All Quotes

"I will sprint but I don’t like it. It’s so difficult, I tell people every day I give sprinters a lot of credit because whenever I sprint I feel so much pain."

"I am not scared to say I go for help when I want help, because I think that should be on top of everybody’s list."

"If you want the help, go get the help."

"I don’t put pressure on myself."

"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"

"Before 2016, i was already someone shaped by my experiences and beliefs, preparing me for the moment I finally stood up for myself"

"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"

"Drag is like a spa for my soul."

"We want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come."

"I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote – vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city."

"It’s awesome to say no to things, even though they’re offering a lot of money. I have the power to say no."

"I was so desperate to feel understood"

"I pushed down the gay part of myself so deep because I was like, that can’t possibly be me."

"It's weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and you listen to the art they make."

"I know that I stand on the shoulders of the women in the industry that came before me, and my shoulders are broad enough to have the women that come after me to stand on mine … the little kid in me still believes that rock n’ roll can save the world."

"We are here to tell the Ukrainians that we are here, that we are here with them to share their pain, that we are on their side, but at the same time we want to dare to promote peace. We have heard many Ukrainian brothers speak of armed resistance and it is an attitude that can also be understood, but we must not give in to what apparently seems to be the only possible reaction. We must work and reflect on paths of peace that start from active and passive non-violence. Can war be counteracted with non-violence? Can war be countered with non-violence? It is a reflection that must engage us in the coming weeks, in the coming months and also in the coming years. We must return to non-violent conscientious objection against everything that is injustice, corruption, whatever goes against the development of man. Jesus still tells us today: Blessed are the builders of peace."

"I believe in anti-racism so much because I believe it's at the core of us solving so many other social issues 12 May, 2025"

"The minute we lose the ability to see the humanity in the next person that looks different from you—that's when racism is planted into the fibre of society, and that's when we desensitize ourselves to the importance of existing in a just and equitable world with people that look different from us"

"As much as the apartheid regime has no longer been constitutionalised, racism hasn't disappeared"

"I first-hand got to see racism from my identity not being welcomed or understood"

"What’s next? I never know. I love it that way. Surprise me Lord."

"Bravery can co-exist with fear"

"I don’t think anyone should be President for that amount of time. We are Presidents, we are not monarchs. It’s just common sense"

"If you've been somewhere for too long, you become complacent and take things for granted"

"The country's economy has been rundown, and people expect the party's manifesto to be applied immediately, but it doesn't work like that."

"We thought it would be a quantitative change, where the opposition wins but not to this extent. This was a dramatic turn of events."

"Ban the import of hunting trophies"

"I am not sick, stressed or depressed. In fact, I recently had my annual medical check and all was good. The only thing that depresses me is when people who don’t know me say I am depressed"

"Unlike some who twist the concept of democracy to suit themselves, we have stuck to these principles in that everything we do should be in the interest of our citizens"

"Always starting from a bad situation you can make good"

"Overcoming is not a one step process."

"Also, there is a dependency syndrome on government since we were once so poor and have done a lot through social interventions. Today many people probably get assistance who should be looking after themselves – this is a trend. The question they have always is “What is government going to do for me?"

"Maybe what we have achieved through diamond revenues has made us complacent. But we have to remember, that diamonds are not forever."

"I didn’t enjoy politics, the rough and tumble of political life"

"In business, it’s crucial to learn from those who have succeeded before you. Their experiences can provide valuable insights and shortcuts to achieving your own goals"