Women From Nigeria

"“You have to wear your indigo to show your people that you love them.”"

"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."

"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."

"“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,”"

"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 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."

"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."

"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."

"I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"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 love a very elongated kind of Modigliani proportion. I love the shape of her head and the proportion of her body (Oluchi)."

"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 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."

"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."

"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.'"

"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."

"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."

"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 old. You have to know when to stop."

"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."

"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."

"Oluchi is like a role model to Nigerian aspiring models."

"When you drive a bus, you are on your own."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"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."

"I'm really interested in independent publishers and memes and mini comics. But even before that, I was interested in Japanese manga and anime."