People From Nigeria

"To thine own self be true"

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

"Be discerning about where you work."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"“I am rich in the lord. I am a comfortable young woman but I am not too rich, so I don't actually know how much I'm worth”.Nnaji talks about her worth (July 2007)"

"God is the only reason we’re all successful now. They should look into their own hearts and embrace their own God and ask their own God to bless the way God has blessed others."

"So, the thing is everyone needs to be treated as individuals and not a collective nation. You don’t judge one person or judge one person by another persons faults."

"Nigerians as a whole are very confident people, I believe we’re confident, I believe we’re very resourceful and we are very hospitable when it comes to visitors in the country."

"“At the end of the day I was born alone, I’m going to die alone, I breathe alone. So I definitely have the right to how I want to live my life, and as a woman, the fact of the matter is no one needs to tell me otherwise.”"

"“I grew up on radio plays and the experience is nostalgic for me – the power of voice to influence minds and touch hearts is undeniable.” Nnaji joins an audio cast play ( May 2021)"

""The contemporary issues highlighted in the script are what sold me; this is an artful retelling of Fela’s story and I’m honored to be a part of it".Nnaji joins an audio cast play ( May 2021)"

"“Be the reason they speak good about Nigeria”. Nnaji talks on been a good citizen of Nigeria (October 2021)"

"“At the end of the day I was born alone, I’m going to die alone, I breathe alone. So I definitely have the right to how I want to live my life.” I’m a woman who makes her own choices (April 2019)"

"“My own feminism is just human rights.”Views on feminism(April 2019)"

""I think the authenticity of the story which was what I loved about it. It provided an environment where I could showcase the things that made me proud of our culture, our talent and our values." Her collaboration with United Talent Agency (October 2018)"

"“Let girls grow up to become woman and make a choice, what they want”. Genevieve spoke up against early child marriage (May 2014)"

"“I'm always happy and relaxed. Nobody can stay happy 24 hours but I'm content with my life. I am content with where God has placed me. I am content with my work. I am comfortable and I thank God for it.” Nnaji's interview (July2007)"

"“Chocolates and cakes are the biggest problem I have. That is why I punish myself at the gym because I know I can’t stop myself from eating what I want. I call it eating your cake and having it.” Nnaji's interview (July 2007)"

"This is Nigeria. Whatever happens there; it is still the universal Church. It pains me. We are all the same body of Christ. It pains me. It shouldn’t be …but I am here in Nigeria and I can speak of Nigeria. If any stupid priest or bishop in Nigeria feels he wants to copy the American model, then there is something wrong with his head."

"Africa Rising is as much about improving standards of governance as it is about an increasingly confident youths and civil society. It is also about businessmen and women who are stepping beyond national borders and going global."

"The Diaspora in the UK is particularly important because this is the largest diaspora community in the world. So really if you are talking to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians for anyone with any sense at all it’s a very important community to address. So it’s representative, it’s the way to go. The Diaspora here is also very active at home,"

"We don't have all the time in the world with oil. We have to use oil while it makes sense to do so."

"Hate speech is a specie of terrorism."

"No economy can tolerate the level of corruption seen in Nigeria without consequences."

"We all know that Nigerian jollof rice is the best anywhere. We beat the Ghanaians and Senegalese hands down."

"Here in Nigeria, what makes the news is conflict between the executive and the legislature."

"There must be more rigorous enforcement of rules promoting transparency in the international banking and financial systems, especially more stringent KYC rules on customer identity, source of wealth, and even country of origin."

"Corruption and illicit financial flows are different. But they really must be twinned. This is because, for practical purposes, it is an eminently more sensible approach to treat most of the sources of illicit financial flows as corrupt activity, within a broader use of the term."

"Tracing, freezing, and return of stolen assets has proved in many cases to be exceptionally difficult for most African countries."

"There is no wisdom of man that can change men or change nations; it is the power and wisdom of God that can."

"We in Nigeria have seen just how difficult it is to get back stolen assets from the international financial system, such as banks that ought not have received those funds in the first place if even the most routine questions were asked."

"It doesn't matter where one starts from; it doesn't matter at all where you start from. It is how committed you are, how determined you are, and how hardworking you are that will ultimately make the difference."

"The carnal nature of man is that he places his tribe above others, but the only basis for the power and unity of the church is that there is no Jew or Gentile."

"I am so pleased and happy, and I believe that the Almighty God has a plan for our nation by putting us in strategic positions in politics, business, and everywhere."

"The fundamental for the sustainable growth of Nigeria is not in the hydro-carbon industry but in agriculture."