Nigerians are thinking of. Somebody gets a big position and thinks he needs a big house in the United States and then jets out to buy a mansion. He comes back and then wants a house in Europe. He jets out to the UK to buy one and then thinks of the UAE, he jets out to Dubai and buys one and he is not satisfied. He then jets out to South Africa to buy one. I went to Pretoria and I was taken to a street which was vacated by De Boers, the white farmers who had left South Africa and I was shown houses owned by Nigerians. They looked like cathedrals to me. They looked like haunted houses and when these Nigerians travel to South Africa, they can’t stay there so they lodge in hotels. So, what is the aim? What goes on in their minds? And that is why I said that before the government employs anyone to positions of authority, let them be medically examined. They need psychiatric test.”"

"“The government alone cannot wage war against corruption, hence, all people irrespective of their status should complement the current effort of the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the menace in the country.”"

"“Corruption is a monumental endemic that had eaten deep into the fabric of the society and the people of the country should support President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government to address the menace once and for all.”"

"“If I see President Jonathan today, I will kneel down to thank him for the honour done me by removing me as the EFCC Chairman at the time he did.”"

"“Through the police I could see human beings for truly what they are.”"

"“If you have to do what is right, you will face a lot of problems in this country. People don’t want you to do the right thing.”"

"“This is the time for every patriotic political leader, especially those aspiring for offices and who will be going round to mobilise the people, to avoid hate speech capable of inciting their followers and supporters into violence.”"

"“The recent spate of killings in some parts of the country is subsiding now, our political leaders owe the masses the duty to maintain the peace so that we will not have to witness election-related bloodshed, which may have more devastating effect on the socio-economic and political development of the country,”"

"“Even though women have shown that they can hold their own and they work very hard but the political system is not very encouraging for the women.”"

"“Politics in Nigeria is very expensive and most women cannot compete well with the men. However, I think there is a lot that has to be done by the women themselves to prove their own and they should not sit back and say because they are women they want this or they want Beijing Declaration. They should work hard so that they can be identified in the political scene.”"

"“There is nothing like equality, nobody is equal and the Nigerian women are not competing with the Nigerian men because they are there to support.”"

"“Mrs. Waziri has done her best in the fight against corruption, earning star convictions and it is only posterity that can judge and assess her achievements as the chairman of EFCC.”"

"I consider it a great disservice to our people and generations any attempt in the slightest guise, to do anything that could now or later jeopardize our common interest."

"I particularly note the inclusion of a ‘junior’ staff with a track record of truancy, unrepentant repeated acts of gross misconduct amply qualifying him for instant dismissal from service according to the University of Uyo Condition of Service."

"The present height attained by the University of Uyo has been the accumulated results of immense corporate and individual sacrifices by patriots and people of great minds over several decades. I consider it a great disservice to our people and generations any attempt in the slightest guise, to do anything that could now or later jeopardize our common interest."

"Access to uninterrupted internet facility is imperative to ensure quality education in Nigeria."

"I suggested that every teacher should be encouraged to use much of the available software in their daily class instructions."

"It would be impossible to guarantee a high-quality education for Nigerian youths if they remained disconnected from the rest of the world."

"Scholars are conscious of what they lose by not being connected with the rest of the world."

"Once internet access was in place, the creation of digital local content would stimulate rapid use of technology."

"For instance, Microsoft Word, Excel, CorelDraw and PowerPoint programmes should be integrated into appropriate teaching and learning events."

"The college has recorded remarkable achievements in the last 12 years since the introduction of covenant service in the campus."

"I want to announce that despite the June 12, 13 mayhem and arson which had engulfed the university of uyo, such great strides included the resumption of works on all capital projects, university table water factory, signing of MOU with various corporate bodies for collaboration, National and International awards of excellence by staff and students, and the movement of the university administration to the Main Campus among other feast."

"I described the covenant service as a “Life Changing Fellowship” urged the university community to keep faith with God and remain focused and read the path of growth and progress."

"I regretted the ugly event of June 12, 2013 and stressed that it could have been worse but for God’s Favour and mercy upon the university."

"The problem we have in Nigeria is that, most of us in the education sector got there because we couldn’t make our first choice ambition in other fields (then we find our ways into the classroom), whereas in the developed parts of the world, people that are in education would absolutely die for it."

"Responsibility of an educator is to provide equitable and sustainable education and the use of strike as a tool to ensure demands are met is unprofessional."

"We have a digital literacy centre where pupils are given further education. Every pupil has different talents and abilities. While some are academically gifted, others are excellent in other areas. Oyo State is now rewarding teachers in every school where the WAEC result is above average."

"Prime Oyo Role Model is a part of OYOMESI character education strand designed to honour the people who have excelled in their chosen profession and contributed to the development of education and society at large."

"My experience of COVID-19 is weird as I believe I had it. Though I did not get tested as I was told at the University College Hospital (UCH) that they had no capacity for testing. I was asked to go to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos."

"Speechless and Stunned I lack words to describe such an inspiring leader. Your Excellency, you will be sorely missed. Thank you for all you did, the many lives that you transformed, the society too was changed."

"I also feel we must look inward too for Afrocentric solutions to this pandemic. We do not need to copy and paste what the West is doing."

"Thirty individuals may be cramped into one small room, what the government should endeavour to do moving forward is to subsidise the costs of fruits and vegetables or make it free to the poor in the society so that they can have access to the nutrients and other minerals to fortify their immune system so they can stay healthy."

"This is my job. I’ve been doing this for a while. I don’t have any fear. I will believe in myself, and what I can do. I cannot wait to be the best that I can be in this league and make a name for myself, and my family. I want to help this team as much as I can."

"Linkopings FC has a long history of success and I look forward to being able to take home titles and create a professional level name here. It's a good opportunity for me to develop as a player and I am expectant about the next step in my career. I am really looking forward to start playing with the team and am glad that Linköping sees potential in me as part of the team. Now we achieve great deeds together."

"With Chinaza and Uchenna we get two good offensive players that complement and spearhead our team, which also gives the squad better balance and durability."

"I have been told that I have nothing to do with the celebration except to be present. My girls have taken me over."

"I have always wanted to be a teacher. I was not interested in money or cars. I was only interested in teaching and training the young ones."

"I am sorry for those who take up teaching as a stopgap. Whoever wants to be a teacher must be ready to put everything into it. And the rewards are plentiful, in heaven and also here on earth."

"As a teacher, I worked tirelessly, ready, besides my normal class, to give extra lessons, help small groups and even individuals. I loved teaching so much I wished I didn't have to be paid for it. It was a living as well as a love."

"Your pupils appreciate you, not when you are training and correcting them, but when they are older and understand better. They will then know that you were acting in their best interest."

"Desirest thou the teacher's work? Ask wisdom from above. It is a work of toil and care Of patience and of love."

"I condemn society's charge of delinquency against them as gross injustice. Nigerian youths are what adults have made them."

"Most reprehensible is parental neglect, self-centered parents being interested only in freedom to enjoy themselves."

"I am not really sure about the word decline, because there are areas in which education has improved."

"a dedicated teacher, moral tutor and respected educationist, and a pace setter in emancipation of Nigerian womanhood, a woman of unusual talent, who dedicated her career to the service of her nation in the supervision and training of young ones."

"She is a model of leadership, forming the character and building the competence of thousands of girls who went through her tutelage and an exemplary teacher to teachers."

"Mrs Coker should go down in history as one of the best Nigeria has produced in education. When the Federal Government designated Queen’s College as the first Government College for girls, “Cokie” as she was fondly called, blazed the trail and set the standard for what would become the ethos of all Federal Government Colleges as symbols of national unity."

"An exemplary teacher and astute administrator, mentor and mother of mothers."

"I began my work life as a stand-in teacher, and this was due to my very good performance in secondary school."

"Then, the teaching and nursing professions were considered the most appropriate professions for girls so, I took up a teaching appointment with St. Theresa's College."

"I am amazed that all that is me! Thank you for appreciating me. Do not love your children so much so you become blind to their weaknesses or cannot punish them when they err."

"There should be a strong family life at home and in school. Devote the weekends to your children; sit with them, be their friends, listen to their pains, because they have pains at their level."

"There is a lot to learn from them. By doing this, and by being a living example of good values as parents, you will have a good close knit family. We still have a lot to learn to make Nigeria great. We all have a role to play."

"Mother is the glue that kept us together. Her hard work and resilience has been a guiding light in my life. History and rapid changes also motivated me. Attitudes, habits and cultures have changed. The sense of community is gone; thus the essence of the book is to document the values I learnt from my mother so children can learn."

"It teaches that, like Mama, even if you have many friends, let only few people into your inner space and the relationship should be based on honesty, humility, respect and openness."

"As a girl child also, I’m not satisfied at all because it’s so crazy when you talk to a guy, some parents as well, and they are like, ‘You’re just a girl, you don’t have to do this , ou don’t have to do that.’ For me as an example, I’ve really talked about my story, what I went through, how ignorant my mother was not to let me do what I’m doing now or become this successful. She tried to stop me but should I say I was stubborn? Yes, I was somehow, to pursue my career."

"I feel i started a trend or like I am pretty much a trailblazer because only a trailblazer will start something and other people will want to do it."

"Taking up the challenge has helped shed a positive light on the (culinary) industry."

"Pushing through that means I can conquer things in this life."

"When you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work."

"Not necessarily. I feel that if you have a niche for yourself like your service is good, you still have your client base. I would say people don’t have the desire to eat the same thing 365 days a year. As human beings, we are not static to be eating the same things."

"If I am doing something that I love it has to serve me and pay my bills."

"“Here’s to even greater, here’s to even more grounds to conquer.”"

"Wrestling is not always about your strength, your physique, it’s about what is in your head. 30% of your strength, 30% of your tactics but most is your mental ability to manoeuvre your opponent. Because most of the time on the mat competitors are equal in strength."

"Wrestling gave me fame, took me out of poverty and gave me a name. We didn’t have anything at home, but when I started making money, at least now we are not rich, but we are comfortable. We are now living in our own house, I bought a car for my dad, and I opened a shop for my mum."

"I want to wear an Olympic gold medal, like the wrestler I admire the most Jordan Burroughs. I love his style. When I was young, I used to watch his videos for hours. I want to succeed like him"

"My dad used to tell me, ‘my daughter I believe what I can’t do anymore you can do it and make me proud.’ The only gift I can give him now is to medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The love I have for him will drive me."

"My coach has done so much for me. We spend a lot of time together, strength training, mat training. Sometimes he even stands in as a training partner for me. Most of the matches I have won, it’s not my strength but the intelligence of the coach."

"I ended up loving wrestling passionately."

"When you take this life too seriously, you are making things difficult for yourself. That’s why you have to find your happiness. I am always trying to be happy and smiling most of the time"

"I find myself often thinking about how the gold medal will be represented to me… my dream finally coming true. I can’t wait to experience that moment and make history as the first African woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling."

"I am still in shock but I do know how hard we all worked to secure this title. Although I’m so grateful to have been awarded team MVP, it was a collective effort and every time I step out on that court with my team members, I am filled with gratitude that I get to do what I love every single day"

"To become apart of an amazing brand like AFA Sports is such a huge blessing. I’ve always looked up to athletes specifically women who had broken barriers representing brands that promote athletes to look and perform at their best. AFA Sports is a brand that does just that"

"Consistency and work ethic has always been my core values when it comes to the game of basketball; Especially since the goal is to continue playing at the next level. Being a member of the AFA Sports team would motivate me to do that. I’m extremely excited to be a part of something amazing. I am looking forward to what’s in store."

"""It’s like rivals. It’s like everybody wants to be the boss of Women’s Football in Nigeria and that is how it is going to play."

"Making the transition from player to coach was really difficult, I’m not going to lie. There is not a lot of women coaching because when we’re done, we just want to have families. But because I have so much passion I want to stay in the game, I choose to give back to the young ladies."

"I love to see women excel, it is not every woman that is in my position or the position to come to this big event, she says."

"I tell them about what I do when I’m down, how to get out of my own head. I give them a lot of wisdom."

"The realization of returning to our local league, a goal I thought was impossible after almost 13 years abroad, has been achieved"

"I feel blessed, I feel fulfilled, and I feel all my hard work is there for the world to see. It means everything to me."

"You know, it’s often said that if you’re not making waves, no-one talks about you, but the moment you get some forward momentum, you’ll attract criticism as well as praise."

"We are grateful for this unexpected gesture because for several years we’ve been winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) and I can’t remember us being honoured or rewarded this way,"

"When you do something good, they will show appreciation, and when you don’t do well, they will still show it – they will forget the good things you’ve been doing, so that’s how it"

"Nigeria is a country where the public appreciate good things"

"I’m just happy we were able to put a smile on their faces"

"Super Falcons grateful for FG’s $10,000 per player reward: Osinachi Ohale, Gazette, 23 August 2023 by Victor Olurumfeni"

"“I think I’m okay. I’m fine, thank you,”"

"Back in the village, when I used to play with my older brothers [she is the youngest of six children] I used to play in goal, to avoid them injuring me on the field."

"The most difficult thing for me was the language. But the club used to check on me to see how I was doing."

"I qamt to be one of tge best goalkeepers ik tye world."

"”I just want to use this great opportunity to say a very great thank you to the organisers and also for remembering the female goalkeeper this year,”"

"I never believed that at 18, I would be playing at the senior World Cup, that I would make the team, that I would even be in the Super Falcons. I can’t explain the feeling."

"Government is spending so much on football. Though I am not against that, but it’s advisable for it to shift a little and show more interest in other sports, such as track and field."

"The responsibilities of impacting the right attitude and adequate training can only be achieved by professionals in the industry."

"When you look at the idea behind the race, it is meant to promote peace. And so any thing that will bring peace to this country must be supported."

"At that level, you don’t wait for anybody, it is your career and you have to work very hard to achieve your goals."

"My goal has always been to help our athletics a blend of the old and new by encouraging them."

"When you are a top athlete in the world, if you marry the person on the track with you, whenever you travel, both of you can go together since you do the same thing."

"For me, each race was like a hurdle that I must jump over."

"Motherhood is such an indescribable feeling; it’s the best thing in the world. I think all women should go through the experience to understand what I’m saying."

"I am very passionate about the plight of the less-privileged and I wish that I could set up a foundation to cater for their needs."

"When the ovation is loudest, it’s not when people start saying what else do you want. Because sometimes it’s better to give the young ones a chance to come up, it’s not that some people don’t want to leave, it’s because Nigeria don’t appreciate their own."

"You should not worry about what is going on around you because whatever that’s going on is to distract you, but if you keep on focusing and you talk with the right people, when you talk to one person and that person wants to discourage you, you know that you don’t need such a person, but when you talk to another and he encourages you, you know that the person is your friend that wants you to progress."

"if you keep on working at it, with all your mind and people say they see you everyday passing by to the stadium to train and one day when they see you on the pitch for an international tournament the people will remember how you always went for training every morning, passing through their area all the time, that’s it, you don’t have to give up."

"There are things that matter in sports. You may train an athlete for months and you think that the athlete is good enough to win a medal but on the day it matters the athlete gets into an overwhelming stadium with 80,000 spectators shouting and the athlete freezes."

"My parents bought me my first running shoe , My coach John Afuwape gave my first Spike shoe in 1980."

"Some of the athletes of this generation need to be ready to work harder and not to be telling their coaches that the work load is too much. They must realise that only hard work, determination and discipline can take them to the top of their careers."

"Sometimes you look back in life despite what you have achieved and wished you did some things better, I wish I had listened to my coach to run 400hurdle and put more effort in 200m and 800m."

"Growing up and seeing my mother representing Nigeria as an athlete, I always wanted to be like her. Whenever I watched her races and how she ran so well, I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps, and like her, my goal is to one day participate in the Olympics."

"My mother taught me to be hard working. She instilled that in me from my childhood days."

"I have been in the movie industry for a very, very long time. I really cannot remember precisely when I ventured into acting."

"You see, life is what you make out of it and so is this industry."

"I’m hoping to work hard and perform well enough to be invited for the upcoming camps that will be coming up this year."

"As a team, we've really improved a lot and I am confident we will be in good shape before the World Cup in France."

"I’ve missed Football, training, I am missing many things on the pitch. I’m praying for mercy, God should just have mercy on Nigeria and let us start our game like let us have a Corona virus free time for everyone in the world"

"In 2005, we played a cup match with the team of Equatorial Guinea. I played the game very well because I scored three goals. Soon after, I received a proposal to play for the national team of the country. I did not think for a long time, because in Nigeria you must have connections to play in the national team (Falcons)."

"I am in Equatorial Guinea when we have matches and tournaments. I have an apartment in the country's capital Malabo. In comparison with Nigeria is a very peaceful place. I really feel good out there and I'm glad that I can play for the country,"

"I have never snatched another woman’s husband"

"You can’t be living in evil, yet you come out everyday to profess your love for God…thanking him over something he has no hand in. Be very careful, God is not mocked"""

"You can’t be living in evil, yet you come out everyday to profess your love for God"

"!!Snatch my husband anyhow; I will correct you by sending you to God knows where!!"

"!!A woman has no right to return the bride price of a man; rather it is the man who moves to the woman’s hometown with his kinsmen to ask for the return of the bride price, the same way he went to pay initially!!"

"When I was still trying to conceive, I was like what’s wrong with me? I was like everybody can do this thing. I’ll be like it’s me that can’t do this thing. What’s going on here?"

"My mental health and breastfeeding weren’t a great pair. So I took my time and did what I could, so obviously, my supply dropped drastically. I could barely pump a full ounce in one day."

"I had hyperemesis gravidarum for the first 25 weeks of pregnancy, and when I tell you, it is the hardest thing I have ever experienced in life, and I doubt any-other thing can be more challenging or more painful."

"The industry was hostile. I would be performing and they would turn off my microphone because the A-list artist doesn’t like me."

"I was coming from a naive, God-fearing family and I went into the world of adults and I was thrown into a jungle and people did not care if I was 16, they attacked me."

"I felt as I had failed, especially because I had thought that business will pick up."

"The day I won the Channel O award, that was when Twitter was making waves and people I knew started dragging me online. People started asking why I won the award, people starting questioning me and carrying stories around me."

"I saw other people living life and it became clear. I was 21, and I thought this was not a way to live. I didn’t watch movies anymore. I didn’t watch TV. I was missing out on life and that is when I stopped everything."

"You know when I went through the whole getting to know myself, I was happy in real life."

"Growing a human is mind-blowing, and a miracle, but I know it is HARD. I feel like a broken record."

"If you must chop you must work. On the brighter side, God rewards hard work so you will always reap what you have sewn."

""MANY DON’T KNOW TUNDE & I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 24 YRS""

""We’ll start off with some singles. It would eventually culminate into an album.""

""One of the first things that connected us was that we were both orphans’""

""Almost 15 years ago, I lost my immediate kid brother.""

""Going Through My Husband’s Phone Is Not Necessary"""

"In the Nigerian way we always seem to make it through no matter what and how hard things get."

"make a difference, it's just the ring."

"To be very honest, 2022, has been a very challenging year for me, I won't lie but as usual in the Nigerian way we always seem to make it through no matter what and how hard things get"

"https://thenationonlineng.net/i-started-content-creating-a-decade-ago-taaooma/"

"The videos I create most times are not always set out to make people laugh but for people to relate to."

"I just live life and I don’t stress it really."

"It wasn’t easy but I didn’t give up because it was fun being an athlete. If you ran very well, you could make the team and travel with the other athletes to other states. This was something I never dreamt of before. So, that gave me enough reason to keep giving my best as an athlete. I was encouraged by many people and coaches at that time too."

"That was my first big championships (1994 World Junior Championships) and the feeling was so strong. I was so proud and happy to represent Nigeria and wearing the green and white colours of the country."

"We must treat everybody the same way and athletes must come first too."

"My Mother is Still My Driving Force."

"I missed being at the World Championships and my city would have loved to see me run since I'm based in Germany. They missed me too in the relay team because our team did poorly in Berlin. I'm not saying I'm the best in Nigeria but if I was there and some of us that ran in the Olympics were there, we might have made an impact."

"I used to watch every competition on Skysports to see the times athletes are running and to see if the times aren't above what I can run. They ran well last year but nobody really ran fast among the Nigerian women, unlike in 2008 when I was running. That year Damola ran 11.08 seconds which was really very fast but the fastest last year was 11.16 seconds. It was good but what they were running in Europe, America and Jamaica was faster; they were giving us time to follow because Carmelita Jeter of the US ran 10.6 which was very fast. The Africans didn't do so well but at least we are following up."

"I don't know how it all happened but I was very disappointed and it's coming from athletes you never expected to do drugs. I feel for them but I know one or two things would have led them to do it. Sometimes it's not the athletes' fault but I'm not encouraging drugs. If they do it and they know it, then they should face the consequences. It's just a pity; a sprinter (Gloria Kemasuode) too is affected and she's good. We are all going to miss her. I really feel bad for them because I don't think they are under pressure."

"If you leave athletics, it leaves you. I was getting lazy because this is the build up period from September to December but so far so good, everything has been so good. I have a coach in Germany by the name of Frank Duka that prepares a programme for me. We have a coach in Nigeria that we use whenever we are around too."

"It's not so easy because it's just like when you are in school trying to read and pass your exams without lagging behind. Every year new people come out in athletics so I just have to train hard and see who comes out this year. I ran well in 2008 and I hope to do the same this year (2010). I know it's not going to be easy but I have to come back to it, to tell myself I can do it."

"Our administrators are killing the sport. We have to understand that you cannot reap from where you did not sow. I’m sorry to say this, we believe too much in fire-brigade approach. Sports is dying in Nigeria because our administrators are not doing what they are supposed to do. It was on during our time but it was better. It is that bad now."

"It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medalist. That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium"

"Every single year we (Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria) have taken a group of 68 athletes and coaches to learn and develop the sport. Our goal is to try and compete in 2026. We are developing them along the way, every single year it is getting better and better."

"This sport (bobsled) is celebrating 100 years this year and we are only in our 5th year. it would interest you to see what we have been able to do in 5 years. this is due to our passion, dedication and willingness to be great."

"This sport (bobsled) has the biggest learning curve that I probably have ever experienced in my life. I’ve learned a couple things along the way, but this is totally new. Take a driver who just freshly got their license —16 years old...They know what to do behind the wheel. They have an idea. But then go throw them in Daytona. It might be a little bit different type of driving. That’s how I feel. It’s just straight survival mode the entire time."

"I don’t believe that one body and the other operate the same, particularly in sports. You can’t just give two different people the same workout and expect their bodies to respond the exact same way. They may respond similarly, but there are going to be things that will differentiate between their outcomes. If you can understand the fundamentals of why their bodies respond differently, then you could also be able to contribute to those specific differences, to make that individual athlete better."

"The ability to be selfless is what drives your ability to actually see clearly."

"In being selfless, you’re able to see a lot more sometimes than you really want to. Sometimes you just have to be able to tackle that fear, particularly that of the unknown. It’s always easier to just turn away and walk away from it, but if you just open up to it, you’ll really be able to see exactly what your purpose is."

"When you ride on faith, you’re able to live in that element of selflessness. You’re able to live in that moment of fearlessness. I don’t attribute any type of individual success to myself, but more so to God’s will to put me in places to allow things to flourish or opportunities to present themselves."

"This is a real-life example of what it means to represent African excellence and a true testament to the fact that impossible is nothing. This milestone is truly a blessing."

"Everyone should be held to the same standard of fairness no matter what country they are representing and which sport they play. We all give so much of ourselves every single day and sacrifice our lives to be the best we can be naturally - no one should be able to dilute this efforts or strip them away by cheating. In any country where there is doping scandal, the system and the culture that was in place for this type of behaviour to be acceptable should be broken down and re-educated to prevent innocent-hearted athletes from being punished in the future."

"After we qualified for the Olympics, there was this uproar within Nigeria, the Nigerian diaspora, and non-Nigerian people. People were really excited that there was a winter effort and something positive happening for Nigeria."

"Fear is really just another opportunity to learn."

"This is beyond a dream come true. To be able to bring something back to not only the country of Nigeria – which has so gracefully given me my family, my culture and everything I stand by – but also to the continent of Africa and the world."

"To bring a gift for people to know that resilience is something that you can actually live to achieve, and that the fear of the unknown doesn’t need to be something that limits your ability to thrive in life...Those qualities will be important for everybody to be able to take in."

"Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Impossible is nothing."

"You can sometimes stand in front of a door without knowing what’s on the other side and open it. You won’t know what’s on the other side until you open it."

"Being in an uncomfortable place isn’t bad [and] it isn’t wrong; it’s just different. Sometimes you need to be able to take that chance."

"Although we're American, we're also Nigerian. We're actually Nigerian first. That's the one culture that we know, that we were raised to respect and understand. To show people that it's okay to be both and it's okay to represent where you're from is a powerful message that, hopefully, we've been able to translate."

"You can’t coach someone to have passion, you can’t coach them to be dedicated, you can’t coach them to have heart and you can’t coach them to move with integrity or commitment and those are the things we are looking for."

"Outcome doesn’t mean anything about your efforts."

"A lot of people think of a ‘no’ as the end of things, or a way to beat yourself down. But then you keep going. It’s not final."

"‘No’ is not really the end of growth. It’s just a way to get better."

"Growth is so uncomfortable yet so rewarding"

"advances in the digital world and technology will continue to illuminate the problems and simultaneously bring people together for the purpose of acceptance, love and unity’"

"Not every billionaire is happy"

"Social media era is stirring a lot of things. It is not everything one sees on it that is true, so don’t make people your prayer points. You don’t know what that person is going through (in real life). Why don’t you create your own happiness? Also, don’t ask God for what you cannot handle. Not every billionaire is happy. I weep when I see a lot of things going on online. The morals that we grew up with are all gone. We need to get back to the drawing board. Social media is turning people into what they are not because they want to ‘feel among’, even if they don’t have the capacity."

"I'm Offended When Younger Guys Ask Me Out."

"A lot of men in their twenties say they admire me and want to date me. I am sure most of them think I am really young. Sometimes, I find it annoying because if they know my actual age, they wouldn’t come close or show interest in me. Some of them are young enough to be my younger brothers."

"Real People Don’t Care."

"I feel like a woman who is not yet married."

"I will not say I have always wanted to be an actor, but I have always loved to be on television as a broadcaster. But somehow, acting found me and here I am today."

"When I shot my first movie; after the heat, I disappeared. I told them I could not cope with it and I did not want to act anymore. They called me for a second job, telling me that I would be allowed to leave after that."

"I ran away because I felt I could not deal with the pressure and drama. But, after sometime, I realised that it could be the right place for me. Now, I do not need anyone to tell me that it is meant for me. If I decide to leave Nollywood today, it is because I want to."

"I must not feature, but why would I produce a movie and I am not in it? Remember other people pay me to be in their movies. I feel it is what I love to do and being part of it adds value to the movie."

"I am scared of marriage, we see divorce everyday. Although no one goes into marriage believing she would soon jump out of it. I strongly believe that before a couple considers divorce, they must have put in their best to make it work, all to no avail. Marriage in the limelight is not easy, even those outside it are not surviving easily."

"I don’t like doing something and later jump out of it. I take my time to do whatsoever I want to do making sure it is the right decision."

"According to her, she was sexually abused as a child, and when she confronted her abuser as a grown woman, she was stigmatised."

"Lastly, being traumatized isn’t a spiritual issue; it is a mental issue that needs a therapist."

"Will get married to my perfect partner someday."

"There is no way you will lose weight and not feel more confident. You will definitely feel happier and healthier. You will feel sexier, people will commend you, saying nice things about you. You will definitely feel more confident. All that work together. It is not rocket science, once the weight starts going down you will see reactions from people. The fact that you can work into a shop and see your size there is amazing. You don’t have to buy what you see but what you like, all that come together to build up your confidence. The more confident you feel, the more love you feel towards yourself."

"Well, I think loving whom you are on the inside is the most important thing I have learnt. Considering what I have been through these couple of years and the challenges I have faced, I have realised the importance of being beautiful from within. When you are completely happy with yourself, with whom you are regardless of the situation, when you begin to pay attention to the beauty that is inside of you."

"To be honest, I cried. Until I realised that people’s opinion should not define me."

"The more you say negative things, the more you pull negative things to you."

"I left Nollywood and traveled out of Nigeria because of marriage. I left so as to join my husband. I believe a woman should join her husband and not the other way round."

"I can tell you, I now have three boys to take care of. My husband and two sons."

"I decided to concentrate on my family but of course I was abreast with happenings in the industry"

"I do not feel I missed anything. There is time for everything as far as I know. I left Nigeria and Nollywood when God wanted me to leave. I am very happy that what came in terms of marriage at that time and which took me away came when it came."

"Marriage, There Is More To It Than Riches."

"", “I think people need to mind their business, and they should be mindful of what they say to others, especially because they do not know what others are going through.""

""". I trade bitcoin"

"“It’s the smile for me. Always find a reason to Smile"

""I came from a poor family but I am determined to make it through hard work to make myself and my family proud. I didn’t want my background to discourage me""

"There's no separation, where you come from, whether you're Ghanaian, whether you're Jamaican, whether you're Haitian, we're all one and that's what I wanted to portray on my album."

"I always say my motivation came from the unknown, from having the space, being given the opportunity to explore a different country, a different language and having peaceful surroundings."

"Wake up Africa, wake up and stop blaming / Open your eyes, eyes, stand up and rise!"

"Making collaboration with me? Yes, why not! If you got the interest, you like me and I like you, then we are good."

"My music gave me strength and motivation. And it almost seemed like it was not really my words; it was almost like a voice that was outside of me, motivating me. I said to myself that I like what I do."

"The word ‘Supreme’ is just everything; it encompasses all our emotions, all sides of our being. And, for me, I seem like there is so much that has been said before, and so much I had said in the past, and I just felt like if I am going to say anything now, I have to go within. Going within doesn’t necessarily mean superficially going within my ego; it means going within the body to remember whom I am. And when I do that, the world remembers who they are, because we are all connected."

"I see myself as a smaller version of the universe. And everything that is within me is within this universe. And I am a reflection of you and vice versa."

"You want to change something about corruption, then don’t be corrupt."

"If something is meant to move, it will move. Energy goes where attention is. When your attention is on beyond the sky and stars, then that is where your energy is going to flow."

"Love yourself, Nneka; because only so can you truly love God and others.’ I would say, ‘it is okay to go through certain things. It is okay to have had a difficult life experience. It doesn’t define who you are. It is a life experience. It is there, but it is not who you are. And it is okay to be afraid, but bear in mind that most of the fear you have is what they told you to be afraid of. It is the conditioning. Most of it is not real."

"It is still unfortunate that we (Super Falcons) are still struggling to qualify because the Korea we beat is the same Korea beaten by every other team in the group. We haven't shown any obvious sign of improvement which I expect to see in the team. I wish them well to qualify all the same but coaches should give opportunities to younger player who are hungrier in the team."

"The issue of lesbianism is common. I came to realise it is not a physical battle; we need divine intervention in order to control and curb it. I tell you it worked for us. This is a thing of the past. It is never mentioned."

"At the Cosafa Cup tournament, all the coaches were also female. It gives hope to all the aspiring female coaches that nothing is impossible. Coaches like Uche Eucharia and Florence Omagbemi, who won AWCON as players and coaches inspire us."

"I am an advocate of merit and excellence, the best candidate should be recruited for positions, irrespective of their backgrounds."

"I would encourage young scientists to read widely and be knowledgeable in 3D printing, 4D printing and functionally graded materials."

"To become an Olympian is tough, but it is an achievable task which anyone can attain through hard work and support from their coaches and sports administrators."

"We were very dedicated and proud to wear the national colours. With support from every corner, we were always happy running for the country (Nigeria), as it was a privilege for the few of us selected to represent the country then."

"My dominance in the hurdles was mainly because of my determination to become a world-class hurdler, and I ensured that I put in my best for the country in those days."

"My most memorable moment was when I became the first women’s champion from Texas Southern in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meet history, winning the 400m hurdles in 55.16secs. That was in 1986. The time broke the stadium record of 55.47secs set by Anna Kastelskaya of the Soviet Union in 1982, and I was happy being a Nigerian."

"I regretted not going far at the Seoul Olympics due to what happened to me at the Games. It was the second round of our 400m hurdles and an athlete crossed my lane and collided with me. I fell down and could not finish the race. I was rushed to the hospital and ended the Olympics with the Plaster of Paris (POP). I was very sad because I was unable to achieve my aims and target and I will never forget that incident in my life"

"The development of a world class athlete is a long process. We need to put the process or system in place to discover and develop new athletes. The best way to do this is to start from the primary and secondary schools. Any potential athlete needs to be taught the basics in whatever event they are likely to participate in."

"Nigerian athletes work very hard. In terms of training and seriousness, Nigerian athletes are far ahead of their European and American counterparts. What is lacking is the absence of the right facilities and this is where their foreign counterparts have an edge."

"It was a very difficult moment for me, I am so confused. I did not prepare my mind for a higher weight category – 72kg before coming here for the competition (Chief E K Clerk wrestling championship). I have been training under 67kg weight class while my body weight is 66kg. It was really disappointing for me here."

"We hope that she (Ifeoma Iheanacho) would impart her knowledge and make them (younger athletes) aspire to greater achievements. Moreover, in wrestling, we want to ensure that athletes, who have performed creditably for this country in a historic fashion, like she has, play vital roles in the development of younger athletes."

"I scored with my very first touch. That’s football, though, isn’t it? Sometimes you play well and things don’t work out. But today I went out there and found the back of the net straightaway."

"I suppose you could say I’m a goal specialist. I just try to get in the area so I can round moves off by putting the ball in the back of the net. That’s what I’m there for."

"We (Super Falconets) played them (New Zealand) during the qualifiers for the World Cup and I came on in the second half in that game too. By the end of it, I’d scored five goals."

"It’s impossible not to be nervous when you’re on the bench! It’s far worse than starting because you want to get out there and help your teammates. And when they make a mistake you think: ‘Ahhhh. I would have done it this way or that way’. Sometimes, though, you just have to sit there and watch and cheer them on."

"I’m dreaming about that semi-final. I don’t know if I’ll start the game – that’s up to the coach – but I do know that no matter who plays, they will have to give their all because we want to be in the final."

"I remember that game (final between the Super Falconets and Germany at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup). I was on the bench feeling really nervous and apprehensive, hoping that my team would score. It’s going to be a different story this time. In 2010 they were playing at home, with all their fans behind them, but that won’t be the case here. This final against Germany is also coming at a good time for me, because I’ve got a lot more experience now."

"The only thing that’s in my mind is that I can’t lose two finals, and both of them to Germany. We’ve got to win this Sunday. I don’t care how. And we’re going to do it too."

"I was the youngest player in the team but I had two friends with me and they helped me a lot during the competition. They kept encouraging me the whole time."

"I have not been lucky in marriage, but right from my childhood, I have never been stubborn. You see, in the whole of this Sokoto, anybody that cheats me, because of this unfortunate issue that I found myself in, I am asking Allah to avenge me on those who cheated me."

"I’ve forgiven everyone."

"Running and jumping came to me naturally. It was while I took to athletics which was known as track and field then. I took part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, and a few other sports when I was growing up but it was athletics that I stuck to."

"I didn’t get much encouragement from home at all because they didn’t know too much about sports. My mum wasn’t that educated enough to know what sports is all about."

"Education was very important to me as an athlete back then. I took it seriously right from when I was in Nigeria and even when I got to the United States and ran for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the coaches were trying to make athletics the major priority. I made them know that I came to the US for my education while athletics is secondary. I made sure I got my degrees first. I know that with the education I have something to fall back on in the case of injury or retirement from the sport."

"My love for track and field made it fun and interesting for me to go to extra length to achieve the results I got. I would have won three gold medals at the 1978 African Games but I picked up a groin injury that forced me to pull out of the 100m hurdles. At the 1973 African Games, I competed in the high jump, 100m hurdle, and long jump and I clinched the gold medals in the three events. I was thrilled to win the gold medals as it was just fun for me then."

"The Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1974 in New Zealand in the long jump event was special. I was close to winning the gold in the hurdles too but I tripped towards it and ended up with a bronze medal."

"We were already at the 1976 Montreal, Olympics in Canada and waiting for the opening ceremony before we pulled out of the competition a day before it. Everybody was disappointed because of the hard work we had put in preparing for the Olympics for four years but it wasn’t the end of the world."

"My mum was a strong woman but she didn’t really understand what the sport is all about. She was there for me whenever she can and whatever she could do for me, she tried her best."

"They (Government of Nigeria) must catch the athletes when they are young. We started very young. They must encourage the athletes with good incentives to be able to compete."

"I will tell the athletes to work hard and not to let sports get into their heads. They must complement their endowed talents with education. It gives them something good to hold on to after their retirement. Also as an athlete, you need to be disciplined and make up your mind on what you want. You must determine what you want to do with your life."

"I was woken at 6.30 a.m. and given twenty minutes to prepare for departure... When we arrived at the airport my hands and feet were bound and I was thrown into an isolation cell for over three hours. At 11.15 they forced me onto the plane. I began to scream and cry as I was surrounded by six gendarmes and two men from Sabena. The airline men pushed me around and one held a cushion to my face. He almost suffocated me. These men were supposed to accompany me all the way to Lome. Passengers intervened at this point, saying that they would get off the plane if the men did not let me go."

"As commander of the security detachment at the national airport I believe that I am officially responsible for the death of Semira Adamu."

"Her (Semira) death is not a singular incident. The deaths of refugees are the symptoms of policies that no longer see the humanity of those fleeing their homeland, but prefer to see them as numbers, or worse, as a natural disaster, a "flood"."

"Semira was vulnerable to various racialised intersections of exclusion: She was Black, female, young and ambitious She was attractive, eloquent and well educated She was an asylum-seeker whose application had been rejected She was an undocumented person with an 'illegal' status She was a deportable detainee who was deemed expendable She was a whistleblower and defender of detainee rights."

"The death of Semira is part of a series of complaints and is the result of several new laws to get asylum in Belgium."

"Whatever judgment Brussels Tribunal (Tribunal correctionnel) hands down on 12 December to five law enforcement officers tried in connection with the death of Semira Adamu, during an attempt to deport her forcibly by air in September 1998, it has always been clear that governments and state officers have a responsibility to ensure respect for the physical safety and inherent dignity of all people in their custody, including deportees."

"I have left Kristianstad because my contract with the club was over. I had a wonderful time at the club but I have resolved leave the team, at least move to a new environment for a fresh challenge in Sweden. Well, I am grateful to Kristianstad and wish them good luck next season, For me, I have decided to sign for Djurgarden for a season."

"I have really liked the idea of moving to the capital [Stockholm] and it's a dream come true. I cannot wait to meet my new teammates and also looking forward to the new challenge."

"Midwives are absolutely crucial to achieving substantial improvements in maternal health. Midwives empower mothers to make life-saving choices for their children before, during, and after childbirth. A skilled midwife can provide expert care that ensures the survival of newborns during the first fragile 24 hours of life, and enables them to not only survive, but also thrive well into childhood. Midwives empower women at a time when their health is at its most vulnerable. Midwives empower women in a way that can help shape the future health of both mother and baby. After all, we know that an empowered woman is a health-seeking woman for herself, her family and her community."

"A lot of us have grown up with cultures where strong women have worked very hard but they have not necessarily tried to rise because they have felt that leadership is the province of men… So I believe that our biggest challenge as women is to be able to step forward and to actually lead."

"If I had to put it down to one thing that would make a woman successful, it would be to keep learning and keep applying what you have learnt. And once we keep learning and keep applying what we have learnt, we keep stepping up one more step."

"It is for yourself to act now. Bring out yourself and let people know your worth."

"Bring out the women. They have the ability and the strength. They are able to excel."

"No one is above the law and that government decisions must be made only by applying known legal and moral principles."

"The doctrine of the Rule of Law limits the powers of government and helps to prevent dictatorship as well as to protect the rights of the people."

"Complexities in the society in which we live keep increasing, there is need to shift the status quo and review the legal framework."

"The responsibilty of government at all levels ,is ensuring the protection and welfare of its people."

"What Gets Me by is Courage"

"If we don’t want this democracy, it is better we forget about it."

"I don't cherry pick my life"

"Nothing is more important than your Mental Health and well being."

"Please feel free to choose your side or better still disassociate."

"Having represented Nigeria twice at the Olympic games, I can confidently say it is unarguably the pinnacle of any athlete’s dream and getting a medal in such an epic event can be deemed to be one of the highest achievements and a dream come true that any athlete can hope for."

"At the 2008 Beijing Olympics where I and my fellow team mates (Oludamola Osayomi, Gloria Kemasuode, Franca Idoko and Halimat Ismaila) qualified through to the finals and ended up winning a bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m relay, it was nothing short of an electrifying moment. It was as if the world stood still because all the hard work, discipline and sacrifice just paid off."

"For me and the rest of the quartet, it was as if that moment should just draw on and on. Having put in so much work and now seeing it been rewarded with a bronze medal at such an epoch making event was more than words could describe. Little did we know that fate had a whole different surprise package for us all a couple of years down the line."

"It was with mixed feelings that we got the news of the disqualification of the Russia’s women relay quartet due to a doping infraction by one of her team members. On the one hand we had this joy of becoming Olympic silver medallists, but on the other, a feeling of slight disappointment knowing that the winning quartet had an undue advantage due to one of its members spiking her system with banned substances. This type of revelation comes with a bit of a sad feeling considering the amount of work you honestly put in and believing (erroneously as it turns out) that everyone was competing on a level playing field. And when you now find out that some persons had undue advantage due to the use of banned substances and it deprives you of what should have been rightly yours at the time, it gives you a feeling of sadness and slight depression and disappointment in and towards the system."

"It really gladdens my heart to have my bronze medal upgraded to a silver medal because it just simply gives me the drive to work even harder and have a rededication to a clean sports for us all."

"I will also like to use this medium to appeal to all my fellow athletes, both young and old, that no matter what you think you are facing now, I want you to just believe in yourself and continually tell yourself that the seeming punishments and disappointments of today if endured will lead to untold glories in the nearest future."

"Agnes Osazuwa has won the last women's 100m semifinal, clocking 11.35s to beat Gloria Asumnu who finished 2nd #NigeriaOlympicTrials"

"In my first marriage, my husband wasn’t really supportive of me being a coach. But I am stubborn; coaching is what I do and what I love, and so I went for it. One of the major reasons that marriage failed was because of my career. We were together for 12 years, but there was a lot of quarrelling going on, especially when I had to travel for competitions or when I had to go to the stadium to train my athletes. I wasn’t ready to give up my career as a coach, so I formally ended the marriage in October, 2021. When you hear that a lot of women had to quit coaching because of the lack of support of their spouses, that’s actually the truth."

"I go to where I am needed and I owe no one any apology for working for Rivers."

"Government has done everything so; it is left for us to pay back the kind gesture. We had good training, good facilities and good coaches. If any state deserves to win this festival, it should be Rivers."

"The number one reason many female coaches are not encouraged to stick with this career is the lack of support, and what I mean by support is about the Federation having your back. There are not many female coaches. There are about 10 of us in the country that I know of right now, but we are not being encouraged and supported. We need exposure. We can only get better when we are exposed, but we are not getting that from the Federation. A lot of the time you see a team consisting of four male coaches and one female coach, or none at all; where is the gender equity? These are some of the reasons women give up on coaching, because we are not getting the right support."

"We have prospects for the Rio Games. We are in camp right now and we are working hard. The athletes want to go to Rio and win medals and do the nation (Nigeria) proud. We are all working together to ensure that we go to Rio to win medals and do the nation proud. The athletes want to win because they know that there is something good awaiting them and they stand the chance of making good contacts thereafter. These are the future stars of Nigeria. This kind championship was used to discover the likes of Endurance Ojokolo, Blessing Okagbare, Obinna Metuh and many other stars. It is a step in the right direction and should be sustained."

"I am so disappointed in those people who said our athletes fumbled in Durban. In the first place, people should look at the circumstances our athletes travelled to Durban. About one week to the competition, athletes from other countries were already on ground in Durban, but our athletes did not even know whether they would make the trip or not. Some of our key athletes couldn’t make the trip due to one reason or the other. Coaches were also affected. I want Nigerians to celebrate the athletes. At this stage of our preparation for Rio Olympics, what they need is encouragement. We must not do things that will make the athletes remember the hard way they made the trip to Durban."

"Meet Endurance Ojokolo, one+ of finest female sprinters Nigeria has produced. In 2005 she got to the 4x100m final of the World Champs & 14yrs later, she's the coach of @Dushos to his debut."

"I’m excited about running at the African Masters Championships. And most definitely I will love to race against Ojokolo. Perhaps when the younger ones see us perform they will want to go and replicate it as they participate actively."

"It is a pity what is happening to Gloria. If she had known that things will turn out be bad for her...she could just remained in Australia. When her mates over there heard of her condition they were sad. Gloria rejected offers for her to represent Australia and returned to Nigeria. There were too many frustrations and coupled with the death of her father things took a turn for the worst. I’m glad that the AFN is doing something to aid her. It shouldn’t be another PR stunt, but a concrete step towards rehabilitating her. If this is the only thing the AFN can do this year it would mostly gladden my heart."

"She (Gloria) is responding to treatment and I’m hopeful she will be okay. When she is done with treatment, she needs to be constantly in the environment of track and field so that she doesn’t relapse again. I will sure be glad to see Gloria back into her former happy and joyous self, she is such a sweet and loving woman."

"We are overjoyed that she is responding to treatment and getting better. We spoke with her for several minutes, and we are happy that she has started talking about her future already. But, she needs total rehabilitation. The family is most grateful to Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Bayelsa State government and the individuals that played this big role"

"It would have been in the Royal Court Theater in Manchester. I was watching Patrick O'Kane in Shoot the Crow. I was right up against the stage, and he looked down at me. I remember thinking, 'He's looking at me, but he's not really looking at me at the same time.' The fourth wall really blew my mind. I just thought, 'This is magical."

"I really love working with new directors. I've been reading a lot of stuff from new writers, and it's really exciting. But so is working with someone as brilliant and exciting as Sigourney. It's great to sit in both of those worlds."

"I think the acting in Annie (1982) is just brilliant. The music is, obviously, brilliant, and so is the story. But I also think there’s something really relatable about Annie's search for home. As an immigrant, I definitely felt connected to her when I first saw it."

"I am a huge, huge fan of Whoopi Goldberg. I watched everything she did when I was younger, and Sister Act (1992) just brings me joy. When it's on, I can't stop singing or dancing. I can't watch it sat down, really. My husband might even have a video from the other week of me singing a song from Sister Act at my mom's house. It just brings me such joy."

"Black Panther (film) was the first time I had seen Africa depicted in such a way onscreen. I saw me, mine, and ours represented in a comic book world, and I didn't think previously that comics and superheroes had a place for someone like me. I had never really watched comic book movies, so Black Panther (film) was literally my way into the genre. It was my introduction to the MCU, and I loved it. My husband's also African American and I'm African, so I love the sense of kinship in the film, as well as the arguments that w:Killmonger and T'Challa have with each other. I loved the film's ideas and its approach to discussing them. It was very, very Pan-African and clever and interesting, and I didn't expect something like that from Marvel."

"Moonlight (2016) has a special place in my heart, because of the timing of when it came out and where I was in my life at the time. Beyond that, I love seeing Black men be vulnerable and get to really explore a whole spectrum of emotions onscreen. I had never seen that before. The film is so sensitive. It's like love exposed. It's so raw and beautiful."

"When Shoplifters (2018) came out, my husband and my auntie kept telling me, "You've got to watch this film," and I kept putting it off. I'm quite bad in the cinema, honestly. Generally, if you put me in a dark room, I'll want to go to sleep. I'm dyslexic as well, so reading the subtitles in foreign films can be really hard for me. But watching Shoplifters was, for me, like the first time I actually read a novel. I usually just read plays or short stories, but when I read a novel for the first time, I felt like I finally got to experience the full breadth of a story. Shoplifters was the first time a foreign film really opened me up like that. Reading the subtitles wasn't a chore, and my heart really broke open. I wasn't expecting that. I thought the subtitles would create a separation between the film and I, but they didn't. It’s a perfect film. The acting in it is really human and really honest, too. There's no frills in those performances. It's just, this is who we are, how we feel, what we’re doing, and how we're living."

"It was quite emotional to be hearing the stories from passersby telling us what it felt like, and what hasn’t changed, and what needs to change."

"It feels so necessary to tell this story right now. There’s a rot in the system that a lot of people are shouting about, but a lot of people are deaf to."

"It’s very different living here now and being Black in America, being married to an African American, knowing that my future is here and therefore, my safety is in the hands of the people in charge. It’s very sobering and scary. It does feel different, being in a country where police officers have guns. That’s not a thing in the UK."

"[It’s] extraordinary… that the word ‘police’ doesn’t evoke the feeling of safety in you. That’s so profound; I feel like so many people just ignore that. They just don’t relate to that. And I have to acknowledge that I have a privilege – in the UK, as a woman, I’ve never really encountered the police, whereas all of my Black male friends have. And then in the US, when we get stopped by the police, the way they interact with my husband? Very, very intimidating. Very, very scary for me. We’ve made a little thing, where I make sure I say something… in a very, very English accent, and the crazy thing is, the next thing that generally comes out of their mouth is like, ‘Oh, hey, where are you from?’ The interaction completely changes because my accent now makes them interact with my humanity. I don’t know what it is, but all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh, she’s British.'"

"Whether or not you feel safe, if the police, and policing, and the justice system and the society is corrupt, we’re not safe. If there is that kind of pain being inflicted by the people that you deem safe, you’re not safe. This needs [to be] addressed and fixed and cut out, and replaced and reimagined, so that there is actually room for hope. ‘Cause we’re all here, sharing it, and some people get the luxury of feeling hopeful. And some people just… don’t."

"It was just really nice coming back. It's very rare for me to come back to a show. I think I've only ever come back to Vera, and I only came back for one episode. To come back to season 2 to see everybody and be like, 'Oh, we did this' – that was really fun. That was just really new. I think I felt a little bit more... I think I felt a little bit more nervous. I hope we live up to season 1, because... that obviously went down well, because we're here at season 2."

"Sometimes in interviews I get asked a lot of questions about the whole MCU, and I'm not there yet. And I don't have all the answers. But I don't actually feel that outside of the press junket... You know, everyone's just full of love. All the fans are full of love. And then I don't have the pressure of playing a character that already existed. They get what they're given, and I don't have to live up to anything, other than the show and my character. Me – and what I want for the character. But, yeah, I feel like everyone has been really cool. I haven't felt this frenzy. I've never been to a Comic-Con, though, so I don't know what that's like."

"God Almighty has given me the grace of achieving one of my greatest ambitions within my first year on this sacred throne of Oduduwa. Moremi Ajasoro, an Ife queen who in her lifetime exhibited an unrivaled heroism of world’s liberty dedicated her life to the liberation of mankind by sacrificing her only child to free the people of Oodua land from the invasion of some faceless terrorists thousands of years ago."

"Moremi is an important figure and a great warrior worthy of emulation. With the pageant, we are trying to globalise and make the world know about a very important person."

"Times are changing and women are beginning to realise that we need to grow stronger. We need to show strong character in changing the society. I urge them to emulate the great heroine and be saviours to others."

"Women have very strong pain thresholds because they are born mothers. Women endure a lot and while some show it, some don’t. Moremi is proof to everyone and not just women that if you love something, you would fight for it no matter the cost. Women fight for their families aggressively on the daily and this is the message of Moremi. Moremi is strong and she changed destiny and history by saving her people and this is what women can do."

"I will protect Queen Móremí’s 12th Century iconic legacy as a contemporary torch bearer of Yorùbá culture and heritage globally."

"The indelible and heroic legacies of Queen Moremi will continue to endure in the chronicles of both Yorùbá and world histories."

"She (Moremi) was a heroine, who liberated the people of Oodua land from faceless invaders who sought to enslave them"

"I wanted to blame myself, but I don’t know what to say. When a goalkeeper does her possible best, just a silly goal would come and mess everything up."

"It’s love and unity, you can’t be in a good place and still have hatred for one and another? you have to be together."

"Meeting South Africa in the final is what we have been praying for because we want to play them again ."

"Every child comes into this world for a purpose; they should not wallow in self-pity, and should not hold out against people that stigmatised them because they don’t know any better."

"Parents that are ashamed of their wards must understand that they are just children, just humans, it doesn’t mean that you should not care for them."

"I think the only legacy is somebody who served in truth and justice— that’s what I titled my memoir. You must have confidence that this is the truth as you see it, as you know it, no matter who it offends, you do your best according to the law of the land."

"But many of us, because of money and status, they’ve lost it. So we are reducing the efficacy and importance of the profession to the ordinary man, so everything you do now, the ordinary man can do it because you’re not doing the right thing."

"When you hear ’12 years in’ and ‘you’ve been doing this for so long,’ and ‘40 games,’ your mind automatically goes to ‘OK, how can I achieve this the best way possible without getting hurt?"

"I’m really just very grateful, to be honest. I guess it kind of gives me a new lease on what the end of my career really looks like."

"I didn’t anticipate it, to be honest. I ended up doing more than I thought I was going to do this season. It’s still a blessing and I’m very grateful to know that I’m capable. To be able to come out, both on the All-Defensive and WNBA teams, it showed that I’m doing something right. I want to make sure that I’m as much of an asset on the court for my teammates."

"I would say that I learned something new, maybe not necessarily about my skill but more about how I exert my skill – my stamina, my endurance. I learned a lot about that. That’s after a lot of great offseason work, and now to build off of that. Each offseason, I’m like, ‘OK, I did this much. What’s it going to look like?’ It’s amazing to see that there are still more changes to be made after each season. I’m in that right now and it feels really good."

"That’s what it feels like and I’m really grateful. I think I’m also thinking about myself, what I want and what I want to achieve. I think I’ve kind of hung my career very heavily on service but I’m focusing more of that service as, like, how can I serve my wants, my needs, my goals that create a greater environment and perspective for my team and my teammates."

"I want to leave this place better than how I entered it. Period, point-blank. I want the job — the fervor, the passion of having agency over your value, your worth, your change — to be in players that are recognizing that as they enter the league."

"When we (Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike) started playing basketball, we didn't quite know what it would offer. It was a whole world that we were just completely unfamiliar with."

"There's a through line in all of us (she and her siblings), but we all kind of ended up doing our own thing, and I love it. Supporting that is really important because our parents raised us to be collaborative and be teammates instead of competitive. So we've never been a, 'Oh, Chiney did that? Oh, I'm going to do this!' We've always just been like, 'Girl, can I come along!' We just love celebrating each other and I think it's also what contributes to how we achieve what we achieve."

"With the pandemic and wars going on, it's really making it difficult for players to decide between life and dream. It's sad that the choice is so dangerous. It's not that it wasn't before. I guess it's that with the rise of women's sports, with the investment in women's sports, you just want to see something to where that doesn't feel like it's a necessity and I think right now, it still feels like a bit of a necessity for players."

"There’s a lot of stigmas and stereotypes that we navigate on the daily, to the point where I try my best to really tune them all out. But everyone thinks that we don’t make any money at all, people don’t know that we play 12 months out of the season, and that watching women’s basketball is not exciting. Those are all fallacies and… I think are quickly becoming dispelled."

"We have the want to, we have the determination and the belief but we need to turn all of that into real confidence and just having a little bit of swagger. I think that’s what we saw (Tuesday night) and we want to definitely build off of how we feel. For me, I play for intangibles so you can run as many plays as you want to, you can throw all these different schemes out but it’s not going to matter if you’re not locked in with the people that are out there."

"I’m not the same caliber as Nneka so I feel funny saying this but I’m really proud of her. It takes a lot to do that and she is consistent, especially this year 92023). Her numbers are off the charts and it’s almost casual. She’ll have 15 at halftime and that’s consistent. It’s kind of not talked about enough and it’s just a thing that she does, but it is excellence and I’m proud of her. I’m not surprised though because that’s the human she is."

"My talent was first discovered at a school athletics day a year after I arrived Norway. We had different events such as sprint, long jump and high jump. I was the fastest girl, and the guys were afraid to run against me, so, I ended up running by myself, but with the best times of all children. The teachers encouraged me after that to take up athletics."

"In recent years, when I am running, it is mostly for the joy of it...to give God glory with my talent and to inspire other people. I don’t attach my accomplishments to any country or to anyone."

"You can be great today and be loved by everyone and the next day you are out in the cold. It is like you are working hard your whole life for a run of a couple of seconds and sometimes you might not get rewarded for it. So, one has to take nothing for granted because nothing is guaranteed in athletics."

"It would have been a great honour to represent Nigeria at some point, but the IAAF has made it very hard to switch allegiance. Now, the athlete has to wait at least two years to compete for another country in an international championships."

"Make the best out of my training, to improve everyday, and reach the potential that I feel inside me and haven’t shown yet. If I manage to do all that, the result will surely come."

"We believe that every girl in society, regardless of her ethnic background, should get equal chance in sports to have fun, develop her talents and enjoy being in an inclusive community. We believe that youth sports is the best tool for girls to develop self-motivation, resiliency and strong appreciation for their own health and well- being. To help young girls become the future ethical leaders and positive contributors for our society, we offer training and equipment for them free of charge twice a week."

"We can’t just have one huge monolith of the national grid. It doesn’t work; it hasn’t worked."

"When there’s no electricity, women get beaten more."

"Women bear the greatest burden of energy poverty. If there’s no electricity or water in the home, it’s the woman that goes out to fetch the firewood, the woman that goes out to fetch water, and this over long distances. There’s actually a phrase for it: ‘time poverty’ – and women suffer huge time poverty, because they’re the homemakers, they run businesses, and they also have to do all this demanding domestic work that the men don’t have to do."

"To change the negative narrative of gender discrimination, well qualified and competent female Lawyers need to campaign, maybe, more vigorously for the positions they want. They must continue to solicit for the votes of male Lawyers who are in the majority, as well as securing the support of their fellow women."

"We pray that there will be more female Lawyers who will offer themselves to serve the N.B.A. in the capacity of President and other positions, in the near future."

"I feel very sad that the electronic voting was not conducted fairly. In my view, the election should be cancelled. An audit should be conducted. There are too many complaints. We are Lawyers – we should give a good example to Nigerians."

"I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have doubts, but at the same time, the player I am, I just always believe that whatever I put my mind to, it’s going to happen. It was a goal and aspiration of mine and I was going to do whatever it took to make that happen. But, yeah, there were many moments along the way where I just thought maybe it wasn’t for me."

"It doesn’t help to live in the past. I’ve learned it’s not going to change the outcome for us, unfortunately. If it did, I would do that all day every day. But because it doesn’t, it doesn’t help to do that. And all I can do is hope for a better tomorrow and hope for a better next time."

"I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by great coaches and fantastic teammates who showed me the ropes."

"I never set out to have a long career in volleyball. I didn’t even know the professional world existed when I started."

"I’m not exactly sure what I want to do once I finish my career, but I do know that I want to do something in medicine."

"I think what’s helped me the most is the fact that I never looked too far ahead. I’ve kept my head down, put in the hard work, dreamed big, and tried to treat others the way I would want to be treated. And above all, I’ve been blessed."

"The notion of having a growth mindset has played an instrumental roll in my development as an individual on and off the court. I'm so excited to share what I've learned along the way, with the hope that the youth will be encouraged to pursue whatever they want in life with the confidence and mindset of a champion."

"I got to compete for Team USA for the first time in almost three years. I never truly understood how much weight the USA jersey held until yesterday. It’s been a long and arduous journey to get back here and there were many times I debated calling it quits along the way, but I’m so glad I didn’t. It was all worth it."

"For the longest time, I dreamt of becoming a mom AND a professional athlete. I’m proud to say that I am now both. Thank you to all the badass mothers who came before me and showed me that it was possible, and here’s to those who will follow in our footsteps."

"Every day we come back and we are trying to play our game. We haven't had much time together in these past months, so it's just about streaming up point by point. The Netherlands are always a dangerous team and both of us came out a little bit slow. I think that when we were able to pick up our service pressure it really helped us with block and defence. Our goal is always to focus on things on the court. There are a lot of things we are working on. I think every time we step on the court, honestly, we are just trying to play our game, to score some points, just execute as much as possible and I think we do a really good job. Obviously, there is a lot of room for improvement, but we can continue to improve and to work on some things and come back stronger next game."

"I feel like I've become more of a feminist through this process of becoming a mom and just knowing that women are badasses. I'm just encouraged every day and I'm so happy that there are people who have pioneered this...There's so many [women] who have gone through it before and so many who will come through after me as well. I'm just happy to be part of it."

"Nobody in this program thinks that anything is impossible for Foluke. You could just ask anybody and they say, ‘Well, of course, it’s Foluke; she would have done it if she had to do it in less than 12 less months and play last year (2020). She’s got a very single-minded way of being able to do that. To be able to do that after having started a family is just blowing people away that she continues to be such a professional and approach her craft in such a disciplined way and crush it as a mom."

"I know that she’s (Foluke) such an inspiration to so many women who want to be moms and continue their athletic careers or other careers. She’s just pulled it off, like everything else in her life, with so much grace and resilience."

"I could not be more proud to have played with Foluke, to have known her in college and to see where she’s at now. Not just as an Olympian, but also as a mother. I think it’s fantastic and amazing what she’s been able to do. It just goes to show how incredible her work ethic is."

"She wasn’t afraid of getting down in the trenches with you when you were at your worst or things were at their worst and helping you figure out how to put the puzzle pieces back together."

"Love is the greatest so let love lead."

"I can never be put under pressure by anyone, it's not just about me. It's about everyone having a better society."

"My dream has always been for Nigeria to be amongst the best beach volleyball team not only in Africa but the world."

"Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, hoping it changes others."

"Marriage Is Not By Force."

"A good marriage is a gift from God."

"We dont fight or argue over ANYTHING because we both know our rights, duties, responsibilities and PLACE in our household."

"Marriage is when a man and a Woman decides to become ONE. Troubles starts when they cant decide WHICH ONE to be."

"You are smarter than you think,stronger than you imagine and loved much more than you'll ever know."

"Let us sow the seeds of credit to others when it's due, or else, we may never reap the harvest of ours when we should."

"Sustainability is important in building not just projects and programs but also building the human capital needed to sustain them. For sustainability to be achieved, when you build solid systems and also invest in the human resource needed to run those systems, it has very positive economic consequences on the global economy."

"They must be innovative, proactive, and resilient and must leverage on any opportunity that comes their way to grow."

"Our businesses and bottom lines would be better and the overall growth and development of Nigeria and that of Africa rests on designing and collectively defining an industry where everyone is playing a part to move things forward."

"Ready access to electricity will reduce youth unemployment and increase productivity."

"If you look at the floods that happened last year, two years ago in Nigeria, there was a lot of displacement of people, mainly people who were poor, and people who had nowhere to go."

"People had babies on their backs, their belongings on their heads, and they were carrying two or three children and trying to get to safety. That is the archetype of what happens when there is a climate disaster when there are rising seas, floods, and rising temperatures."

"Climate change is exacerbated by poverty, and this sort of poverty mostly wears a woman’s face."

"And so, when we’re thinking of mitigation and adaptation measures, it’s about how we stop the encroachment of climate in everyday life. But then, how do we also create normalcy for people who are trying to adapt to the changing climate in many ways"

"Our experienced forward Sarah Michael has chosen to extend her contract over 2021! Sarah has qualities that give variables to our game and contribute with clear target play, goal danger and weight in our attacking play. We are looking forward to Sarah's season and we are happy to see her in Mallbackens IF again this year!"

"Linkopings FC is a big club in Damallsvenskan and it has been a dream to play there, a dream that has now become true and it will be so exciting. I will do my best, collaborate with my teammates and work hard to win multiple titles."

"We’re going to work hard to put the 8-0 defeat by Germany behind us. We are not scared of them even though they a big side. Lots of factors contributed to that loss. The climate affected us; it was very cold and many of our players just aren’t used to playing in such extreme conditions. But this time around, we are ready for the test. Because of that, no one can blame the team or the technical staff for what happened, and you only have to look at how we played in South Africa during the last African Football Championship to see that. We were a lot better. Honestly, the climate didn’t help us at all and that’s a question of what you’re used to."

"I appreciate God for the victory and my contributions against Vaxjo. As a team, we really performed well and worked hard to get our goals early in the match. It was a team effort and I'm glad to see that we started the season very well. I played a very important role in the victory as a striker and I actually did my best to make sure we won the game. I am happy at the club and also felt welcomed and special as well. I'm grateful for the [Player of the Match] award and it made me feel proud of my contributions in the match. I give God all the glory for that and also my teammates for the support. We are in good shape as a team and I'm very keen to keep giving my best and also hungry to deliver more goals to help the team go far this season."

"Being so young, I had not traveled widely and to see this beautiful country with the sea surrounding, it was a wonderful experience. I had not seen anything like that before."

"I was sent off and that was really tough for my side. Although we managed to draw 2-2, it was not enough and we were knocked out. It was very disappointing."

"This was my best World Cup experience. To play in the final against the host was a terrific achievement and to come home with a silver medal is something I will cherish forever."

"Last season (2015) I scored some 30 goals in the league and this season I had eight after the first four matches. But I know that I have to keep on working hard to keep scoring. That is what I want to do, as I just love scoring goals."

"I thought that Ebere was at times one of the elite players last year (2019) and she will hopefully add a further edge to our offensive. I also think it is an advantage that she knows Swedish football after her three years here and of course it has also made possible very reliable references from different angles."

"Linkopings FC has always been one of the top teams in the OBOS Damallsvenskan. I like the Swedish league which has both good teams and players, and I like Linkopings FC's way of playing. It fits me perfectly and is good for my continued development as a football player. I really feel that this is a step in the right direction for me."

"With Chinaza and Uchenna we get two good offensive players that complement and spearhead our team, which also gives the squad better balance and durability."

"I have never felt like I had to hide my name or show my name to do this. It's like, if you know me, you do. If you don't, you don't. And he’s (her father) always like, ‘Be proud of who you are, like, be proud of what I've done, and what our family's done and what's you’re gonna add to the legacy and your kids will add to the legacy.’ And I just think the honesty of just being 100%, my authentic self has been such a huge thing."

"They were like, ‘What woman who watches daytime talk shows is gonna care about if Miami is gonna three-peat with LeBron (James) and Chris Bosh?"

"When I see the things for Bronny (LeBron James’ son) and I think about my younger brothers and things like that, you know, media does put such a high expectation on you. But when the one person who built this legacy is like, ‘Be yourself. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care if you're a teacher, as long as you're a good person with a moral compass and you are impacting the world in a positive way that's what every parent wants.’ And I think that is the best part."

"To reach the pinnacle of women’s basketball and coach some of the best players in the world is such an honor and a privilege. I jumped at the opportunity to work with my former coach, Stephanie White, because I know her energy to win from the perspective of a player and now, as a coach."

"If there is one thing that is true about the Connecticut Sun, it's that the organization is putting the idea into action that once you are a part of the WNBA family, you will be taken care of. There is an investment in your success not only during your time in this league, but after you’re playing career is over. I am excited to be a part of this special organization and hope to facilitate great guidance to these amazing professional athletes."

"To be apart of the Frog Family and to be back in the Big 12 is a dream come true. I'm excited about Coach Pebley’s vision for TCU women's basketball and ready to help continue the success that was accomplished last season."

"I was very interested in coaching after playing. It’s a natural transition for players to be closely affiliated around the sport. Playing collegiate basketball makes you very relatable to your players."

"I was lucky enough to have amazing coaches and to play at the highest capacity. It’s one of those things that you are able to relate and have compassion for the players and know what they’re going through psychologically and use the parallels of how to push and motivate without being negative to help them grow to their highest potential."

"A lot of it I am getting acclimated with as well. But we are getting really prepared and I can definitely see that we are getting focused for conference. I am really excited about it."

"I have known Abi for over 10 years and have been fortunate to see her development. Her basketball career is a remarkable one having competed in two Final Fours and playing in the WNBA. While at Cal State Fullerton, she proved to be a dynamic recruiter. I am thrilled Abi has joined our staff and she will make an immediate impact."

"I loved her (Abi) as a player. We played against her when I was at the University of Maryland. I had seen her on TV and I watched Oklahoma religiously. The only time we faced each other was her sophomore year. She’s 0-1 against me."

"I am happy to promote Abi to recruiting coordinator after watching her work this past year(2016). Abi has been a critical part of our recruiting success since we arrived in Ypsilanti. Her ability to organize and execute our recruiting game plans has allowed us to add elite student athletes to our program. Abi's work ethic and attention to detail has earned her the title of recruiting coordinator."

"You have to be content and hard working in life; it gives me great pleasure to spend from my sweat and not having to beg and compromise."

"I’m excited and grateful to God. I’m super happy that I was able to make the top three. I’ll say I’m not the best athlete but I’m grateful to God for bringing me this far. I can’t contain my joy no matter the colour of the medal."

"It has been a great season for me right from April when I was injured but I never settled for less no matter the challenges. I keep on pushing and my coach keeps telling me that Ese you can do it. It is not all about the training but the faith I have in God."

"This is one thing I really wanted, to get the Games record. This is special for me because it shows consistency. It shows the hard work of all those that have supported me and my coach, who has been backing me up. Sometimes it's about how you're able to show that what you're doing is not a fluke."

"The Rio Olympics taught me that you should never look down on yourself and stick to what you believe in. I told myself if I'm able to make it to the final with one leg, I should be able to make the podium on two legs."

"To win a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2019 gave me a lot of confidence that, 'OK, so I can actually compete with the top athletes in the world. I could actually do better still because that wasn't my best, you know, so it made me believe that I could get better. And so far, I have been working with that mindset, and it's helping me, and I can see a lot of improvement."

"It's a huge achievement for me and my coach. It was a surprise for us at first and, you know, it was something that we didn't expect to happen at that moment. It just happened. And we're still trying to recover from it. And hopefully...I'm able to back this distance, and hopefully, it should get me a medal."

"Tobi Amusan is my best friend, everybody knows. It was amazing for us because this is what we are trained for. She deserves it so much. Last championships, we just got one medal. Now we are getting out with two medals. It is a wonderful night for Nigeria, for all of us."

"I want to make young girls believe that all things are possible. You know they can do exactly or even better than what I'm doing right now. I'm not any super girl from one unique place. No, I'm a local girl from Ughelli. So if this local girl can do it, can come this far from nothing to become something, then you also can do it."

"Pressure is coming in from different places, from Nigeria, from my team, from Africa as a whole. I try as much as possible not to let that overwhelm me, take it one step at a time, not to rush. I try not to panic at any point in time and I do not see anyone as a rival. It's something that has helped me, and it has really brought me this far. And then the only thing to do is to surpass my personal best. I try to beat myself."

"I know this will be an inspiration for them (young girls). Of course, when you see someone you look up to doing well, you want to definitely be like them. So this is going to motivate and inspire them. I hope it works."

"I told myself that I had to tell the federation and everyone that it was about my run up. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, because everyone was like ‘What was wrong with me?’ I was the world leader and all of a sudden I came last. I had to turn to God and put Him first and He did it."

"My dream is to become the world’s best so I know that for the World Championships, I will be on the medals table because I should be doing much better before then. If not the GOLD, I will be on the medals table."

"I was talking to her (Brume) about education, and I asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. She talked about beauty pageants, they had a beauty pageant in a church that week, and she was going to be part of it. I told her that, you know, you can be in beauty pageants in many things in life. So I encouraged her to go to school, and I encouraged her to step in training."

"Ese Brume has continued to make us proud time and again. From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games to the Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked amongst the top athletes in her sports, globally, While it is disappointing that she narrowly missed out on the Diamond League title, I want to state that the country remains proud of her achievements. I am sure that she will bounce back and take her rightful place. I urge her and other athletes likewise to stay focused on the bigger picture as we draw closer to the 2024 Olympic Games."

"I proudly congratulate the duo of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, both winning at the Diamond League held in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America. Oluwatobiloba Amusan for winning the 100m Women’s Hurdles in a time of 12.33 to reclaim her Diamond League title while Nigerian long jumper, Ese Brume for her silver medal achievement in the long jump event at the Diamond League. The duo of Tobi and Brume represents strength, mental toughness, and the Nigerian spirit....From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games to the Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked among the top athletes in her sport globally. I join millions of Nigerians globally to felicitate with both Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume on their deserved wins at the Diamond League. Both victories are those that will restore their confidence after the difficult ordeal both passed through this year....Brume came close to winning her first Diamond League title after leaping 6.85m, just as Ivana Vuketa, who won gold, I am mostly proud of her for finishing strong, despite missing out on first place by very small margins. I urge Tobi, Brume, and other Nigerian athletes to reflect on this season, applaud themselves for their hard work, and look towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

"ESE BRUME HAS WON A GOLD MEDAL! It was never in doubt, but Brume after coming under an early pressure, pulled up TWO Games Records, jumping 700 to reclaim her #CommonwealthGames crown. If there's ever an athlete who always delivers for Naija (Nigeria), it is Ese Brume."

"To tell you the truth, as a former Athlete, I am impressed by this initiative (Abuja Youth Games). This is really very noble. This is what the Ministry of Youth and Sports should encourage because this is the only way we can go back to the grass root to discover future Athletes that can represent the Nation in the future."

"What I am bringing on board is facilities others don’t have in their sport parks and I want to use them to groom potential athletes and give them encouragement. It is my desire to move them to the next level. We are starting this project because we need expansion for more activities, we now have the indoor sports arena, basketball, badminton , graded tracks surface area, football field, we have the gymnasium; it’s a one stop shop for sports activities."

"I want to use this Moment to appreciate God for all he has done in my life and for what he is still doing, I don’t know where to start."

"Not All Slim Girls Have Flat Ass."

"I will say that sports has been or was in my DNA. I started from my primary school days. But I got noticed while I was running for my secondary school during the school inter-house sports competition at Obieziama Secondary School in Imo State. One of the athletics coaches at the then Imo State Sports Council, Chief Leo Ozurumba, just came to me after my race. He said to me, ‘you will run for Imo State and for Nigeria. You have the talent and determination.’ He later took me to the Sports Council and that was when it all started. I was about 12 years then."

"Hard work. Every training session was like my last on earth. There was the target of breaking and setting records before you. The coaches will remind you of getting your personal best time. At times, I even trained with the guys. This propels you to train daily as if your life depends on it. But truly, our lives then depended on athletics. So my strength was diligence. But I must add that once I remembered that I was running for Nigeria, it also drew inner strength for me."

"Fashion is your way of life. It is your statement. It is the way you feel like expressing yourself in all ramifications of life. For me, fashion is not just about dressing or makeup or jewelleries. It is about the way you speak, the way you carry yourself in public and the way you comport yourself among others. I don’t wear heavy makeup nor go crazy about clothes. I try to be as simple as possible. I also love to be very smart in appearance, may be because of my background as a former athlete."

"I am happy with the return of the National Sports Festival, after an absence of six years, because this is is an avenue from where we can spot future talents."

"We made the whole world to focus on just the two of us in the women’s 400m. Charity was in great form and had a 5-0 lead in our first five meetings together. I remember she ran an altitudes aided 49.87 in Johannesburg and I came a distant second in 50.27."

"I lost to Charity by the narrowest of margins in Oslo (50.13 to 50.15) and thought I was getting back to shape but when she scorched to a new 49.29 seconds personal best at the Golden Gala in Rome, I was scared my African record would be gone that year if I didn’t get into shape. I was third in that race that night in 49.89 seconds. It was my first run inside 50 seconds that year but Charity’s performance got me really worried. She was 3-0 up at this stage but my worry and that of my coach, Tony Osheku was that we could lose the African record of 49.10 seconds that got me a bronze medal at the Olympics in 1996. My coach even said if she breaks the record,we would go back to our base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA to train harder. It was that scary"

"In Dakar, Charity was the favourite to win. She was on top of the world ranking at that stage with some quality performances including the 49.29 seconds she ran in Rome which was the second fastest in the African all-time list at the time. I was however unshaken in my resolve to end her dominance over me! In the final, I raced home first in 50.07 seconds with Charity second in 50.13. Wow, I was on top of the world not because it was my second African Championships 400m gold after the win in 1989 in Lagos, but because I was emotionally lifted and I didn’t look back from there, winning the 200m in a new 22.22 seconds personal best. I won our next four encounters in Lausanne, Brussels, Berlin and Moscow at the Grand Prix final before running an altitudes aided 49.52 seconds to win the World Cup in Johannesburg. It was a remarkable turnaround for me and a glorious show by Charity and I that got us ranked 1, 2 in the world. That was the first and so far only time Nigerians would dominate an event in the circuit."

"I have been with you for years and we know ourselves deeply. I think we would make better couple. I have a deep feeling for you. Tried as I did to suppress it, I get more and more troubled."

"Apart from Ogunkoya, only two other Nigerians have been able to go under 50s: Charity Opara & Fatima Yusuf who are members of this exclusive club. In 1998, Opara ran a PB of 49.29s in Rome, while Yusuf ran a PB of 49.43s to win the African Games title in Harare in 1995!"

"I must confess that talent management is one of the most selfless jobs and requires a high level of discipline."

"Building the right team is essential, but finding individuals who understand both the artistic and business aspects can be challenging."

"This lack of guidance can lead to depression and other difficulties when the journey becomes tough."

"sustain our progress, we must avoid complacency, consistently produce quality music and involve more institutions in the music industry."

"A servant is to ensure that everything works well including to train and assist my staff."

"Every Nigerian is entitled to a lawyer if charged before a court, no matter how heinous the crime or how large the sum alleged to have been stolen."

"Indeed the judiciary is a critical component in the war against corruption."

"Naturally, balancing the professional commitments and family life was also challenging and is indeed a work in progress. The family and bringing up your children is a full time job in itself and, at the same time, your professional career and aspirations cannot be neglected"

"BOMA OZOBIA Professionalism, consistency keys to success"

"it's not just about pressure, but it's about dealing with pressure to perform your job in an unethical manner, to breach the code."

"There needn't be a fear of ethics. It doesn't mean you're uncompetitive. Quite the reverse, one hopes."

"the truth of the matter is that organizations are led by the people that are in the middle."

"leadership has to ensure that middle management understands this too."

"I began to understand the importance of seeing problems from the other person’s viewpoint and I have built on that ever since."

"I was determined to show people what I could achieve."

"If it is money you marry for, it won’t work"

"We just have to keep hope. People think journalism is for the never do well."

"You are not going there to enrich yourself; you are going there to do good, and show the world that we come from a rich tradition and heritage."

"Our concern is how to take care of our people, not just ourselves."

"National team selection should be based on quality and form rather than where the players are based. This will give hope to everyone as it will make the situation a level playing ground. It will make players have hope and play their hearts out during national team duties."

"Basketball is a quality game with abundant talents. Players have different qualities that they can offer. Being a national team snub doesn’t make one a bad player."

"As Africans, sustainability has always been ingrained in our culture. We've practiced sustainability for generations. Perhaps it's because our fashion industry hasn't reached full maturity that we haven't fully showcased these practices."

"God himself is an artis, we can see everything he created art is everything you see."

"Education is the key to bridging the gaps in our technical skills, business knowledge, branding, marketing, and positioning."

"My faith in God and my self belief. I believe a lot in myself. You don’t have to rely on anyone and you can help yourself you can do stuff by yourself. My parents are paramilitary, so I’ve always grown up to have that mind set of whatever you want you can achieve, My dad will never help you bribe anybody, or help you talk to anyone to get you a job or a placement anywhere… So I have that self believe that what ever I want if I work hard at it, if I follow the right way and I do the right things I will get it… and I have faith in God."

"My noble intention is to train and mentor weightlifter who will win medals for the country (Nigeria) not only at African Championships but Commonwealth and Olympic Games. There are strong young girls who are capable of making the nation proud but all they need it the enabling environment. What I intending doing to capture some of these girls with raw strength and convert them into refined lifters; that is why I have a center in Offa. Offa is a big community where we have influential personalities who love weightlifting. One of the missions is to make sure the sport is back, the athletes train and produce lifters that will beat my record"

"I came to the World Championship to boost the morale of the athletes and see what the competition is like, compared to the past. My assessment of the weightlifters was that they have done very well according to the level of preparation and support from the President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr Ibrahim Abdul."

"I am optimistic with the current performance of the weightlifters; Nigeria will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

"My advice to the weightlifters is to return home; remain consistent in their training, remain focused and avoid distractions."

"Today is a historic day because Ruth Ogbeifo Balofin Community Project (ROBCOP) is entering into a partnership with the College of Education in owning its training centre inside the school. We have a vision for all our weightlifters to become heroes and heroines as well as become educated. In the next four years, we hope to see some of these weightlifters bring glory to Kwara State and Nigeria at international championships. ROBCOP will provide the enabling environment and equipment for the weightlifters to train. For you to excel in the sport, you need consistent training. I cannot do it alone; a tree cannot make a forest and that is why I am seeking the collaboration of the state government, the sports council and management of the tertiary institution."

"Weightlifting made me who I am today and I thank God for that but I believe everyone cannot be an active sports person this is why I decided to empower orphans and widows through Charity Mind of Giving (CMOG) FOUNDATION. If the athletes cannot excel in sports due to the intensive training and pressure, I believe they can channel their energy to either tailoring or hairdressing."

"I hold no grudge not been among the 60 Nigeria Sports Icon but it is painful that after spending 8 hours everyday while training, getting injured and recovering, becoming an All African Games Champion, African Champion, World Champion and Olympic Silver medallist, my country still did not deem it fit to recognize me among their sports Icon. For record purpose, I am not only I Champion in my sport, I have also produced African Games Champions in weightlifting through my Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin Community Project (ROBCOP) in Offa, Kwara state. If my country does not honour me, I know God in heaven will honour me. Outside Nigeria, I get treated like a queen whenever they know I won a medal at the Olympics but in Nigeria, I will have to lobby to get things done."

"Anyone who remembers the stories of Ruth Ogbeifo and Glory Alozie will see how injurious this ICON injustice is. Ruth possibly could have won the gold but for an injury she was treating months to the games. An NGO, HOPE Worldwide Nigeria, not the NSC, assisted with funds for her medicals. She lifted 245kg same as Colombian Maria Urrutia who won the gold medal because of her lower body weight. Now her medal is treated with indifference."

"I must say this in defence of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation that a list of past and present lifters were submitted as requested and Ruth Balofin (Ogbeifo)’s name was No 1 as the first African to win a silver medal in weightlifting at the Olympics. As a matter of fact, she finished with the same lift with the eventual gold Medalist but lost due to body weight. Some of us were present at the Sydney Olympics in year 2000. We were therefore surprised that her name did not feature. Perhaps, there are other criteria used."

"If Ruth isn’t there, then there’s a problem. I’m seeing so many Olympics bronze medallists on the list, what criteria did they use in dropping her and others?"

"“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”"

"I am a creative designer that love to educate and impact others especially Teens to unleash their potentials and be a resourceful leader."

"'Success, as we all know, is a learning curve that comes with patience, perseverance, hard work and endurance."

"I am a people person with excellent communication skills. This goes a long way with the business side of fashion. This has helped me build more relationships that have been converted to a wide range of clients over time. I tell you it is true when they say business is all about relationships. It makes a huge difference."

"In my humble opinion, my greatest achievement to date is that I am still a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry. Trust me, building these relationships within and outside the industry hasn’t been easy. I believe this is partly what has gotten me to where I am today. This is my 17th year in the fashion industry, and it has been quite the journey. I am thankful to God for the many accomplishments and accolades I have received through the years and to my loyal customers for their continuous patronage."

"Winners don't quit try again this time with God."

"I would like you to join me in celebrating my cultural heritage and background as my journey as the First Female Queen in my community , this is not small. It is a big deal to me, particularly because such a title is not given to women in my area but today my people are bending rules to accommodate, and celebrate female excellence, and inclusivity in community and nation-building"

"People who are close to me know how deeply rooted I am in culture and tradition. This is definitely a path I will enjoy"

"I will serve as custodian of culture and heritage while providing leadership to the community. Another important thing I will be directly involved withis conflict resolution, especially among women, ensuring peaceful coexistence and upholding traditional values"

"As a culturally preserving agent in the community, I will play an important role in participating in cultural festivals, ceremonies, and practices that preserve the community’s identity. I will also serve as an intermediary between our community and the government, ensuring our people’s voices are heard in policymaking and implementation.These are the key things I will focus on at the moment"

"I have always been a well-dressed lady who respects my cultural ethics"

"The title will further permit me to now wear royal attire especially on public outings or traditional festivals and since I am a fashion designer, I can be creative about it to further beautify my culture. I strongly believe that when I’m at work in my factory or having meetings with clients in respect of my fashion business, I may not have to wear the royal attire"

"Kebbi state, just like many regions in Nigeria, faces challenges in development, especially in the rural area, but the state also has unique strengths especially in agriculture. Whether it is ‘lagging behind’ depends on the metrics used in comparison, e.g., infrastructure, education, healthcare, or industrialisation"

"As a traditional ruler, I have several key responsibilities all aimed at ensuring the well-being and harmony of the community"

"In terms of community development advocacies, I will play a vital role in advocating for and facilitating development projects, such as education, healthcare and infrastructure by partnering with government agencies and organisations."

"Nigeria's Grace Igboamalu, right, is upended by Canada's Kadeisha Buchanan during the first half of an international friendly soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia."

"When you are trying to save the ball, you need safe hands. But there are ten others on your side."

"When you drive a bus, you are on your own."

"I am old. You have to know when to stop."

"Mentally you have to be 100% ready, if you are a goalkeeper the defenders can help you. You can’t make any mistakes driving a bus."

"I have always wondered what it truly means to be woman. Not ‘a woman’ but ‘woman’. You don’t choose to be born female, you literally wake up one day and realise that you are. Often times it is because growing up especially in Nigeria, there is a constant reminder of what you should do, how you should act, what you should think simply because you are not male. Little wonder that a lot of young girls grow up not knowing who they truly are because they have been moulded into these beings that have never really discovered their true essence or worth because culture and society have provided all the answers."

"My name is Oluchi Orlandi, you may know me as Oluchi Onweagba, 1998 winner of the 1st Mnet Face of Africa. Needless to say that after winning the competition, my life changed forever. But when I reflect as I tend to do, I realise that as much as I have enjoyed so much success and the stuff that dreams are made of on a global stage – one thing remains the same and that is being ‘woman’."

"I am definitely one of those people who believe that women have super powers, call it female instinct, the ability to multitask, the power to love and nurture deeply and all the other things that women are incredibly good at. I actually have far simpler ways of describing the phenomenon that is ‘woman’. I would say that the female super powers are INTUITION, MATERNAL INSTINCT & THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. These powers distinguish and unify the female species all over the world, across skin colour, geography, income and status."

"Let’s teach our young girls about what truly matters. Let us let them know that they are not alone. Taking over the world, sitting at the table, smashing glass ceilings and all of that is critical for them to see and know – but also teaching them to understand their uniqueness in it’s simplicity and entirety are lessons that we must also teach them. I have two sons and no daughters so I hope that I can directly impact and inspire others to impact more young girls and women so we have a truly empowered next generation of women."

"I am a 38 year old business woman, supermodel, wife and mother. I have learnt to trust my gut, put myself on the list of all the people that I nurture and care for. Most importantly, I celebrate my feminity in its raw and pure form. My name is Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi founder of LuLu (LuLu Lingerie, LuLu Liner & LuLu Pads) and I AM WOMAN."

"Nigerian women love fashion. I think Nigerian fashion industry is still at its early stage. South Africa is way ahead of us. Even Senegal and Ivory Coast were ahead of Nigeria. The industry is growing. It takes years of dedication and hard work. It must not be overnight so you have to be patient."

"On the African continent, Nigeria is still way behind. Johanesburg is a lot more structured and I think that it is because they have been around for many years. Nigeria will still get there but we don't have the talent and the skills like South Africans."

"I am an African woman. I am also a Nigerian woman. We grew up with multi-tasking. You learn to know how to work it out."

"I think it is just marrying your best friend more than anything. A man that will understand you; a man that will support you in good and bad times. My husband is my best friend."

"I am happiest when I am dancing to my favorite music."

"Two years ago (1998) I was a student in high school. I never thought I'm going to go on a plane, leave Lagos and leave my mom and dad.... It all happened all of a sudden."

"You don't have to have blue eyes and blond hair to be beautiful."

"Don't try to kill yourself to look like a model because we have so much more time to take care of ourselves. We can wake up, go to the gym, try all kinds of products. Of course, you're going to look good."

"I feel like I'm at a transition where I need to figure it out. In the meantime, I just keep living my life and having fun."

"I immediately noticed the sneakers, jeans, T-shirts, and denim jackets of New Yorkers. As the season changes, their casual uniform always stays the same. The style of New Yorkers and Nigerians couldn’t be more different. New Yorkers are effortless and cool, while the Nigerian woman is more feminine and embellished. However, we all wear the same accessories: Hermès, Chanel, Céline, Saint Laurent, Givenchy. Lagos women also flaunt their culture unapologetically...Where they are from locally has a lot to do with how they style their garments."

"The retail experience is changing in Nigeria, so most of the international designs are either purchased online at a retail outlet like Mall for Africa or at the Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki, Lagos. Others shop at the luxury concept fashion store Alara or Temple Muse. And for a range of designs made in their native country, Nigerian women shop at Grey Velvet. The days of flying to shop is coming to an end. Nigerians now shop with a sense of pride and confidence, knowing that the product they would normally buy a travel ticket to get is now available in their country, and they can trust that it’s all original."

"Weddings are a huge tradition in Nigeria. Our clothes are mostly customised with authentic local fabrics like aso-oke and lace. These are always elaborate and glamorous. Apart from the actual outfit, which is usually made from exquisite embroideries, we would usually wear a head wrap and lots of jewellery. Gowns from brands like Valentino are now being worn to traditional events, as they fit the aesthetic of our clothes. The shoes and other accessories tend to be from top international brands."

"We chose Oluchi because we found that, from all the girls that entered the competition, she had the most personality."

"I love a very elongated kind of Modigliani proportion. I love the shape of her head and the proportion of her body (Oluchi)."

"Naomi Campbell is in a breed of her own. I think she is unbearable from a professional point of view. When it comes to Oluchi, she is completely the opposite. This is someone who is totally centered, totally dedicated, who says 'Thank you.'"

"Oluchi is like a role model to Nigerian aspiring models."

"In my eyes she (Oluchi) is fashion’s biggest model of rags to riches. Not just because she made it from the corridors of obscurity to the world stage, but because when she got there, she gave a hand and a platform to the voiceless but ambitious talents. Here I am, thanks to her."

"I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it to fulfill. Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence."

"Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence."

"The graphic style itself is influenced by a lot of very layered and detailed comics that I read as a kid, like 'Vagabond' by Takehiko Inoue."

"For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends or not."

"I'm really interested in independent publishers and memes and mini comics. But even before that, I was interested in Japanese manga and anime."

"I moved around a lot when I was a child; two of the houses I grew up in have totally disappeared. One was burnt in a riot, and the other was pulled down."

"I kept wanting to push my image as validity; I wanted to see my portrait on a wall and know it was okay."

"The social media bit is really about documenting process. I like the dialogue if it's constructive, but I'm now at a crossroads. I've accumulated a lot of followers, and it's great, but I'm also at that teetering point where people are feeling themselves a little too much, commenting a little too much."

"My identity is not based on performance; it's based on something that's pre-determined by someone else, and I don't even understand what that is because I'm an African who came to America."

"When I was in school, I conceptually didn't want black people to have context, to take it out of all that history. I wanted nothing to indicate where they are or what time it is, to place them anywhere."

"I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it to fulfill."

"true leaders are able to empower others to be better than what they thought they could be and to see in them what they never saw in themselves."

"I guess people only believe in using sport to win or lose, but for children it can develop really the right character, discipline, and leadership needed to succeed in life and I wanted as many girls as possible to have that opportunity to learn that."

"Never sacrifice your faith, culture, or beliefs for fashion and beauty. Losing your identity follows. However, do not let religion and cultural beliefs stop you from pursuing your dreams and achieving them. The key is finding the right balance between it all."

"Dressing modestly is like a religious art for a Muslim woman. It is an act of devotion and submission. Modest fashion requires looser fits, but not baggy clothes. You can be stylish and keep up with the latest trends by choosing waist-defining pieces with gathers, sash belts, or tie fronts."

"My hopes and dreams as a child were simple: to be a difference- maker for good. I’ve always had empathy for the under- served and determined to do something about it through advocacy and action. Coming from a region where there’s a lot to be done, I feel that there are huge opportunities for the private sector to work alongside governments while doing well entrepreneurially."

"People's lives have changed for the better because eight families now live in decent homes with access to clean water, improved sanitation and renewable energy"

"You know, to be a champion, you have to be disciplined. There’s a level of concentration and coordination you need to have."

"I think that if you want to be a doctor, you can be a doctor and be a basketballer, it doesn’t stop you. It only depends on how determined you are and how you want to achieve what you want to achieve. Sports is never a barrier, it’s a plus to what you want to become in life."

"I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better."

"A vision of an Africa that shelters and respects individualism and for Africans, that the world’s opinion of us is redirected."

"I found a way to make us women powerful, by being able to earn money."

"“I always sign the work I do by myself with my name N-I-K-E and I encourage the other women to sign their work too,”"

"“You have to wear your indigo to show your people that you love them.”"

"Indigo is regarded as the color of love by the Yoruba people. “The pattern of Adire is the way we used to communicate in the past,”. You have to wear your indigo to show your people that you love them,"

"By the time I was ten-years-old, I was already weaving on a proper loom and considered a professional,”"

"“There are over 4000 women whose lives have changed thanks to textiles.”"

"The preparation is nothing to talk about; but I am not discouraged, rather I’m taking it up as a challenge to increase the tempo of my training outside the national camp. We have been in camp for the past two months training seriously, this will enable me to win a medal this time around and I know that almighty God will support my effort. I was in Beijing and London Olympics in 2008 and 2012 respectively, but couldn’t win any medal. However, this is another opportunity for me and I must make the difference this time."

"Thank God for exposure at previous Olympics, continental championships and series of trials that has helped me to garner the basic points that earned me this Olympic ticket."

"It is painful to come to the Olympics and see people who are your contemporaries perform better than you; not because you lack the ability but because you were not prepared like them."

"For me, it is not just about jumping unto the plane every four years to go to the Olympics. Every athlete you see here wants to step on the podium. If you can’t aim to climb up there, you have no business coming to the Olympics. I can only consider going to another Olympics if things change for the better. But if the status quo is maintained, I don’t think I will go to another Olympics again."

"Olympic gold medal doesn’t come cheap. It is painful that one has to suffer and when competition comes they expect you to win a medal with your blood. The people you have to compete with had everything they needed: training grants, competitions and are exposed to the most modern equipment. I had nothing. You don’t expect such people who have invested so much to lose to one who don’t even train adequately."

"I feel 2012 was better. I had better training and my result was better. This time nothing was done to better one’s performance."

"I feel honoured and glad to be voted as the Weightlifter of the Year 2014 by Nigerians. It was an honour that I feel is also a challenge for me to continue to do more, and promise not to disappoint the country (Nigeria)."

"The secret of my success is not far-fetched. With all honesty and modesty, I can say that determination and hard work are the keys to my success and I believe that other athletes can also achieve success if they are determined and hard working."

"I decided to become a weightlifter because of the intimidation from boys. I felt I needed to look like that so I can earn some respect from males and let them know that women can be like them too. Since I started, I have had no regrets at all as I have been able to win laurels for myself and the nation. Also, I can feed comfortable without disturbing anybody and my family is happy."

"I am going to the qualifiers lift the sole aim of picking a ticket for the Olympics. The tournament will actually show how much impact the camping had on me because I have never gone through this kind of camping in recent time. The coaches pushed us to the limit to bring out the best in us."

"We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. If our sports authorities want Nigerian athletes to begin to win like the rest athletes from around the world, we must begin to do things differently to get the type of results others are getting."

"It hurts a lot when you know that you have the capacity to do better but because certain things are not right in our preparations for the Games, one then fails to meet set target. I don’t want to sound as if I am giving excuses for my inability to make the podium. What I am saying is that we should not go to the next Games in four years time in Tokyo, Japan and also be in this same state of poor outing. I am appealing to whoever will be in-charge of Nigeria sports not allow things again turn lout like this. There should be better preparations, more encouragement for Nigerian athletes. Those other athletes (from other countries) that we competed against had everything as in everything to succeed. It just does not make sense to expect good result from Nigerian athletes who are competing with those who have been preparing in the last three years. We Nigerian athletes are just competing with tears and blood. It is through sheer personal determination to succeed that is driving Nigerian athletes. It just does not add up like that."

"I have won a couple of medals in several competitions but I yearn for an Olympic medal. It is the ultimate reward an athlete can get to show that one got to the peak of sport. And so it really hurts when one cannot get to the podium to receive an Olympic medal. Hurts real good."

"I feel really excited about winning. I've had my mind on gold ever since the very beginning. I believed I would get it and I did."

"Usman is the only one for weightlifting event in Rio; she did excellently well at the qualifiers which saw her through and she was able to secure the Olympic ticket."

"I had to raise her (Usman) to 160kg because she was no stranger to that. She lifted 170kg. She went to London to win, but Usman lost focus. I don’t know what happened, but she bungled it. It was painful. I brought her up and I know her capability."

"As an athlete, I have learnt that it is not really good to keep changing your programme. You need to be consistent as long as you know that it is working for you."

"We need the strength test; as a jumper you need to know what your strength level is."

"I realised that you don’t have to mind what people think or do as far as you are doing what you love and what you know how to do best."

"The major challenge is that some people see you as doing a job meant for men and don’t regard you the way they do to the male footballers."

"My parents were not happy seeing me playing football but later when they saw that it was my talent, they started supporting me."

"We lost to Barcelona not because they are better than us; I just believe that they were better on that day."

"I still kept my hope very high and I’m very proud of the team"

"I told myself, ‘just go out there and express yourself.’"

"You shouldn’t be over comfortable in life, no matter where you are, just keep working, keep working."

"You can always go further if you keep working"

"On our legacies because we were their role models. We did not bring the trophy home but that (qualifying for the Olympics) was a trophy for us."

"The idea was to leave a legacy behind. We prayed and worked extremely hard in training."

"We told ourselves that we were not just Nigerians but Africans and that we wanted to make the continent proud."

"For me, there was no substitute for working hard on my own, long after training."

"“I feel blessed to have been the first woman to win this award back then in 1999.""

"I am excited that other Nigerians have done it again and I hope that we will see more of this in future."

"But what I found in my research is that there were a lot of African immigrants who were resisting that very strongly. So they could be thought of more as sojourners: People who came here very invested in succeeding economically and otherwise but not as invested in the social fabric. … In many ways, that can create problems."

"The primary thing is to write. We focus on the publishing and the authoring part of it, which I think deals with business. The more you write, you begin to create a practice space for yourself. Even for those who have busy lives. It is important to carve out some time and space to write and practice.”"

"I always say I’m Nigerian and American, I don’t choose. This is homecoming for me. Home is where your roots are, where you have people who love you. This is where the generations past have been, elders have been here, people before them and I feel so connected to them. It’s a great honour to be honoured in this way."

"It was developed out of a lot of different family friends I knew about who were living two different lives: a life in America and a life in Nigeria,” she said. “ I was thinking about these dual identities and these dual cultures. During that time, I read tons of immigrant literature from different genres. I started to look more closely at their experiences, and think about what was unique about their experiences.”"

"My favorite place to write is at home in front of a window. I think the most important thing for me is to get comfortable, because it eases me into my creative space and the world of my characters."

"You know every parent would definitely be scared especially when you’re a girl child. Because they feel like you will just go astray. But you know when you disappoint them and let them know that there is more to what you think then, they don’t have a choice but to love what you do."

"If I look at the women in my family – my mother, my aunties, cousins and friends – I see strength; strength of character, and the power of vision. The African woman is strong, bold, driven and an incredible multi-tasker. I say this, not because it’s a cliché, but because it is true. From the Tomato farms in Kano Nigeria, to the tea plantations in Kericho, Kenya, from politics, to business and civil society, women are putting in the work and are achieving great results. If I even speak from a personal perspective, the women within my network are focused, and are making consistent, measurable impact in all fields of endeavour."

"So the African woman is indeed the one who is building sustainable structures with the bricks life has thrown her, and I celebrate her for that."

"I knew it was right - it was the right timing for me to get back out there. This is our calling - this is what we want to do. We just need the community to support us."

"I grew up living in the New York City housing projects with my seven siblings and my mom. I grew up in poverty so sports was something that helped me to go to college and travel the world and become a pro - things that would have never happened for someone like me."

"My vision for the space behind me is really an indoor court. A place where we can have two courts going and train athletes and players can have a chance to become great right in their own backyard. I envision a place where I can train those athletes and I can be a part of their journey because I understand what it is to be a young girl and doesn’t have much, but has a heart to be successful and I want to help."

"You better believe if we get the community to back us up on this, the girls are going to be out here working too. Whatever we can do - whatever is legal, we don’t want anyone to get hurt - the girls are going to be out here working to make sure they’re a part of this so they appreciate what they have."

"These girls are going to go as far as we push them. So if we keep pushing them, if we have the resources to keep pushing them, then I think that we'll be shocked and amazed at where these girls can go in the next 10-15 years. And hopefully they come back and give back to the next generation of girls after them. But we just need the community to stand behind us, push us, give us resources, whatever we need to help us give these girls what they need to be successful. That's the most important thing."

"Just as I needed the mentorship of the women in my life to become the woman I am today, our girls also need us. It is our responsibility to encourage the next generation of women to be strong, smart and bold. We cannot wait for someone else to do it. As my coach used to say, if you don’t know whose job it is, it’s yours."

"Everywhere I turned when I grew up in a New York City housing project there was despair and there was struggle and there was just so much strife, but when I got to go to basketball, I just felt like I could breathe. I felt like I was safe...I became passionate about it. I want other young girls to find their passion, regardless of their circumstances at home."

"I think any time innocent blood is being shed, whether it is on the Palestinian side or on the Israeli side, it’s heartbreaking. I don’t pick a side. I don’t think that that is appropriate. I just want the killing of innocent lives to stop."

"Last year (2020) I gave my absolute all to the team. I had film sessions every day, I hired a strength and conditioning coach, and we had weights three times a week. We had practice two hours on days we didn’t have games. Before and after practice, I would stay with girls and work on their skills. We had skill sessions where groups would come on certain days. We had pre-game meals. There were so many things that I was able to do last year that I want to be able to do this season, but I can’t devote that amount of time to the team. I know that if I came back, the girls would know the difference between what I gave them last year and what I’m giving this year. I gave them 100 percent last year. This year, I wouldn’t be able to do that. They deserve a coach who’s going to give them 100 percent. If I came back knowing I was only giving 75 percent, 80 percent, I would be a hypocrite. Everything that I taught them last year was: ‘What’s the point of doing it if you’re not going to give your all?’ If I come back not giving my all, that makes me a hypocrite. It’s not who I am. I want to give them 100 percent, they deserve 100 percent, and they know what my 100 percent looks like."

"There is Olabisi Afolabi, the famed NUGA alumnus from Ilorin, who helped Nigeria to a silver medal in the 4 x 400 meters at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the highlight of a very successful athletic career, which included gold at the World Junior Championships in 1994, silver at the 1999 All-Africa Games, and bronze at the 1995 All-Africa Games."

"Anywhere could make for a dream arena as long as it’s an amazing stage with great lighting and perfect sound."

"If you want to succeed in life, you don’t have to listen to negative comments."

"Not everyone will love you even if you are a star."

"All upcoming gospel artists should arise and shine. Nigeria should arise and shine even at this period."

"The major cause of divorce among young couples is the fact that they cannot endure hardship with anybody. And, they prefer getting married to rich people. However, happiness in marriage is not dependent on how rich one’s spouse is. Young people should always seek divine direction from God before they get married."

"Young people should also learn to endure, be patient and rugged, and be understanding."

"If you have a divine call upon your life you will be unique, you will stand out among others. If it’s about songs you will always let people know that you have something to say."

"First of all believe in yourself and your talent. Perfect your gift, work hard at it and never stop learning from the best. One must understand the business side of the music industry also it is a job. Get a great manager that believes in your talent and stay focused and remain humble."

"We as a people must start showing the positive side of Nigeria and all the beautiful places that need exposure."

"We need to remind ourselves as women never to sell ourselves short, we are masterful spiritual and all powerful beings responsible for bringing life into the world."

"We as women need to band together as a sisterhood stemming our petty quarrels the world is for the taking and we are the takers."

"Believe in your dreams, that dreams that seems impossible, You can achieve it and more! Just believe."

"God decided to use his only son for the sacrifice, so that his blood can wash away the sin of the whole World."

"Am happy about the whole event as my family and friends are excited too. I am very thankful to God and Mrs Ulaeto, my English teacher who discovered me. She was the one who handed me to coach Effiong Ibok who in inturn left me under the professional training of coach Daniel Umoette. I also appreciate Mrs Janet Bassey, secretary of track and field in Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youths and Sports. I thank all my teammates too as well as everyone that encouraged me."

"It was very tough because of the weather. This is just the beginning of great things in my career. My coach and I really worked hard on this. I’m so excited; it would only get better. Coming here to make so much impact makes me feel so happy. It means more hard work, but the future is so bright."

"I am happy that things are working out well and I thank God for the progress made so far. I come from a riverine area in Ibeno local government area where I used to help my parents to catch crayfish. I am equally grateful to my parents and my coaches who are keeping me on my toes. I look forward to having a successful career in athletics."

"I think that was 2016 during inter-house sports, she was in Yellow House. I just looked at her and said can this one do anything? But she surprised everybody, I gave her the name ‘Kenya’ when I saw her sprinting legs. I told her you are going places."

"Imaobong you have done well, the governor is proud of you, the whole state is proud of you and we are happy that you have not disappointed us. As you are leaving for the United States, please do not lose focus, trust God, work harder and do the best you can at all times."

"I feel so elated, how I wish I could see her with my eyes now, oh how I will hug her. I told her to trust God for everything, and God is with her. Am so elated."

"The duo of Imaobong Nse Uko (400m) and Udodi Onwuzurike (200m) won individual gold medals while the 4x400m mixed and the women’s relay teams also won our first ever relay gold medals at the Championships."

"I started coaching her (Imaobong) in 2017. That was before the National Sports Festival in Abuja. As a matter of fact, she was discovered during the Akwa Ibom Youth Games and I have been coaching her since then. I must appreciate her parents who were gracious enough to release her to us. We were almost strangers then but they allowed her to live with the secretary of Akwa Ibom sports commission who also acted as her godmother. Training her was not easy because she was going to school. While I coached others in the day, I coached her in the evening whenever she returned from school."

"What I try to end up expressing is that being Nigerian is a state of mind. It doesn’t matter whether I had garri, milk and sugar in boarding school. It’s not about that. It’s about unity within the different ethnic groups and being able to help, love and understand each other."

"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

"We all need to pass a positive message that can go beyond the industry to the listeners. A message that you will be proud to share with the next generation – love, peace and harmony."

"I also believe that any music can be commercial as long as people can relate to it be it up-tempo or mid-tempo or whatever. Relatability for me is key."

""Music has brought me lots and lots of joy. For me, it's a feeling""

""I went through a lot. I went through a lot of changes. I lost weight and some unfortunate fellows said I did surgery.""

""I grew up in a polygamous family with many people, so you can’t come and do rubbish. I received excellent care, a lot of love and protection.""

""I chose music after struggling to make people laugh as MC, ""

"Find what you are good at, practice every day, fail at it many times until you are good at it."

"It is about not taking No just because someone does not like the ideas I bring."

"Good energy, good people, good vibe equals good relationship."

"I am fine now and doing much better. I have started my training. I was formerly in South Africa, but presently I am in Akure, Ondo State. But I hope to be in Lagos next week. By October I will be back to start afresh."

"I am so happy to win because four years ago I won a bronze medal but this time around, I am the African champion. This season has been a great one for me as I became national champion, won a bronze at the IAAF World Relays and silver at the Commonwealth Games. I am going to train harder ahead of the Continental Cup."

"Abugan's 'A' sample was found to demonstrate findings consistent with an exogenous origin of endogenous steroids… and indicate an application of testosterone prohormone. She wrote to the CGF waiving her rights to have her 'B' sample analyzed. She also admitted liability."

"The Federation Court has determined that Ms Abugan had committed an anti-doping rule violation. Consequently, she has been disqualified from all events she participated in during the Games, with the results nullified. This includes her silver medal in the women's 400m. As she was also a member of her country's second placed 4 x 400m relay team, that result is also nullified."

"Folashade Abugan returned an adverse analytical finding from a test conducted on October 8, 2010, after competing in the women's 400 meter final."

"Ms Abugan wrote to the CGF waiving her rights to have her "B" sample analyzed and a hearing, as provided for within the CGF Anti-Doping Standard (ADS). She also admitted liability."

""When they (the fans) listened to some of my old songs, they will write me as if they are talking to their girlfriend. There was a music label in London (England) that wanted to remix one of my songs that I recorded on DECCA base on that.""

""Reggae is a genre of music that always has messages for the people. Reggae music is loved in the ghetto and highbrow areas. It can be used to fight against injustice and for equal rights. It is also for peace and love. Right now, Nigerian youths are fighting for justice, so reggae music is the answer.”""

""I also worked in a voluntary capacity with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in Paris, France, on Project Frimousse. I am so happy to be part of that project because the money realised from it was used to buy vaccines and medication for underprivileged children""

""women should not be in such violent relationships. Marriage is for better for worse but not when there is a threat to one’s life.""

"The knowledge cannot be bought, but can only be shared and I think that a lot of issues artists get into is because they don’t have the knowledge and people use that ignorance against them. So going on I think people should educate artists on publishing, distribution and how everything works."

"In a situation where everyone trains differently, it doesn’t help in the relay. Another important thing is equipment; if we have standard equipments, we’ll improve in our performance. All what the country (Nigeria) needs to do for us as a team is for them to give us the financial support, make us train together because when you train alongside your team, definitely the spirit of togetherness is present."

"You know in 4×400 meters, you have to work as a team and this was what we did on the track. We had one spirit, one mind and as a result of determination we clinched the gold medal. The next target for the team is numerous. In Africa, Nigeria is number one in 4x400m and we are grateful to God for making us return the gold medal to Nigeria ones more. Back in 2016, the South African female team defeated us in Durban and right now the gold medal has returned to its rightful owners."

"Never believe all you hear or read about anyone."

"Poverty remains the most important factor in determining whether a girl can access education."

"Life has taught me to be real to myself, that I should be kind to people, that I should be there for people because people have been there for me"

"An empowered girl will multiply the society. The foundation will provide everything for the child up to university level"

"Education for boys and girls is the key to releasing their potential for Nigeria and the world"

"As a woman you never want to sit down and not do anything."

"When you are waiting on God for a child, you’re so sensitive that the little things that people do gets to you."

"I should help other people while I wait"

"I’m trusting you on this journey, and I’m going to obey you completely and totally"

"It is a must for you to have challenges when you embark on a sporting journey."

"Being sex positive means that you’re doing the work to also unlearn certain things that have been taught to us."

"Just try to go in positively and understand that not every person that you go on a date with will be the love of your life. They could be good friends, they could be a good lay. When you’re dating, you might find something you really like in someone, and it might not be that person you want to date, but it helps you understand the person you want to be with. It allows you to know who you really want to be with and what you look for or what you desire in another person."

"Apart from the storyline, there’s the disparity between the hero and heroine. I’m one of those Christians who cannot say I woke up this morning and the holy spirit ministered unto me. Reading this book you understand that when God wants you for something, it doesn’t matter what you think."

"Put in effort, get training, read, travel and gain experiences. Be consistent and eventually, it all pays off."

"It’s important sometimes to have your loved ones with you on this journey especially if they have always supported you."

"People will always talk. The earlier you understand that the easier for you to move past negativity."

"Never ever take the easy way out. It always comes with a price and often times than not it takes it’s toll."

"You have to wake every morning believing God that yesterday was an experience and was for a purpose, for a lesson and something to be learnt. That is why it is new every morning. However, I am not saying that when something happens you say it doesn’t matter. What I am saying is that when something happens, instead of wallowing in the mistake, you look at the good side of it. You take the good side of the coin and move on from there.I can’t change the past! I have things that I have done in the past that I said to myself, ‘Oh dear! That was a bad decision or that wasn’t too smart.’ But then, I can’t change it. Some things are too late to change. So at such times, I tell myself, look for another opportunity, move on!"

"They often asked but I told them that I had not come this far to serve and give up here. I love this country. I monitor youths every day. You walk into restaurants or somewhere else, you would see the young lady at the counter not smiling. When you ask her why she’s not smiling. It was then you would observe that the youths of today hardly smile. Even when you pay them a compliment, they are aggressive in their replies because we rarely talk to them.That is everyday mentoring.Thank God nobody has money anymore, nobody can sell or buy votes as it used to happen in the past, I also want to encourage more women to come out"

"This court has been inundated by applications mostly overtaken by events and before the highest court of the land. If the rule of law is not respected, this will lead to anarchy. The court has no jurisdiction. A judgement has been executed. A motion of stay of execution will amount to academic exercise. There is no live issue to be determined by this court. The court is obligated to strike out the application and all other ancillaries. There are hereby struck out."

"Sotonye spoke about jurisdiction PM News"

"How we treat those who can’t fight back, should matter. It is only when this culture is imbibed that the Rule of Law would be restored. The Bar and the Bench must join hands to cleanse our profession. Let us revert to the hallowed traditions of integrity, fairness and steadfast diligence that was the stock in trade of the legal profession."

"The Nigerian judiciary in the past has been one of the greatest in the world, but it is time to relive and embrace the rule of law in its entirety. It seems only lip service is paid to this great doctrine. It is essential that the rule of law must be observed in order for society to run smoothly, otherwise the beauty of democracy will elude us."

"Justice Sotonye Denton-West is a first in her own right. She is the first female lawyer, first female judge and first female acting Chief judge of the High Court of Rivers State. She is also the first female indigene of Rivers State to be appointed to the Court of Appeal."

"Justice Denton-West was the most senior judge in the Rivers State judiciary then, yet the NJC did not compel the governor at the time to announce her as Chief Judge."

"The rule of law is observed when there is mutual respect between the authorities and those subject to authority and, between the powers that be and their subjects, in accordance with the law"

"NBA makes U-turn, seeks suspension of arrested judges"

"Others would say ‘He is a good man & though you don’t care about him now, will soon learn to love him.’ That, I believe, I never could do. I know that the generality of people would say he is rich & your marrying him would at once make you independent, and I say ‘Am I to barter my peace of mind for money?’ No – never!"

"Captain Forbes saved her (Sarah) life, by asking for her as a present... She is 7 years old, sharp & intelligent, & speaks English. She was dressed as any other girl. When her bonnet was taken off, her little black woolly head & big earrings gave her the true negro type."

"She (Sarah) is a perfect genius; she now speaks English well, and has a great talent for music....She is far in advance of any white child of her age, in aptness of learning, and strength of mind and affection."

"Queen Victoria gave constant proofs of her kindly interest in her (Sarah). At the Midsummer and Christmas seasons she often went either to Windsor or Osborne to stay in the family of one of the officers of Her Majesty’s Household, and was frequently sent for by the Queen to see her privately."

"Queen Victoria always had a fascination for her black and colonial subjects at a time when such interest was rare among the white aristocracy. She readily took up the cause of a ‘Dahoman captive’, affectionately calling her Sally, and becoming a loyal friend and protector until she (Sarah) was old enough to marry."

"What I find interesting about Sarah is that she challenges our assumptions about the status of black women in Victorian Britain. To see Sarah return to Osborne, her godmother’s home, is very satisfying and I hope my portrait will mean more people discover her story."

"Where do you start? Her (Sarah) story is an extraordinary one. Through her life we can also see a number of interesting and quite uncomfortable things around colonial attitudes to her."

"There are a number of black figures from the past who have played significant roles at some of the historic sites in our care but their stories are not very well known. Starting with Sarah, our portraits project is one way we’re bringing these stories to life and sharing them with our visitors."

"Our sister security agencies have engaged in rivalry and this has hampered our operations. The situation was such that we could not discharge our responsibilities optimally"

"Always encourage your daughters to open up whenever they face harassment. Sometimes, women will just carry their children to their neighbors house and travel to the market."

"Many people are very ignorant of things that are going on. Most of the victims are taken from the rural areas, where they do not have access to the internet, if they had they would have seen or heard of the horrors of taking such journeys. Even their parents do not have access to the internet. This is partly responsible for the continuous illegal migration."

"There is no doubt that the NAPTIP and NIS are like Siamese twins whose roles in the fight against irregular migration especially trafficking in persons are quite germane in the development of our dear country."

"Trafficking increases by at least, 500 girls daily, they bring them in their hundreds and now, they waybill them through well known motor parks in Cotonou.It also cuts across all 36 states of Nigeria and happens all over the world. It is no longer about the Edo girls being trafficked to Italy.I urge Nigerians to be alert and sensitive about their surroundings; they should report suspicious movements to the authorities, especially at our border posts.”"

"As the Executive Chairman of Roost Foundation, I am saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the Foundation keeps up with its mandate of offering financial, humanitarian and legal support to victims of human trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence. Roost Foundation also has a skill acquisition centre, guidance and counselling unit, etc and alongside other members of the board of trustees, it is my duty to ensure that we provide a safe haven for victims of human trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence."

"As I join the Board of Trustees for the next three years, I envisage an exciting future for the Fund as we seek to broaden and deepen its support and assistance to victims of trafficking all over the world in view of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this vulnerable segment of our society"

"Growing up, I was passionate about helping the less privileged in the society. This led me to founding the Julie Donli Kidney Foundation. Through this Foundation we have helped hundreds of women and children with kidney issues get treatment."

"I thought that it’s apt because each time a woman gives birth she puts her life on the line. Giving birth is a service to the nation and contribution to national development; so we don’t want a situation where a woman puts her life on the line because she wants to contribute to nation building and that’s why we are adopting this labour ward and FIDA is contributing in ensuring that every woman who gives birth as much as possible, the incidents of death arising from giving birth and other maternity issues are reduced."

"When a woman is giving birth, she is helping to build the nation. She is contributing to national development. A woman should not pay the price with her life because she’s giving birth.”"

"And if you don’t have grace and mercy, a lot of people have gone the wrong path. A lot of people have died of depression and frustration. A lot of people are no more in the picture due to all these."

"Life is not always all about fame and stardom. They should know that life is real. It might not be as they want it because every young girl or boy looks forward to making it fast or, in their language, to blow."

"A lot of people will come to you with different motives and intentions. So if you are not properly managed or if you do not manage yourself well and properly, it could be disastrous."

"Fame is something that gets to you after some time."

"You have to know, what you are cut out to do, there is nothing wrong in having mentors, when it has to do talents, you need to work on it, nurture it and let it mature."

"As a celebrity people expect you to be happy always not considering you have your own personal problems you are dealing with."

"Everybody has their own area of professionalism, all you need to do is to call the experts and allow them do the magic, and then you go to work."

"Don’t be desperate to get a role by living a fast life, it kills and destroys."

"A twenty year old girl can become a star, except in few situations where people go astray and it is mostly as a result of bad association."

"In every field of endeavor, when one starts to grow, people try to subdue you."

"Deception is a terrible thing and people handle it differently"

"Everybody is jumping around you, going around you and at the end of the day, you are just on your own. You can’t find anyone to tell you the truth."

"The real people don’t come around you. It is the fake people that would choke you up. Wrong association is the worst thing that can happen to anyone especially those in the entertainment industry."

"The mistakes you make today will definitely help in shaping your tomorrow."

"You know that fame also has its hiccups. It's like water everywhere and none to drink. You will survive if only you have the grace."

"We are not just here to promote but also to facilitate and if we succeed, Nigeria will succeed. I am too old to japa and I can’t go anywhere."

"I owe a lot to my upbringing, education, experience and family support system. I was brought up in a conservative Northern Muslim home, where both my parents were accomplished professionals. From a young age, my parents encouraged all their children (male and female) to seek knowledge and supported us in whatever career choices we made. Education and hard work were emphasized as the key to success."

"I am not here to reinvent the wheel. The wheel is there. We just have to make it work. We have to oil it. We have to grease it. We have to put everything we can to make this machine work. Because like I said earlier, if we succeed, Nigeria succeeds, and we will all be part of this success story."

"The Ministry of Justice has already designated a gender desk officer who will prepare all legal documents for legal action for victims. Also, all the officials that will work at the centre have already been trained with support from the Department For International Development (DFID)."

"The impact of the challenge includes limited access to justice, reduced accountability, discouragement of activism, undermining international commitments and erosion of public trust"

"You will achieve if you persistently go for what you believe in, particularly if it enhances people’s lives,When you make a difference and add value to society, it is so fulfilling – you get enormous strength from places you don’t expect, enabling you to do the job."

"Mrs. Suleiman, our pioneer female director, is a sound professional with high personal integrity, and brings with her, many years of managerial experience from both the corporate and governmental perspectives. Indeed, the Board of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc is optimistic that Mrs. Suleiman’s wealth of experience would be of great benefit to the Company."

"She has worked in many different sectors of the Nigerian government during the past 10 years. She was appointed as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development in 2008 and went on to become the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2010"

"You have your five years plan written out and if you are somebody that submits your life to God at some point, God will disrupt your plans and put his own plan. He starts to lead your life in the way he wants it to go."

"You need to be mentally, emotionally and physically stable. It takes everything from you even though it looks like we are playing."

"People think they are wayward or wild. You can’t just judge anybody because of their profession. You cannot judge anybody because of their looks."

"Don’t just break up with people, without proper communication, leaving them in the dark to figure out what went wrong."

"Looks can be deceptive. That person you think is the wildest and most deceptive person can be sweet. The person looks that way because they choose it or they don’t see it as anything bad."

"It takes God to please God. We can not walk this path relying on our own strength, or else we will fall."

"There is nothing God cannot do. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop believing. He will do it in his own time."

"There will always be pressure and it’s not an easy process but it’s good to stick to one’s values"

"The future of international arbitration in Africa looks incredibly promising. With the increasing legislative changes, the growing importance of third-party funding and investment arbitration, there are exciting opportunities and positive developments in the use of arbitration as a dispute settlement mechanism in Africa."

"All countries in Africa are busy trying to attract foreign investments. You will agree with me that without international arbitration, there cannot be foreign investors. In any jurisdiction, arbitration is one of the viable components for attracting foreign investors."

"We want to ask ourselves hard questions. We want to examine our journey so far because the international arbitration community [once] believed that Africans did not have the intellectual competence to resolve the disputes.But today we are saying that the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators is the fastest-growing branch and we have many people that are qualified to act as counsel and arbitrators. When I began as an arbitrator over 10 years ago, Africans were not welcome. But that has changed. So, what are our prospects for the next 10 years?"

"It is noteworthy that about 21 countries around the world are currently governed by women. Apart from politics and governance, women have also profoundly achieved groundbreaking feats in various fields such as medicine, law, economics, sports, space, technology, media and entertainment. Only recently, our own Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed the Director General of the World Trade Organization, making her the first woman and first African to occupy that position."

"For decades, women and ethnic minorities have faced discrimination and disadvantage in arbitrator appointments, on the narrative that there is a dearth of qualified Arbitrators in Africa. I am happy to state that, the narrative certainly does not hold water today, as even this hall is filled with highly qualified Arbitrators of African descent"

"NAPTIP shall remain resolute in its mission to combat human trafficking and bring offenders to justice. The agency shall continue to work tirelessly to ensure a safer and better society."

"If a sponsor facilitates your travel, you will be forced to do any job to pay off your sponsor before earning money for yourself."

"Let us all see the issue of human trafficking as our problem. As at today, every state in Nigeria is affected, though trend, patten and the propotionality may differ but everyone is affected. As a Nigerian, if you see something, say something by reporting, educate yourself on issue of human trafficking, and know what the red signs are."

"What this means is people are speaking up now. What use to be a norm in the past? What we think is a thing of culture; people don’t take it anymore. We see children falling out on their own parents. The scariest part of it all is that, initially we see these perpetrators trying to justify their actions. To them, it is part of parenthood that needs to imbibe certain ways of upbringing. So apart from humans having a tendency to just be evil, the reality is that parents need to be highly educated on parenting especially single mothers/ single parenting needs programmes; sustainable programmes"

"Education is not just a tool for preventing trafficking; it is a shield that empowers individuals to recognize the signs and protect themselves and others"

"with this film, many Nigerians particularly young ones who are desirous of going abroad for greener pastures by whatever means will learn a lesson of two. We hope to reach millions of people everyday with the message to that they should be vigilant.We are hoping when schools resume, we will have the opportunity to show this movie to them. Just like what was shared during the panel discussion, you find people trafficked out for cultural purposes, sporting activities underlining the reasons why they are taken out of the country, including for the purpose of organ removal. The trafficking in persons Prohibition and enforcement Act, Section 20 clearly criminalises any form of trafficking"

"There is a strong nexus between trafficking and sports and we know that young people are involved in sporting activities, this was why we thought it was important to dwell on sports to create this awareness. We are collaborating with other partners, agencies to carry out this sports sensitisation, not just to sensitise the young people but also sensitise their parents for them to be able to recognise the red flag."

"The fact remains, while technology has come as a great relief and a major boost in the way of life of people, the same has left much to be concerned about because human traffickers have also caught on to this digital transformation. There is a shift from physical recruitment to virtual recruitment through virtual assessment of victims and proxy negotiations."

"Everywhere in the world there is poverty. So, there are people who have need for good education. And the more education we give to people, the more light we bring into our communities."

"Women are the backbone of any family. Therefore, we are the foundation of any society. When we get it right at the level of the family, things will be right with the society. When the society is troubled, then the problem actually started from the family. When we get it right in the family, everything finds its place in the society. My message to mothers is to be supportive of their husbands and every member of the family."

"I think men will take it more seriously when you come up with such legislation. I hope a man in the House of Reps or Senate sponsors a bill like that."

"I cannot think of anything better than having legislation that whatever part of your body you use on a child while defiling the child, that part should be cut off. If it is your finger, if it is your mouth, if it is your private parts. I think men will take it more seriously when you come up with such LEGISLATION. I hope a man in the House of Reps or Senate sponsors a bill like that."

"I belong to the kitchen, I belong to the living room and I belong to every room created by God. So also other women. We are created by God to do more. In my own case as a judicial officer, I also belong to the courtroom. Other women belong to different rooms, depending on their professional calling."

"Acting is a very demanding career, both physically and emotionally."

"Do not expect to receive the same amount of energy and thought you give to other people."

"I inspire myself. I remind myself that I have to succeed at what I enjoy doing in order to have true happiness."

"Work for the actor lies essentially in two areas: the ability to consistently create reality and the ability to express that reality”."

"There is no excuse for rape, and we shouldn’t be blaming victims!"

"The more they acquire more knowledge, the more they will do well in their productions and do well in their personal lives as well, because if your business life improves, your personal life will definitely improve too."

"With God and hard work, everything and anything is possible."

"I love two flowers in particular, the hibiscus and the poppy, beautiful blooms that die very quickly. For me they reflect the beauty and transience of life."

"I have always liked looking at people and trying to capture what I see so this was a huge challenge for me. I do try and take my paintings to an optimistic or celebratory level, wherever they start. Taking the positive elevates, and there are many positives to see if we really look."

"Art was around us all the time, on walls, shops signs, in masquerades. I was always drawing or making things out of broken bits of wood and on my way home from school I used to paint signs for the small businesses, like barbers who wanted the different styles they did to be on show."

"I was working as a freelance graphic artist but got married and had two children – meeting deadlines became very difficult. I was always drawing my sons and people asked me to do their children. I soon saw it was a way of earning money."

"Colours and light have always been a main source of inspiration for me and people and flowers (poppies and hibiscuses) have been the vehicle from which I derive my inspiration. The play of light on colour can be seen in almost anything but every now and then a particular glow from a particular light angle strikes at the primordial in us. For me, this is red and the many related pigment created by the action of the light through it. An example of this can be seen when light shines through whisky. I am interested in people’s history and would like to incorporate that in some way in my work, maybe through the relationship between the staff, owners and the produce."

"by N Okonjo-Iweala · 2014 · Cited by 2 — She said, "People knew about the economics, maybe the geography—but they didn't know how people lived""

"But in the legislature, there's still not quite the acceptance of letting women break through the glass ceiling. It's clearly a man's world."

"When it comes to election time, everybody wants all sorts of things"

"Our politicians need to realize that you do not politicize the budget. In a developing country, that's lethal."

"Everything has become politicized, even corruption. People throw out corruption charges, numbers of missing income, that are untrue."

"4 Mar 2021 — has only just begun her run. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala ... said “in every challenge, there is an opportunity”. For Africa, she ."

"You can't just have a World Bank and IMF, which are supposed to help in development, and have the richest countries control them."

"Leadership is not about the next election, it's about the next generation."

"You have to have a passion for development in Africa and the Caribbean."

"Without good data, you're flying blind."

"Women need to be part of the solution, not just a part of the discussion."

"Corruption is not just a problem of Nigeria; it is a global problem."

"We have to make sure that the benefits of globalization are shared more widely."

"When women are empowered, they improve not only their own lives, but also the lives of their families and communities."

"Development is not about helping poor people, it is about creating wealth, jobs, and opportunity."

"In every crisis lies an opportunity."

"Trade is a strong driver of global growth."

"Current trade issues are not purely the fault of trade policy."

"Digital trade is going to be the future of trade."

"Africa’s share of world trade has stagnated by 3 per cent because they are still exporting the same things."

"Africa must trade more with itself."

"Africa has potential not only for critical minerals but also for clean energy."

"The US should also think because trade is about interdependence, and if countries decide to trade by themselves, that won't work."

"There is no country that can exist by itself."

"Sometimes trade is unfairly blamed for things that are due to technology."

"I just decided to give up on art. I liked making work, but I think I had a vision of what an artist was. I thought there would be less struggle and anxiety. But it's impossible not to see art in your life. You really can't avoid it, it's everywhere."

"Where I grew up, people heard of (Pablo Picasso) or whatever, but my family was kind of like, 'That's a nice hobby, but you need to go be a doctor or a lawyer or engineer."

"In my heart, I knew I wanted to do art, but there was still that drive to feel like I'm actually doing something with my life in a way that my family would understand."

"It felt like something was missing. After maturing, seeing life and experiencing the death of people close to me, it kind of felt like life really is short and I need to start living and I started small from there."

"When I watched the episode where Jennifer Beals said my name and showed my painting, I squealed a little. I’m happy to see some of my goals begin to come to fruition. There is so much more that I can do with art. I’m just getting started."

"It's taken me years to come to that conclusion, and there are still some times as an adult when those feelings creep in again. But I think just doing my art has helped me a lot, and getting my art out there lets me know it's OK just to be who I am."

"To me, a punk spirit is just living freely, disregarding societal norms and just being free to be themselves."

"Whatever I make is for myself first. And when I do that, it naturally resonates with whoever else it is also for."

"I wanted so badly just to fit in and assimilate with what was acceptable. Which is hard because I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb. I wanted to be invisible."

"I want my work to be accessible in different ways, more ingrained into other pieces of culture, other than just being on white walls. I want to expand my reach, because when people find my work and they feel a connection and they get it, then I feel like it was for them as well."

"I want people to walk into the exhibition and feel like they belong. I hope they can feel the sense of movement and see themselves reflected in the pieces."

"I like her (Okoro) confidence and her ability to engage with people, take chances and trust in the process of things. Her future is really bright and her work is uplifting."

"When I first saw Okoro, I thought she was amazing from the get-go, and everything she's doing now is just reinforcing that. I love the way she's constantly exploring her work. She doesn't stay in one place."

"Leave abusive marriages no matter how much repentance promises you get especially when they are becoming life threatening."

"Everything has to do with plans. You draw out your time and you don’t overdo what you shouldn’t do."

"Once you respect men for who they are, you know, men are egocentric by nature, so why not give it to them for peace sake?"

"As a married woman, you can’t always be everywhere. Just be in the middle, don’t be at the extreme."

"One thing is that there is nothing you do that you will be definitely be comfortable with."

"The money can never be enough. It cannot get you everywhere. You cannot get the money to do everything you want to do in a particular place or job. You have to keep doing more things."

"Acting is a place and also foundation that has been set for anybody that feels he has the power, zeal and everything it takes to go into it. You can definitely pick your line from there."

"When you start something, many mistakes will be made."

"In acting, one needs to interpret his or her roles very very well. If you also want your work to make sense to the viewers, you do your best."

"Aim high; don't think that something is too big for you. If you do, you won't get it. Don't ever give up; believe in the grace of God. Be prayerful and also share your dreams with people and the sky will be your limit."

"You don’t really need anybody to pray for you. You can always pray on your own."

"Marriage is a school. Whichever way you find it and whatever experience you had, it is a school. You don't go there to relax."

"Marriage is a relationship just like friendship. So, if you are not getting the best from your friend, it is better and more peaceful to quit."

"Only an insane woman would quit a marriage that is blissful and pleasurable."

"A woman needs a man in her life. There are things a man would do that you cannot do as a woman."

"Life is interesting when you keep a free mind towards others. When you suspect everyone around you, you cage yourself and your feelings and it means you don’t trust yourself too."

"Whatever situation you find yourself, know that life will go on; it will only stop when you are tired of going on."

"My good friend is no more; I will miss her personality, talent and humility."

"I still don’t get why good people don’t last. You were a true soul. Beautiful in and out with absolutely no space in your heart to hate or pretend to love."

"That humans are just humans. No matter what color or shape they are, they're human."

"There are so many different people in the world, and we sometimes struggle because of those differences, but at the end we all try our best to make other people comfortable and compromise so that we can live together."

"The only way to come to a full acceptance and understanding of yourself is to embrace your own culture, quirks and differences while learning about those around you and exploring, incorporating and embracing their cultures, differences."

"Basically, we are all different and we all have something to learn and it doesn't mean people need to change who you are but one should be open to new things."

"Tolerance and understanding are essential for growth and happiness."

"Be sure of what you want, focus, work hard, be ready to pick yourself up, do not take rejection personally, be as prepared as you can, always be learning, and eliminate negative people from your life regardless of who they are."

"Never underestimate the power of communication! Stop assuming and just ask!!!"

"Even if you are not talented in something, you shouldn’t just let it go. You should train yourself in it and work very hard."

"If you’ve got a good woman, please let her know. Tell her as soon as you can. Make sure she knows, make sure she feels it."

"Artists are sometimes the ones who can tell us what may be coming in the future."

"Science fiction gives you the information you need to figure out what’s happening in our world."

"Science fiction helps us to expose that by dealing with another world, it helps us to deal with different beings and cultures."

"Science Fiction is a combination of entertainment and education. Out of any genre, Science Fiction is the one genre that allows us to go deeper into topics that are difficult to talk about."

"In the end, it’s science that shows us the joy in discovery."

"Radical kindness is also an act of rebellion."

"You must always speak your truth, but remember who you are speaking to."

"An image depicts younger members of society helping a young bride as she walks the short distance to her new home. They carry small cases, some are relatives, wrapped in newly printed fabric to represent the brides family. Other images reveal the beauty of our attire, our traditional dress, Jewellery and the beauty of our landscape."

"I feel incredibly blessed that I have been given a great opportunity to display how much I love what I do and I look forward to having a great night celebrating our musicians on the largest music platform in Africa."

"It is important to go out of the world to be role championship, confident and believed in our self team mate, our coach and believed in who we are, we well be successful It all starts with use in our mindset and being confident."

"I really don’t think rankings matters. What matters is which team goes into each game ready to fight to make sure their country is one of the five teams to leave France with an Olympic ticket to Rio."

"A good actor should be so convincing in a role to the extent of holding the audience captive, and also make them feel as if there is nothing but the story at hand."

"A man with prospect can’t be poor."

"An actor is an actor. Any role you are given or you have accepted to play is a debt to society, to mirror the role believably and convincingly. Anything short of that is failure."

"But when life throws lemons at you, you make lemonade."

"The fact that you start off your career with a particular role played well, does not mean that is the role that you will continue with."

"Every day we wake up, means we get another chance at life….to live what we’ve learned and to discover even more, to be good to other people and to know that you are a part of their smile!"

"When you’re on set, acting is like you’re in another world of your own; you’re coming to do this thing so everybody would see it, you’re doing it for the world. Acting is a wonderful thing if it’s in you and you work hard for it."

"You have to read about the act, you have to be into the character. You have to work hard, you have to investigate."

"Everything is turn by turn, your time will come"

"If you are good at what you do then your market will make way for you even without effort."

"Because who will be for you, will be for you regardless. The journey is a forever thing."

"The story makes sense. Speaks to the audience and it have positive impact."

"Fashion means being comfortable; it is the way you express yourself."

"if you put your mind to it you can make it, if you are consistent, you will have an excellent grade and go for it. You can make it."

"Love people, love yourself, love the world."

"Whatever you mirror is what you receive"

"The most important things in life are not things you can hold on to, there are memories, it is time spent with people that really matters."

"Regardless of your chosen career, the right man will find you someday."

"It is not what you do, but who you are."

"Don’t be afraid, keep working hard. Everything will work out."

"Being an actor doesn’t make one a superhuman."

"You must be able to look good and also be able to act. If you have a Kim Kardashian body but can’t act, you won’t go far."

"You just focus on you and what makes you happy."

"A true and complete man should not be intimidated by a woman’s success. In fact, a man should help his woman become more successful."

"A successful movie is that which impacts positively on the viewer. A movie people can remember for a long time is a successful one."

"Today’s love is realistic. It’s past the Romeo and Juliet thing. Love is mutual understanding."

"Relationships are about responsibility. If you can’t take care of your partner, then the relationship is faulty."

"the least i could do was to make life more comfortable for the needy as long as God desires, today am grateful to God for using me to touch the life of Mama, who represents millions of indigent and vulnerable elderly people that matters to me"

"If I’m asked to describe my life, I’ll call it a miracle, small moments like the joy of being with all my loved ones in health peace and joy, and the big ones like the giant strides God has helped me take. They have all led me to this point and I can say that I am a product of God’s faithfulness and a part of His plan for humanity. For this and so much more, I am grateful for the privilege"

"My advice to women in general is that they should strive to get education or vocation so as to keep them economically healthy and stable and also be participatory member, in governance, while the girl- child should exercise her right to good health, education to say no to early and forced marriage, to ensure that her safety and rights are respected, free from fear, and live in peace."

"Her Excellency Rashidat Yahaya Bello is an Epitome of beauty and grace. A woman with a large heart. An answered prayer to the poor, the widows and less privileged."

"It is a thing worthy of commendation for the First Lady, Mrs Rashida Bello to leave her comfort zone to attend to the needs of rural community women across the state. The women of Kogi State are solidly behind her initiative which has started on a good note by addressing the healthcare needs of women in the state. By providing free notebooks for pupils, the First Lady has shown her desire to support her husband in making education affordable for Kogi children"

"They should provide any worker that is owed salary. The Governor’s wife is empathetic to the police and other security forces who are taking care of her and the immediate family, rather than allowing them to be begging like that of some VIPs. Though I don’t support the fact that the Comrade video was made public."

"Make and break the records girl. The world at your feet."

"It’s time to show the world how determined,talented and unstoppable you are.Go all out and give all your best."

"You can do it if you believe you can."

"Focus and determination , winning the WAFU Cup made learnt more lessons of motivation to strive ahead with confidence for the World Cup ahead."

"If you really want to get what you want, you have to pump money into it."

"The players will function well if they have a female coach because she will be like a mother to them."

"Racism has returned to football fully and some countries are using that opportunity to abuse players. I will advise players to ignore any form of racist comments because I don’t see racism stopping soon."

"We have female footballers that are married and are good wives. The likes of Florence Omagbemi, Nkechi Egbe are married and are good wives to their husbands. It depends on what you want, not when you marry the wrong person. Just like every other person in marriage, when you don’t get your own person, it will give you a problem, both of you will not flow very well. But when you marry the person that you love and want to stay with, everything will work well."

"Everything is about time, we should look before we leap and not run faster than our shadow."

"If you are doing well and you are still calm, people reckon more with you than when your head is not down, they won’t give a damn about you even if you are doing well."

"In football, you either win, lose or draw, so they have tried their best."

"We need to take more positive steps. There’s no argument about the availability of talent. We have an abundance of talents, but we need to put in structures such as football academies."

"I will want to use this opportunity to advise the federations in Africa to do more for their women’s’ teams. We want to try and develop the women’s game.The more competitions we have against ourselves the better for us, the same opportunity we have to improve their performance level just like with the Cameroonian team."

"We are looking beyond Africa now. And that why I want to plead with Caf to give the women more opportunity to compete for more and not just with the Nations Cup.Because women lifetime in the game is different from the men. Having played Nations Cup two years, we are looking at four years time for the Women’s World Cup.If can engage them more in and out and try to organize more competitions for the"

"They should work very hard, remain focused and, most importantly, put God first in all that they do and He will take care of the rest."

"Nothing is late in life as long as there is life."

"I want to thank the Cameroonian team and the coach for giving us a good game. It was a great final to watch seeing the best two teams in Africa competing."

"I’m speaking out on behalf of Nigeria and the Africa continent. Coming out to the press conferences all the time, we hear different stories about how different federations are struggling for support to get their teams’ ready in women football. Now, we are done with the Nations Cup. We want to focus again and see how we can prepare these teams for a world cup stage"

"I want young players to realise that in doing what you love, you can be an amazing person: a legend, a role model, an icon."

"I want everyone to feel involved and to believe that sport, and football in particular, has no gender."

"I believe that when you touch a life, you add value. And when you support someone, you make an impact in their lives."

"But people would rather criticise you than try to build and lift you up. I don’t let what anybody say affect me. If you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks, you will never get to your destination. You can’t change the discrimination."

"I don’t allow irrelevant issues affect me because what they say won’t stop me from where I’m going. It’s a mental thing and you just have to expect people to keep talking."

"Putting your ideas out is sometimes the most important thing to do. Once released, it takes on a life of its own. Stop procrastinating, just do it!"

"Governance exposes you. I am a shy person but despite that, I have to be seeing people, whether I like them or not. I must speak with them. Even your enemies you have to make friends with them. This has been one of the greatest lessons I have learnt."

"When we talk about gender-based violence, we should not limit our attention to rape and sexual violence alone. Let us look at every other harmful activities that make our women incapable of living a dignified and fulfilling life. We mothers have a great role to play in fighting this social menace. GBV is not a natural disaster. It is a social crisis that emanates from wrong and dysfunctional orientation."

"The agriculture sector has always been the main pillar for the sustenance of humanity in history. There used to be a time when our nation took the front position in this. It is commendable that we are beginning to witness an upsurge again. It is particularly gladdening that more and more women are embracing farming both as vocation and profession."

"I thank our mothers for the extra-ordinary job they are doing in ensuring the safety and welfare of the children. The job has been made more hectic with the lockdown in the first wave of the pandemic. Let us continue to intensify the care and training of our children. We must ensure we properly supervise their academic activities when they are home. To the children, I urge all of you to be of good behaviour. Shun every form of vices and behaviour that is criminal. I urge you to concentrate on your learning, be it online or in-person"

"We want every household, every public place to have decent and safe toilets across our state. This is a task on which we shall enlist all stakeholders. The benefits are just too numerous if we stop open defecation and use toilets"

"The best of life is the best of support and assistance which one gives to the people in need. I, therefore, call on governmental and non-governmental organisations to come and partner with my NGO for the soul essence of putting smiles on the faces of these people. Giving a helping hand to the people in need is a sure way of uplifting their spirits. We must be committed to this and other philanthropic ideals in Osun state and Nigeria as a whole."

"the award was in recognition of her humanitarian services and commitment to impacting lives, including her consistent efforts in advocating maternal, child and adolescent sexual and reproductive health, enhancing the standard of living of women and children as well as creating gender equality."

"It’s necessary to be confident in your voice and your ability, because you need that to write."

"Just because something happened to you doesn’t mean putting it unvarnished and unquestioned into a story or a book isn’t irresponsible, or stupid, or even dangerous."

"Beginnings are Easier Than Endings."

"An important thing that’s as good as a motto? Don’t outstay your welcome in people’s ears."

"You’re busy making sense out of smoke. That’s building, not blocking."

"A good editor is not there to slash and burn—they are your first and fiercest ally, not your enemy."

"Leave some room for the reader.’ You can’t write all the way to the very edge of the page."

"The content of the story instructs you on how to tell it"

"To say that Nigeria has problems is to make an understatement. The wise should listen, wherever help and advice come from. Those who republished the old letter should have spent time to respond to the content of the said statement which, among other things, called on President Buhari to join the rank of retired elder statesmen in 2019. I would think this was appropriate and even unnecessary advice, given the serious medical problems he has had over the last few years."

"He (Tunji-Ishola) just ended being such a wonderful gift to the nation. I hope he will continue to have success. I hope he continues to have active participation in politics and I hope he continues to have positions where he can contribute to the growth of the state and the country."

"I won’t be your legacy, let your legacy be Nigeria in the fractured state you created because … I pray Nigeria survives your continual intervention in its affairs"

"I am surprised that agents of the current administration who should benefit from the advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerged in modern Africa have resorted to a cheap tactic that further reiterates the message that they found abhorrent enough to start looking for unconnected issues to put together to make their point."

"I wanted to say to you: when you copy something you also copy the modifications based on the learning from the original; only a fool starts from scratch and does not base his decisions on the learning of others. In science, we use the modifications found by others long ago to the most recent, as the basis of new findings; not going back to discover and learn what others have learnt. Human knowledge and development and civilization will not have progressed if each new generation and society did not build on the knowledge of others before them"

"It is tiring to continue to be part of Nigerian conversation when there’s no positive impact to it.I really do not want to be part of it, as I’ve found over and over again that speech and words are wasted on people who have no understanding of responsibility on us as black people on this planet."

"To tell you the truth, throwing mud at your father’s white garment in the village square is the least effective way of redressing such complex family squabbles. What you have done is sacrilegious. It shows bad upbringing and want of character. It puts a big question mark on the academic background and intellectual quality of the author. By all known cultural, social and global standards, your open letter and its contents are very inappropriate."

"My first child, my daughter (Iyabo) will not take nonsense from you. And you try it; you would be put in your place. It doesn’t matter; you may be 10 times her height, she will bring you down. (It is) because I give them the encouragement and you heard, eight of my children have PhDs. I have slightly more boys than girls but I have more girls with Ph.D. than boys."

"If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then love is in the heart of the gardener: find what you love in this world and nurture it."

"Not just the words in a song but the entire song itself is a part of speech."

"Section 277 of the ACJL states that an appeal for stay of proceedings shall not be entertained until judgment is delivered in a criminal matter."

"We are in an unfavourable state. The economy is tough yet everyone wants to survive. As women, we have a great role to play. This is one of the times to show the good virtues that we are made of in our homes and society. We should show and instil good values and display cooperating attitudes in our homes."

"There is nothing to show that he was part of the flogging his wife instigated that day, and available evidence indicated that he was not in the apartment when it happened. The prosecution also failed to prove the charge of murder against Chiamaka beyond reasonable doubts. Oliver was a severely malnourished boy and the beating of the boy with a belt would have had a lesser effect on a normal 14-year-old. It is on this basis that I find Chiamaka, the first defendant, not guilty of murder. I find her guilty of manslaughter. The second defendant, Elochukwu, is discharged and acquitted"

"I hereby make an order of restitution against the first and third defendants to refund the sums stated in counts one to 11, 14 and 24. The sums are to paid to the relevant agencies that recovered the funds on behalf of the bank."

"Politics for me, and I believe a number of other new female entrants, is becoming more interesting. We aren’t part of the female politicians who were either marginalised or had no roles assigned to them. So, I will boldly say yes, I have being fairly treated not minding my gender."

"Everywhere you go, you play politics. If you are married and if you have more than a child, you must be a good politician to survive. We play politics everywhere – at home, even at workplace.”"

"She led a productive and focused life. Her advocacy for women’s rights, social justice and genuine development marked her out as a true progressive. Beyond that, she was such a sweet, gentle soul who ardently believed that we can reform our society for the common good."

"She was an excellent politician and a paragon of efficiency. She did not allow her position to change her. She was honest and humble"

"Funmi Olayinka was indeed the Moremi Ekiti. In the true tradition of the legendary Moremi, she gave her all in defence of our people. Indeed, there are bound to be many people who will insist that had she stayed away from politics and Ekiti, she probably would still be alive. Funmi would disagree with that. As a devout Christian, she believed we all have our appointed time with our Maker. In the six years that I was privileged to be her political partner and boss, she was never given to regrets. She was pleasant in disposition, but always business-like in work. She focused on our goal of bringing succour to our people in Ekiti with extra-ordinary dedication. I had no reason at any point to doubt her commitment, loyalty or integrity. She was stellar in the performance of the tasks assigned to her and she was clearly central to the success of our administration to date."

"She demonstrated exemplary courage and dedicated service to Ekiti people both during the struggle to retrieve the stolen mandate and in her position as Deputy Governor."

"We are using this medium to remember why Mrs. Adunni Olayinka passed on and this why we are giving free healthcare services particularly on breast cancer to the women because we believe that prevention is better than cure. I do all the preventive measures every year by going for all normal routine checks, I exercise regularly and that is why when people see me they comment that I look good."

"In a society where women are completely relegated to the background by culture, law and religion, Mrs Olayinka emerged a respected political leader through dint of hard work, sheer courage, unrelenting determination and unalloyed loyalty to principles. Thus, in the space of three years, she and your wife (Comrade Bisi) have encouraged and influenced our young women to discard prejudices and compete with their male counterparts on the basis of equality of opportunities. Mrs Olayinka was polite but firm, she was gentle but tough, she was friendly but strict. At all times she comported herself with dignity, grace and sartorial elegance. It is indisputable that Mrs Olayinka was an Omoluabi per excellence."

""I’m one of those people that believe everything happens for a reason and I feel like these things that happened are part of the reasons why I’m where I am right now.""

"", I would never think that I would get the opportunity to write a Nollywood classic like that. For it to happen last year, I’m grateful.""

""I saw it as a once in a lifetime opportunity that I cannot miss. It was hard, but I had to do it.""

""If you are not patient enough to listen to them or to listen to their reason or if you are not patient enough to listen to your actors, there is going to be a problem""

""​I believe that if you are someone who has the passion to do good, you will face a lot of challenges.""

""​There​ are so many down moments but how you manage them and how you are able to overcome them is left for God.""

"l his life, all he ever wanted was to be a teacher, come home from school, sit with his family, and crack jokes till dusk."

"""Only a wife can tell her husband the truth"

"I am a Muslim who believes in power of death and life. I also know that life and death are in the hand of God"""

"I had to accept the reality and appreciate God for the gift of life."

""I use everything God has given to me to talk to people.""

""Thank God I know he is still there for me. I take all the criticism as corrective""

""Yes,there might be moment of feeling whereby you want to walk away from God,but the moment you make up your mind to follow him He will help you.""

""There were some things that one must have done in the past as a youth which is called youthful exuberance and which I can no longer do at this stage""

"One thing that I’m very grateful for is, I’m in a generation that won’t take no for an answer."

"My advice to them is to be really focused and not be distracted by anything. Be determined and be happy about what you do, stay professional and enthusiastic, and don't forget to smile."

"But you know as human beings, we are able to multi-task, evolve and adapt, especially when you have passion for what you do."

"There’s no excitement that can compare to that feeling and passion, the adrenaline when you’re on the runway and you have people cheering."

"I have never been one to believe in limitations. It’s the glory of God that makes me stand out from the crowd."

"This silver is more precious than gold. In short, it is golden silver."

"I had to come out and be seen to defend my name and who I am as a person. That’s important for me to do, and I’m not going for less."

"Let’s keep talking and making our points in the various ways available so everyone sees that if you do not meet the needs of women, you cannot become a leader."

"When a man knows who he is, he can achieve anything. It is when a man is not confident of himself that he gets threatened when his wife blossoms."

"The road to the top is not smooth but with prayers, everything will go well."

"I have since realised that in sports it’s either you make the team or you’re out of it. And in a game like basketball what you take at the end of the day is a win or a loss."

"I can only get better if I leave yesterday behind and focus on the present and the future."

"So grateful to God to walk Life’s Journey With You."

"I think the most surprising thing about me is that I play the drums. Many people wouldn’t expect it, but it's something I genuinely enjoy."

"All we need to do is to ensure that we do all we have to do and think outside the box."

"All it requires is hard work and good people to implement the strategy."

"What arises is the extent of your competence and capacity."

"if you don’t want to be talked about, then you have to do away with success."

"I think no one can give me a name that is not mine. It is me who will define me."

"It was hard for me but I kept pushing and my parents were most supportive of me."

"We can get demoralized by certain events around us but the love and passion we have keep us going against all odds."

"Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim Jack, disclosed this to parents of the students, yesterday, in Port Harcourt. She said "the government would see how the students would continue their studies in the state-owned universities, adding that the decision to suspend the scholarship scheme was due to paucity of funds"."

"For me, ‘Pressure makes diamonds’ which is the motto I live by. I don’t cower in the face of challenges I instead thank God for the opportunity to shine on a stage this big and then I seize the moment. I’m a black diamond."

"Be a student of the game. Commit to improving physically and mentally."

"We are just beginning to know the truth and we must be very serious about this. God willing, we shall succeed."

"The drivers of the economy are 95% men. We all know that women are better managers; look at the homes, give a woman little milk, she will cater for her family very well."

"No wonder it is said that if you train a woman you have trained a nation."

"Anytime we attend foreign conferences, you know, we hear other countries tell the amount of gas released into the atmosphere, but we guess. But from today, we will not guess, we will give the correct amount, because of this tracker."

"You know being a girl is natural but being a lady is something that has to be imbibed and I guess I learned a whole lot about being a lady."

"Sometimes one needs to taste defeat to sit up. If you win all the times, you might be tempted to believe you have arrived. I learnt from that loss that no player is invincible."

"Anybody can say whatever pleases them with their mouth."

"There’s no such thing as impossibility. It is very important to remain humble, work hard, be good and keep trusting in God."

"So, l've been learning chords and arpeggios. In music, just like in Electrical Engineering (my major), theory is one thing, but practical application is another. Applying my new knowledge made me realize I've been playing the keyboard the hard way . I applied what I've learned to a small segment of the chorus of this song, and it's much easier to play now. (Can you tell the line I'm talking about?) Keeping all of my fingers on the keyboard without accidentally pressing the wrong key is still a challenge. I'm looking forward to working with a live tutor soon. And mehn - recording can be exhausting. By the time I got the perfect camera spot, I was already dropping the idea. How do people do that thing?"

"I was not excited, because I came here to set a pv that is what is on my mind. But I still thank God because this is my first time coming to an international competition like this. For making it to be fifth I know next year or any world championship later, I'm going to work hard. So I'm going to better my time and I'm going to work better than this..."

"People become more involved in the fraudulent activities because government has not enough mechanisms to check those leaking out vital documents and information to people."

"Great is your faithfulness oh Lord!! My Redeemer, my protector, my sustainer thank you for how far you've brought me and my home, Glory to God almighty!!!"

"It is very difficult for entertainers to find love, because people already have a perception of who an entertainer is. They think we have wild lifestyles. It is very difficult for many people to see us for who we really are."

"No one likes to be cheated on, and I live by the rule that says, ‘Do unto others what you wish them to do to you.’ I believe in karma. That thing you don’t want your partner to do to you, don’t do it to them. Simple."

"I have not been able to say what my style truly is, because I am fluid."

"... Honestly I think am still processing the things that happen. I felt that I was going to make it to top thirty and was really ok with it, I put it on my heart I'm happy I'm going to be top thirty, when I make top 12 I was like 'oh my world' like, I made it this far? And I was actually really happy because I have to go to the evening gawn night, and I had no any expectation for any reason to make it to the top five. So, for me to hear my name in the top five I was like 'oh wow' like this is real and this is the main thing. The question now is 'what actually determines the winner"? and I didn't prepare myself to say I'm going to answer questions..."

"Literally the stuff of everyday life is transmogrified into large-scale, vibrant works that combine painting and collage in a style that is instantly recognisable."

"I am very excited because this is my first appearance in the Commonwealth Games. The time I returned didn’t really matter and all I wanted was to win, which I have been able to achieve. I feel good with the way I ended the season. I am surprised at winning the gold medal but it’s late in the season and anything can happen. I would say it was my best race, my best finish to a season."

"I am the only person to represent my country without a coach here. I am really proud of myself."

"You know these sporting activities, you don’t have to take them for granted because if we are not healthy, we can’t give the country the best that we have."

"It is not inherent in our ability to tell things to come but we can learn from the past and the present to prepare for the future, therefore education is the key to unlocking the capability and socio-economic transformation of African nations."

"I have never heard of a union celebrating and honoring a public official because it’s challenging to satisfy everyone, so I thank all of you."

"I wanted to create something that will be relatable among my Gen Z fans and I hope resonates with anyone who listens."

"I was bullied a lot because I was one of the youngest. To be honest, I’m not sure why I was bullied."

"“I didn’t realise I could sing, my mom did. She was the one that was very forward with my career when I wasn’t passionate about it."

"the country had respects for its citizens who had done creditably well in their chosen careers."

"Readers will discover what he ultimately receives and enjoy the series of captivating adventures that follow. This tale promises to delight children with its blend of curiosity, family dynamics, and festive surprises."

"Children will enjoy reading this book to find out the answers and other fascinating adventures of Ade."

"Yes. So, over the years, women have kind of been laid back and marginalized because of the traditional system that does not give them a place at the decision making table. It has been quite endemic and the message we’ve been carrying to most women in the communities is that we do not really have to wait to be called to the table: we can create our own table and begin to work from there."

"Yes. When we initially launched out it was quite challenging to get people to understand what we were actually trying to do. Particularly because Nigeria is culturally speaking very much patriarchal. When I launched out, I got challenged by some men who felt like: “what are you doing, you’re just a women, you should not be doing this, you won’t find a husband, etc”. Also, it was strange to find a woman who was working with a major government agency that works around the issues of environment. I actually thought for a women to find someone like me doing what I was doing, that she was going to be very supportive but rather I got challenged by her asking me if I was going to take over the assignment, the task of the government agency. And I said no I was only working toward complementing their effort across the communities that they also covered. But over time, we have been able to penetrate communities and also get a lot of men to endorse the work that we were doing not just by exploring gender responsive approaches to our work but also preaching the message of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the light that it is not a competition or contest between men and women but rather a collaboration, a partnership to make life better for men, women, children, households, communities. And with that approach, we’ve been able to get a lot of men supporting our work and also helping us carry the message to their wives, their mothers and their daughters."

"We do a lot of advocacy. We disseminate information. We form these women into groups. We conduct a lot of trainings. We build the capacities of these women around various areas of interests. For example, we have the WISE women’s clean cookstove entrepreneurship and training program that focuses on building the capacities of women to become clean cookstove entrepreneurs and advocates. To make sure that they would educate people in their community on the negative impact of deforestation, reliance on the traditional methods of cooking which are not energy efficient and also led to the deaths of so many women. We do training, we do advocacy, we do awareness creation, we do digital empowerment training because we believe that, in the times that we’re in, digital literacy is key for women to become more informed and also for creating visibility around the solutions that they are proffering in their community. So, these are some of the activities and strategies that we explore."

"From the beginning, it was just something I was passionate about and I did a bit of consulting work that has helped me earn an income. I channelled part of that income to launching the ideas that I had. Over time, as the work continued to grow I had family members who were also supporting me and then in 2007 I found World Pulse. I had become connected to Women Earth Alliance which was then Women Global Green Action Network. In 2005, Women Global Green Action Network launched a search for women who were working on issues around environmental justice and social justice around the world and I was one of the women that were invited for the first strategic meeting in Mexico though I didn’t make it but I kept in touch with the organizers and eventually one of the organizers launched the women earth alliance and I am a funding member of the Women Earth Alliance which has been a formal partner and founder of WISE. I think our first funding support came through Women Earth Alliance. From way back, in 2005 when we got fund by Women Global Green Action Network and we got connected with World Pulse, that has continued to create visibility for our work and also attract funders. We’ve benefited from funding support from Women Earth Alliance, Global Greengrants Funds, we’ve benefited from capacity building support from Women Leaders for the World. We’ve gotten support from UNDP, a project funded by the United Nations development program and global program facility. Recently we’ve also be funded by Global Funds for Women.. Funding of WISE."

"It is not just about addressing every environmental challenges we find but more of those that directly affect the lives of women across communities because there are facts that tell that women are the most affected by environmental challenges. For example, the issue of access to clean cooking energy; the facts and figures around the health consequences and the environmental consequences; women tracking as much as 2 km or more from their communities just to go and gather firewood for their cooking. And in the process of doing this, a lot of them get assaulted, some of them get raped, some of them get kidnapped. At the end of the day, no one is talking about these issues. So, we started looking at working with women across communities to see how they can be at the front lines of addressing these environmental challenges that have a direct impact on their life or the life of their family members and their communities. . What WISE is all about."

"World leaders must integrate women in their decision."

"One of the reports that caught our attention was the World Health Organisation’s reports which said Nigeria tops the list of countries where women were dying annually from smoke related illnesses."

"Over the years the women’s voices have been missing from the decision making tables."

"They are however able to take actions by either creating their own spaces to make changes or becoming authors of their own change."

"Women should stop emphasising they are being marginalised, that is an expired message."

"We should be authors of our own change, if we are not called to the decision making tables, then we must create ours."

"We believe that the more informed women get, the more equipped they are financially and in terms of skills, the better the society will be."

"The call for women’s empowerment is therefore not a contest between men and women, but a call for partnership, a call for a society where everybody’s voice counts, where we know that We all need each other."

"By inspiring understanding and appreciation for investment in women and women’s inclusion, we contribute to creating a better world."

"The business I did last before meeting WISE was storage of ginger. I took a loan from a cooperative and invested in it, that year ginger fell far below cost price and I was only able to get not up to ten per cent of my capital."

"Everyone defines it in different ways. To me, beauty is not just about the appearance, but the inside person."

"Must we always depend on America to produce world-class athletes?"

"Sports has a short life span but education will be there for you. Take the advantage that sports provides. If you have education, you can continue with sports at even a higher level. If you can’t, there will be option for you as an educated athlete. I wish that more Nigerians could take to sports."

"HURRAH! Nigeria’s Pat Itanyi walks with West Virginia legends. Vanguard (Nigeria), 26 September 2011"

"A very beautiful experience for me because I put a lot into it and we are all experiencing the reward today."

"I am usually inspired by things around me; any situations I go through either Joy, pain, fear, doubt, love, anything… they are all things I take to God and deal with or pray about."

"I would love to be the first Nigerian woman to read through the Bible and represent Naija."

"Message of faith’s the only evergreen, says gospel singer, Tomi Favored; tours Africa. 25 August 2021, Vanguard Newspaper."

"Create an inclusive environment where people of all ages and backgrounds can engage in communal worship, even incorporating songs in various languages to reach a diverse audience."

"It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase our team’s talent and demonstrate our national prowess."

"I always try to perfect my game so that people can say she can do it all, not she could be able to do it."

"it will be wrong for anyone to say we have reached our full potentials in sports."

"The quality of boxers at the Youth Games was “top notch”."

"I had always had this big dream of becoming a singer but the truth is I was terrified of what everyone would think of me."

"When you don’t have an idea of where your next paycheck is coming from, it can take a toll on you."

"It’s not that we aren’t interested in photojournalism, but Africa has become a playground for photographers coming to tell the ‘truth’ about the continent and they get stuck on the ‘hopeless’ narrative. We can sculpt so much more than this."

"Challenge preconceptions and stereotypes, and provide a more authentic look at people’s experiences of mental health."

"The fashion industry greatly depends on us as we are the ones who market the clothes and not just ourselves, we are as important to the fashion industry as any other practitioner."

"I committed to art because it was one of the most prominent things in my surroundings as a child – my mother being an interior designer, my father an architect. Still, I remember my mother’s fabrics and my father’s drawings in my mind years later."

"Because “dreams” are supposedly uncanny and impossible. My piece Tortoise and the birds opens the conversation about experiencing cultural amnesia which colonized peoples often experience. It also highlights hindrances that result from loss of cultural queues and history."

"I believe my identity is informed and evolves through learning and existing."

""When it comes to people, I am inspired specifically by people who exist transparently and are passionate to see others and allow space for them to speak their truths without interruption."

"“When the work is rich and has well thought out intentions, it will make its way to the places it will.”"

"“I personally think that physical fairs are important for the role they play in helping collectors to discover new artists, which they can then buy online later on,”"

"“I think interest will only continue to grow as the art world learns that Africa is a huge continent with a huge variety of cultures and stories and people.”"

"“Everyone was very kind to me.”"

"“Princess Ademola is an historical role model for anyone entering the nursing profession and those who have committed their working lives to caring for others.”"

"“Princess Ademola was obviously a strong-minded person. I think any Black woman who came to England at that time, and was successful, should be recognised and applauded. They showed such bravery. She was beautiful, she was a royal, so could perhaps have been anything she wanted to be, but she chose to be a nurse.""

"‘Nurse Ademola’ played an important part in this as a uniquely feminine perspective. It ‘depicted an African nurse at various phases of training at one of the great London hospitals’, it was said to have inspired many African viewers at its screenings across West Africa."

"Ademola's patients apparently called her "fairy" as a term of endearment. "Everyone was very kind to me", she told journalists at the time."

"Maya Bello-Taylor (Oct 1, 2023) Princess Ademola - the African Princess who served as a nurse during wartime BritainRetrieved Jan 19 2025"

"I’m so happy that I have won."

"I would like to dedicate my gold medal to my husband who is my mentor and who supports me, and also to my country Nigeria."

"I have been competing in shot put for 22 years and what keeps me going is the morale and passion that I have for the sport."

"Gold medals from Mercy Genesis, Eucharia Njideka Iyiazi were the biggest highlights of the day as the Para Athletes also fought back hard to win bronze in their event categories."

"Art was part of the life of the people, through singing, dancing."

"Nudity wasn’t an issue in the kingdom. Princes and princesses were traditionally swathed in a simple white cloth, often bare-chested, wearing long coral necklaces."

"It was easier for me, my mother already paved the way for females to be bronze casters."

"Olowu describes herself as a feminist. She gave birth to eight children but always kept working, even when she was pregnant."

"I employ assemblage when working with objects."

"I combine household implements with varying counterparts, but retaining the objects’ functionality so as not to render them mute. In these works, I address the implications of the juggling acts we perform as we adapt, modify, and are, in turn, modified by the devices and power systems that define our environments."

"My goal is to explore the diverse effects of power dynamics on the realities and interdependencies of our lives. Assemblage, collage, and montage are central to my methods of exploration."

"In my computer montages and video collages, I bring together a variety of images to examine cultural nuances; the work’s meaning lies in the space between these diverse elements. I focus on individuals’ internal relationships within the image, tempered by the surrounding power structures."

"I am Queen Amina, feared cavalry warrior, ruler of Zazzau and all of Hausaland. Ride with me to victory."

"A wise investment. This will finance the upcoming cavalry raid."

"Your counsel is accepted."

"My emirs said the French have very beautiful palaces and that they would rather preserve than destroy them."

"The palace of the other Hausa ruler is more beautiful and influential than mine. I shall offer my sword to survive in grace."

"My Nigerian princes requested that I pay an absurd amount of money for their ransom. What frauds!"

"Defend the Trading Posts to secure our trade monopoly!"

"You can get away with that one, but count yourself lucky if I let you get more than that."

"Did you not hunt for food? If you do not gather the resources to age up soon, you will quickly become the hunted."

"The Hausa would rather make peace than fight with you. Can we come to an agreement?"

"[She continued to] wage war in the Hausa lands and conquered them all, so that the men of Katsina and the men of Kano brought her tribute."

"Amina daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man."

"People with albinism face multiple forms of discrimination worldwide. Albinism is still profoundly misunderstood, socially and medically."

"The physical appearance of persons with albinism is often the object of erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition, which foster their marginalization and social exclusion."

"My work is not there to make you feel good, its purpose is to trigger you to think and expand your knowledge."

"As in her previous exhibitions, which have tackled issues such as the challenges survivors of breast cancer face, or photographing dancers performing within slums to highlight the needs of populations living in shantytowns, Ayeni-Babaeko’s amazing artistry is heightened by her commitment to social change and supporting marginalized communities."

"We believe that art is a beautiful way of raising awareness and celebrating diversity and inclusion. An exhibition like ‘White Ebony’ by Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko is testament to the way art helps to strengthen society."

"I am accused of proposing a product that pushes women to conform to white standards of beauty ,"

"Americans feel attacked. Honestly , they are just memories of slavery ."

"I was too creative to live there! In Maryland, honestly, your art will stay on your balcony for the rest of your life, whether you're good at it or not!."

"I think that I always wanted more than I was given...I was the child that had everything and I still just went out there"

"When I got to America, it was not what I expected."

"They would not let me go out to work. I was told, ‘Oh, you're gonna get shot’ and I believed those things because what I saw on TV [about America] in Africa was terribl"

"I was the new girl in town. I was skinny, tall with long legs, big curly hair and my African accent. Everybody was always like ‘Who is she?’ Everybody just wanted to be cool with me."

"It’s because of Addison's that my music career took a back burner. The doctor told me you have to pick between being an artist on the road and your life. You will not be able to do tours all the time because your body is not going to be able to take it."

"If it was me, I would reach out but he (sic) probably still mad I didn't believe he didn't impregnate Uju Stella in 2016. That's what most men do."

"For those of you sending me messages to reach out to Burna Boy, I won't."

"They lie and get mad when you don't believe them....something he finally admitted to online 8 years later."

"I went through a lot as Cynthia Morgan that a lot of people didn’t know about."

"Peter is an artiste. I would never sign with an artiste, especially Nigerian artistes."

"Jude is always not the nice guy but I preferred to go with Jude. Because I felt like he understood the business more."

"On one fateful night, I had a dream where I saw a woman wearing a court robe and a wig standing before me and I heard a voice I believe was God’s saying to me, this woman would want to sign you to her record label but don’t oblige her."

"The message was brief and straight to the point. When I woke up I shared the dream with my mum. We forgot about it. But in less than a year, one of my ex managers called to tell me about one lady who was interested in working with me after he had sent my songs to her."

"She later became the third party that drafted a contract and played a pivotal role in making me lose all I worked for. I would have lost my life in the process if I werent aware of her true mission."

"I quickly reminded my mum about my dream and she rebuffed me, saying it couldnt be the same person . For her, it was just a dream. 13 years later, that woman in a court robe happened to be my mum. She ended up signing me with less than a thousand dollars in her bank account."

"If a woman is there and is competent, she opens the door for others."

"Life has taught me the importance of appreciating family, friends. A lot of people contributed to who I am today."

"I am a police officer. I am AIG Aishatu Abubakar Baju, but I am also a doctor. I joined the Force as a doctor. I am very proud to be a police officer. I am also the President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria. So, call me all the titles; I like them."

"Well, it depends on what you want to do in life. Whatever you attach importance to, you always find a way around it."

"had to work at integrating all these facets of my life – being a wife, mother and also a police officer. You know, sometimes, as we grow older, a few of these responsibilities can be delegated. We just have to juggle them all; that is why I am a woman."

"If I have a second chance at life, I’d still join the police."

"Nigeria is not far from its first female Inspector General of Police (IGP)."

"Do not forget that the girls come into science classes already disadvantaged as a result of upbringing that restricted them from out of home experiences that serve as building blocks to understanding and appreciating science education."

"Finally, providing science and technology education for every citizen is a fulfillment of fundamental human rights just as the case with EFA."

"I have not only refreshed your mind on the importance of science in development but tried to impress it on you that science education be considered a priority for all citizens."

"In other words, science has helped to dispel superstition and unfounded beliefs which are inimical to progress and development."

"It is important to note that every society has some tradition of science and technology being that each society is successfully inhabiting one part of the earth."

"Students who are taught science by non- professional teachers, or poorly trained teachers, or poorly motivated teachers end up with negative attitude to science education."

"Teaching is simply, a process of carrying out series of planned activities and interactions with learners with sole aim of bringing about learning in the form of acquisition of knowledge, abilities, skills as well as changes in attitude."

"The curriculum of the science subjects especially at the secondary school level have been found to be overloaded with content that are largely irrelevant."

"The definitions you offer would greatly depend on your level of exposure."

"This image of science is false. Scientific activities are not mysterious but understandable being that it involves the simple process of objectively seeking answers to problems posed by nature involving activities which can be carried out, in or outside a laboratory."

"I think I am very lucky because my late father really wanted his children, both girls and boys to go to school. His interest in me actually surfaced after I was taken into the care of one of my aunts. After giving me to her, he requested for three things – I should be put into school, I should not get married at a very early age, and I should not be given tribal marks. Unfortunately... I was also given tribal marks"

"We were fortunate because the late Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Usman Nagwaggo, was interested in the education of the girl-child. His children and sisters went to school. The children of titleholders in the emirate also went to school. So it was not very difficult. And the then Katsina Native Authority was very supportive."

"I didn’t find it strange to be in Kano because at that time, my father was there when I was in secondary school. It was a boarding school and I was not staying with them at home, but at least they were available."

"My preferred subject was Mathematics ... I was given admission, but somehow, my family ... decided that I should read Medicine. At that time there were no female medical doctors, so all I needed was to apply to read Medicine. They gave me the offer and that was how I ended up in the profession."

"At first, when we went in they said I didn’t look like a medical student, so they thought I was being pushed or favoured because I am from a Hausa-Fulani area. They started following me up until they started seeing our results and they gave up."

"I don’t look like somebody who should be able to read and write; I still have that problem. I remember that as a medical student, when we were going through some corridors, some gatemen would stop me and let others go."

"My advantage is that being a pediatrician in Nigeria, which is a third-world country with a large population of children, anywhere you go you will see children. So I don’t think I left my practice. Up till now I have not left the profession."

"I have always been fascinated about creating things and most importantly solve problems."

"Creating a website or app that solves actual human problems is a big deal, and nothing would give me more joy if I'm able to do just that."

"I don’t just build platforms. I build people, programs, and belonging."

"I am on a mission to help people and brands own their voices, show their spark, and lead with purpose."

"Dreaming up bold ideas, asking hard questions, or looking to create meaningful impact, I’m here for it."

"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."

"It has opened a lot of doors for me. I have met and rubbed shoulders with a lot of important people and world leaders, and not just in Nigeria but also across the world. I would always cherish those moments. I learnt that life is about meeting people, traveling, networking and building bridges so that we could have good and lasting relationships with people"

"I will advise every young girl who wants to go for MBGN, and whoever wins MBGN to just be herself. Be yourself; don’t try to be me or any other person. Don’t try to be any other person that went before you. Yes, these people can be your role models, but please be yourself and enjoy the moment. Be cool and don’t get carried away by what happens in our society nowadays. Just maintain your values"

"I have learnt to be a bit more patient and a bit more understanding. Before being queen, you were relating with people but you can’t compare it to you being queen of a big country like Nigeria, and everybody is looking up to you, to see the next move you make or your next mistake or that good thing you do. So, that is the difference. I have learnt to be more understanding and careful of things I say and do, because people like to misinterpret things. What you mean may not necessarily be what will be interpreted, so you have to be careful of what you say and things you do. You are relating with people and everybody is not going to be how you want them to be, so you need to be smart, you need to know how to work with people, because if you can work with people and you can build relationships and be more understanding and patient, you will go far"

"My ideal man, first of all, has to be God fearing. Everybody could say that is a cliché but it is really important. I have to be attracted to him though, its part of it. And you have to be a hard and smart worker. I don’t like lazy men; you have to be on your feet. You have to be loving and caring as well. I don’t care about height. He could be short or tall and I don’t care about age, but he must be attractive. However, what matters for me is what is inside"

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What is ugly to you may be handsome to me. I don’t think there is anything like dating an ugly man. He might be ugly to you but he is handsome to me. It is basically beauty from the inside; that is the most important thing. If your inside is as beautiful and amazing, what is on the outside is of no consequence, so it is your inside that matters"

"I have learnt to develop a thick skin. I am thankful for my family who has been my backbone and my fiends too who have been very supportive. So, you see negative things and you just laugh it off, because if people are not talking about you, then you are nobody; you are not relevant. You see negative reports and you just laugh and move on with your life"

"This platform has given me the opportunity to help create awareness about endometriosis in Nigeria. It’s a disease that so many people don’t know about which affects the female child, so, I intend to go round, starting with secondary schools, to create awareness about endometriosis. I want young girls to know about this disease and try their best to get checked early enough. It is a disease that is fast spreading in Nigeria and it has to be checked; we can easily control it when everybody, especially young girls know about it."

"My parents inspire me to treat people selflessly. I am also inspired by hardworking and determined people, Mo Abudu from Nigeria is an African woman who is surpassing the limits set by society to conquer and pave the way for others to conquer, that is inspiring. When people achieve and help others get there, that inspires me"

"Basically you are more than any situation you find yourself in, because you’re a human being; constantly becoming a better version of yourself"

"It is encouraging, women should support women, our strength lies in our ability to give a helping hand to a sister in need. The best thing is helping others to achieve once you arrive at your destination. We go through so many similar difficulties and challenges that should make us want to work more together instead of fighting each other. A supportive circle of successful women will always thrive against all odds"

"There were times in South Africa when I told someone that I was from Nigeria and their countenance will change. For the most part, I tried to surround myself with positive people and, I did have some friends"

"My older sister always keeps tabs on Nigerian news and celebrities. She wanted me to contest for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria or Miss Nigeria, she later decided on MBGN. So she bought the form for me and filled it out for me"

"I had put my mind to doing the very best I could. I wanted to tick their boxes as much as I could. I knew I had to be articulate and smart, and I set my mind to do that"

"I was so surprised I made the top five and finally declared the first runner up. It is a game so you never know who is going to win"

"Since I left MBGN, my sister and I started a beauty business. We are rebranding so I cannot release the full details now. I also wrote an anthology, ‘Woman like the Sea’ it is about the struggles women go through. I also have a podcast titled 'Feminine Expressions' coming out soon"

"I am so grateful I got to be the first runner up and represent Nigeria in the Miss Universe contest. I met so many wonderful people there who I still talk to today. We even have a Whatsapp group. When someone gives birth or gets married, they post it on the group. I love it"

"No, I do not think pageants are shallow. All pageants pass an important message through a beautiful person or face. It is always a combination of beauty and intellect"

"People always think I am biracial especially, in Lagos but, I am not. I cannot tell if there is light-skinned privilege. I know there is pretty privilege because people would want to talk to you if you are pretty"

"I think what is common nowadays is people trying to attach themselves to the light-skinned complexion by bleaching"

"When I was younger, people would try to put my sister’s beauty against mine and say things like 'you wouldn't be pretty if you were dark-skinned' or tell my sister she would be prettier if she were light-skinned. We need to accept people the way we see them"

"Plus, dark skinned people are getting more representation is music videos and movies now and that is great"

"Because my family is in South Africa living in Lagos during the lockdown dealt with my mental health negatively. I always thought I was the sort of person who loves to be alone just in my corner writing how I feel but, the lockdown taught me that you need people around you"

"Even after the lockdown, I realized that you need friends and people you can count on"

"Yes, I am, though I do not like to subscribe to labels because sometimes we get hung up on the labels and forget the cause. Although, I am an advocate of women empowerment and gender equality"

"Believe in yourself, no matter where you come from. In Paris, only discipline and passion matter."

"We’re often reduced to speed or power, but African women’s football is so much more than that."

"This tournament brings a different intensity, a unique emotion. It’s our legacy."

"There are so many things I love here. What stands out the most is being able to train every day alongside exceptional players. Every session is a learning moment. Some of them I used to admire on TV when I was younger, so now sharing the field with them and learning from them is such a rich experience."

"I told them to believe in themselves. It doesn’t matter where you come from—your background should never limit you. Being from a particular country or region doesn’t define your value. What matters is what you show on the field."

"Self-belief is the key."

"It sends a strong message to young girls across the continent: if we made it, they can too. They shouldn't limit themselves to stereotypical traits."

"No team should be taken lightly."

"We live with it. The pressure has always been there. When you wear the Nigerian jersey, you know the expectations are sky-high."

"Today, things are changing—and that’s excellent. The more people understand the importance of this competition, the more African women’s football will grow."

"But that’s the point: no matter where you come from, the path may be different, but the destination can be the same. We can all reach the top level, each in our own way."

"You have to believe in yourself and never doubt. You set your own ceiling."

"If you tell yourself you won’t make it, then you won’t. Don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t. Work hard, believe in yourself, and go for it."

"After every tough game, you just have to get over it. There are things you can’t control, and I try to focus on the ones I can. It’s okay to reflect and work on your performance, but the key is to move ahead."

"Be yourself, do your thing, and be confident in yourself. But most importantly, know God first, because God is great."

"We are strong. We never say never. We are the Super Falcons of Nigeria. That was our mentality."

"We motivated one another. We believed we could do it. We believed in what we are capable of."

"It’s a competition, and everyone is going there to fight for the trophy."

"This is a step toward achieving our aim in this competition. We want to keep winning until we reach our goal."

"The spirit in the camp is high. We are good to go. I know we are here to compete. Going to the Olympics is so special to me. I will always cherish this moment because so many people dreamt of playing at the Olympics and it never came to pass."

"I am going to say it is tough. It's a mental thing. It is just about getting your mind focused and ready for anything that comes because I know what I am putting myself through."

"I feel like the moment I stop playing and growing, so many people coming after me are going to suffer."

"I always keep pushing myself and staying focused on everything I do."

"The world is changing. Football is changing. People are growing. We still need to do more back home. The facilities need improvement. For me, I think we need to get the grassroots teams back"

"They need to invest more in women's football in Nigeria. The welfare of players is very important. Teams should start taking responsibility for their players, especially when they are injured. They need to do more. Player welfare is very important in women's football."

"In Nigeria, I think investors focus more on the men than the women."

"I want to give credit to Nigeria in this aspect: our women's league is good and strong. We just need people to come and invest."

"It has been tough playing where it is taboo for female footballers to play in Kano city. People feel like females don’t have anything to do with playing football and there’s no female team in Kano. Anytime they try to bring up the female team, it does not go anywhere. I feel it is because of the culture and how they see things differently."

"Well, it was tough but here am today, so the past is over and I am in the future."

"We need all the supports we can get. Women’s football is growing larger. The more people watch it, the more it keeps growing for sure, for women’s sports."

"Thank you for the support. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to make it. We hope they keep supporting us."

"Awards don’t always reflect reality, but the pitch never lies."

"Back then, women's football wasn't seen the way it is today. But I knew I was good."

"We're teaching the younger generation not to give up and to have a fighting spirit. Whatever you want, you gotta work hard for."

"Being able to inspire the younger generations means a lot to me."

"We need as much fans as we can get and we need support, so keep supporting, and we’re gonna get the trophy."

"I was very happy. For me, it was progress and a big milestone. Seeing myself in the national team was a dream come true. I think that’s every athlete’s dream — to represent their country. Although I was on the bench, I was very happy to be a part of the squad."

"Winning the WAFCON is definitely the biggest moment of my career so far. In the final against Morocco, we came from behind to win 3-2. I cried after the match because I never thought I would reach that stage. That was the happiest moment of my career."

"But I kept working hard and praying, and by God’s grace, my dream came true."

"I want to do this by working hard and staying focused. I believe everything happens in its time and season, and I know my time will come."

"I will tell them to never stop believing in their dreams. Keep working hard and keep praying, because you never know when your breakthrough will come."

"It’s a gradual process, but women’s football in Nigeria is growing very fast. With time, we won’t just dominate Africa but will compete with the best teams in the world. Many players abroad came through the Nigerian league, and that shows how strong our foundation is."

"We are back as the giant of Africa."

"Every coach has their style."

"I always try to give my best and adapt to whatever pattern the coaches bring. With the experience I have, I try to help the younger players settle and excel."

"Growing up in northern Nigeria is not that easy because they don’t believe that a girl child should play football. From my family, my parents were supportive, but my brothers didn’t want me to play. I was stubborn and didn’t listen."

"Sometimes I would sneak out to play with boys and they would beat me when I returned. Eventually, they gave up and started supporting me."

"I try to promote grassroots football in the North. I’m getting support from the state government, and it’s helping young girls who want to play professionally and pursue their dreams."

"I always try to mentor young players with the little knowledge I have. I talk to them during training and matches. I think they appreciate it—it’s up to them to use what I tell them."

"I grew up in the midst of men six boys and two girls, and all my play mates were boys, everything about my growing was with boys, always playing street football with them."