Women Academics From Nigeria

"The younger generations are agents of change and a bridge to a better future. This indeed is how I plan to shake things up- by equipping budding leaders with the requisite tools for growth."

"The gift of life comes but once, and you have in a lifetime to accomplish all your dreams, visions, goals, and ambitions unapologetically. Remember, happiness comes in the fulfillment of these dreams, visions, goals, and ambitions."

"Human relationships are not a zero-sum game if we need to be truly honest. We should often create a platform for negotiation and understand how to improve in our relationship."

"I realized that indeed it’s a small world after all, and one must learn the art of fostering relationships for you never know whose help you might need."

"At that moment, it struck me that one single act can make an impact in the world."

"A healthy environment is vital for a healthy existence, and I wanted us to aspire to make our environment better for us and the generations to come."

"Do not let the hardships take away your basic rights. Nature is closer than you think."

"For me, it involves connecting more with nature. Going outside and stepping into nature. Experiencing its beauty and its importance. It is only when we appreciate alluring essence of Mother Nature, then, together, we would have the urge to make our planet great again."

"....However, that should not stop us from doing our part. This planet is ours. When it thrives, we do the same."

"We should care the most about the environment. That’s what the green on our flag symbolizes."

"Climate change is a moral issue. It is not just science."

"Doing business in Nigeria is rife with uncertainties. But, we must come to terms with our faults in a failing system. Joining the rot in the system simply makes it more difficult for the next person to thrive."

"Your identity is your identity. It is what makes you special. Don’t be trapped by Mental Colonialism."

"There is nothing bad in adopting a new culture but when you see nothing good in your own culture and thinks the other culture is the norm, then something is wrong. I call it slavery of the mind."

"FUNAAB’s Biotechnology Centre was fully equipped to provide an array of services that border on Animal Biotechnology, Plant Biotechnology, Protein Analysis, Bio-informatics, among others"

"I am different from you because of my genetic makeup. You need to know your genotype yourself, to enable you to know the type of food you can eat and those you cannot eat or whether you are carrying genetic diseases"

"While other countries are talking of electricity-powered vehicles, driverless trucks, and 200miles per hour trains, we are still battling with narrow gauge rail lines and Never Expect Power Always (NEPA), or Hold on your Power (Power Holding)."

"“With the funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we now have the white, black, brown, and the ash-line of the indigenous breed. There are also two mid-lines, which has 25 or 75 percent local blood. They are meat-lines; they are bigger with tougher meat than the imported stock. We can hardly meet the request of our customers here, and other Universities have been taking our stocks.""

"Tissue Culture Laboratory alone could truly supply plants to millions of farmers, if we really invest into plant tissue culture and micro-propagation,”"

"Nigeria spent 18 million dollars on chicken importation in 2009 alone. If the government spends half of that money on developing local breeds; imagine what that will translate to."

"A renowned academic and administrator, Oduwole’s work is particularly hallmarked by the garlands which Nigeria has won on account of improving the ease of doing business."

"We need an auto policy that will be enduring. We don’t want a policy that we will have and after a few years, we will need to change it and that is why we are calling for more contributions."

"The auto industry is pivotal and critical to the growth of our economy and so we are taking our time to shape the automotive policy so that we can compete with other players on the continent and enable those who have invested resources derive maximal value."

"There is no economy in the world that has developed without having a vibrant auto assembly and production industry because of the volume of jobs that the sector can create. There is a need for a policy that will take us to where we want to be."

"A supportive and a conducive environment is needed to accelerate the pace of economic recovery, regain investor confidence, attract fresh investments and generate employment opportunities."

"It would be almost impossible to attract and retain private investments without an enabling environment. No private enterprise can scale, expand, and create new job opportunities if the environment is not investment-friendly."

"With the right people, both leaders and followers. With the right mindset and the right actions, ten years is enough to transform the trajectory of every single facet of this nation, and to have us firmly on the path of a developed nation in perpetuity."

"Nation building is not just a government burden. We each have a role to play. We have to see the glass as half full and work in a coordinated manner, knowing that there’s no point pointing at somebody else to deliver the Nigeria of our dreams. Each person has a responsibility."

"Starting a business is crucial because it is invariably the first step taken by a business owner seeking to formalise his or her idea."

"Realize that our work is our citizenship and there is no time for small dreams."

"Another area key to making business work is facilitating the smooth entry, exit and movement of people."

"Nigeria's approach to waste management (2020)"

"When we become conscious of reducing waste from kitchens to households, and on the streets, it is only then they will realise the health, environmental and economic benefits of waste management."

"Aside from being custodians of the environment, youths should understand the imminent threat of climate change on their collective futures. To manage what is unavoidable (adaptation) and avoid what is unmanageable (mitigation), youths must prioritise environmental studies as fundamental to their education."

"Environmental studies could be seen as an autonomous discipline, yet to get the best out of it, a multidisciplinary approach must be applied."

"Just start with what you have, and do it. Dreams begin from where you start. Even though ideas could be overwhelming and vague, unless you start with what you have and where you are, you may never clinch your aspirations."

"He didn’t spoil me or anything; he didn’t have the money because he was giving scholarships to many people. Many people enjoyed his scholarships through to the end except you dropped out of school, got married or did not continue. I can’t say I had no knowledge of the Zik of Africa, no, but to say that that was what attracted me to him, I just don’t know. I know people from everywhere, including Yorubaland, enjoyed his scholarships."

"I have an NGO, Widows’ Lifeline, that I want to focus my attention fully on now that I have retired. It is an NGO that takes care of widows and provides opportunities for skills acquisition for them. And after graduation, we give them start-up grants so that they take off and become economically and financially independent to some extent, considering the problems that our widows go through, especially in this part of the country. But the problem I have is that the number of widows swells or increases every year and it is not easy to accommodate everybody. I have to cut down on the number to at least 40 – 50 every year, which is not very easy for a retiree like me to be sponsoring."

"We used to eat every meal together except when one of us was not at home. It’s something that bonds the family together. After eating, we would relax and chat. We argued and disagreed to agree. I had fun arguing with him even though I might not be correct and he would always caution me. He would say you have to be diplomatic, you are not diplomatic and I would say, why should I be diplomatic when I know that this is what it is. He would say, no, there is a way you have to put it, so it doesn’t just come out like that. You know these are fond memories and as I told you he was very protective of his family, but to me, it was a sign of love and care. He wouldn’t want anything to happen to any member of his family. That was why if you went out and didn’t return by 6pm, he would start worrying. I am happy that he is resting in peace because he did a good job for Nigeria and Africa."

"It is like when you think you know all and don’t consult those who will help, but consult those who will tell you what you want to hear; that was the problem of Ojukwu, according to Efiong in the book. I think that was when it went to the level that Zik now left and went on exile in London. He got all the recognitions for Biafra – he was responsible for four recognitions that Biafra got during the war; it was because of him. And consider the fact that Zik was in the same age bracket with Ojukwu’s father, so they were close friends. He was older than Ojukwu, so the fact that someone wanted to work with you shouldn’t mean that you would disrespect anyone. So I think the story has it that when he told somebody like Nnamdi Azikiwe to do something, then you would go behind and not accept the suggestions he was giving to you, how would that person continue? That was why he said since my contribution is not appreciated, there is no need staying, so he left."

"From what I know or what I read or what I have been reading, even recently on some of the platforms, the killing of the Igbo people was not acceptable to anybody. It was unacceptable to Zik the way Igbo people were killed in the North. When Ojukwu declared Eastern Region as separate nation, we all know that Zik supported him because he felt that he could not live and see our people – Ndigbo – being slaughtered for no just cause but as time went on, it didn’t work out. I even read on one of the platforms that an extract from a book written by the late Gen. Philip Efiong, who was second in command to Ojukwu, stated everything and why it seemed that people like Zik decided to leave Ojukwu."

"From 1973, there was no relationship with Chief Awolowo, but my contact with the Balewas was through the office handling the affairs of former heads of state. I think it was the late Chief Mrs Stella Obasanjo that invited former First Ladies to Abuja; that was the first time I met one of Tafawa Balewa’s wives. I think it was the surviving one then. The relationship is cordial. I wasn’t on the scene during the political era, so I don’t know what happened then but the meetings we have had recently have been cordial."

"Let me emphasise on that because people always say Zik married a 16-year-old girl. I wasn’t 16 when I got married to Zik, I was 26 years old in 1973; that was when I got married to him. When I was going to school, there was nothing like marriage on the agenda; that was from 1965 to 1972, and I wasn’t the only person that he offered scholarship. There were many boys and girls that were sponsored by Zik. So the issue of marriage came late 1972 after I had finished from secondary school. I was born in 1947 and got married in 1973. 26 years."

"Frankly speaking, as my benefactor, who was paying my school fees, I saw him as my father. He was like a father all through the time I was having my education; the only time I saw him was when I went to tender my report (card) or collect my school fees if he didn’t pay through the reverend sisters. When the issue of getting married came up after the war, I was already 26 years old."

"I think he knew my father in Lagos. The story I heard was that when my father was in Lagos, he had something to do in the Government House, Marina, where the President lived. I think my father also worked there, maybe to help secure Marina or whatever. I don’t think my father had any problem with who his children chose to marry; although, he was very strict. When we were young, we couldn’t just go out to play; it had to be done based on his rules."

"I had it very easy because I was not brought up to be proud. I hope I am not blowing my trumpet but I think I am very humble. Nobody will say that I crossed their path but if you cross mine or take me for granted, I won’t take it lightly, I would bring out police barracks life. Growing up in police barracks will make you tough."

"When I got married in 1973 and came to Nsukka with my husband, one day I came across one of my classmates in secondary school. Her name was Sharon and I asked what she was studying. The next day, I met another person and another one after that. We were all in the same class at Abakaliki. I saw them at the time I had my second child, Uwakwe, and it just occurred to me that I had to do something. These were my classmates and they weren’t brighter than me in secondary school."

"After my National Youth Service Corps programme, I became hungry for more education. I had a master’s degree in curriculum education, development and planning. It was around that time in the 80s that gender issues came up, so I got interested in gender issues. I wanted to do my PhD in something related to gender issues and they said no, because my master’s degree was in curriculum education, development and planning. They said I must do something on gender issues before doing PhD in the same field. So I went to get a second master’s degree, this time in sociology of education and gender issues and my PhD in the same field. I will tell you how my husband appreciated my going to school. Every Christmas, he would give me a card and on February 4, my birthday too, he would give me a card and a letter."

"My friends were shocked; they said, why can’t your husband talk to the university’s vice-chancellor so that you could get admitted. I said I would not do that and he would not do that either because I knew him very well. So he (my husband) asked me about the result and I said it was out but I wasn’t taken. He said okay. Then in 1976, I sat again. I think what affected me the first time was that they said for me to read geography, I must have one science subject. I was not good at sciences and mathematics. I failed mathematics in WASSCE because I didn’t like the subject. So, in 1976, I changed to English (Education) instead of the geography that I had initially chosen because I did very well in geography in WASSCE. So the first time, the reason was that I didn’t have mathematics. So the following year, I got admitted to read English (Education)."

"I got home and told my husband that I wanted to go back to school. He said fine but that I should bear in mind that I was his mother, the mother of our two children and in charge of the home. He asked if I would be able to cope and I said yes. Then he said go ahead. That was when universities were organising examinations separately as there was no Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. So I bought application form, did the examination but I was not offered admission."