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Image credit: Teakisi First published in 2014 on ElleAfrique and later Teakisi. (This piece was written in reflection and during the days of Prof. Caterine Acholonu's illness, following which she passed away, bequeathing her wealth of knowledge to the world..). There lies my purse of cowries, shells and beads, strung and unstrung, my hero of a thousand years. Is this the future I so looked forward to seeing? My hopes, imaginations, aspirations dashed. In the beginning: Sitting on a cane chair amidst an array of exotic flowers with leaves broad and small, in the courtyard, by the woman who bore me, witnesses all three – me, my mother, and the moonlight, she would tell me the story of the woman.

To think of being much without doing much is to find your life’s efforts a waste. Likewise, to dream of doing much without being much. Are you willing to choose the paths and make the sacrifices that will take you from where you are to where you ought to be? Who do you want to be in the future? Who do you want to be now? Are you willing to become the person you desire to be?

An adage goes like this, ‘when things get more difficult, be more determined than ever to succeed’. This implies that no matter how tough it is out there we are encouraged to keep pushing because it is only through determination that we can succeed. When the odds are against us, it is very tempting to choose the easiest way out – to give up. When we give up, we will never know what lies at the other end of the ocean. Also, when we are afraid, we give ourselves all sorts of reasons to stop trying. 

Where we are at any point in time is as a result of the choices we have made. The right to choose is the most precious gift given to us because it has the power to impact any situation we find ourselves, for better or for worse. The difference between being the smartest, most award-winning individual yet standing on the same spot year after year with no progress, and being not-so academically smart with no awards tied to your name yet moving from one level of promotion, progress, bigger and better opportunities, lies in what we have done with the choices at our disposal.

Entrepreneurship means different things to different people. First, are you in an environment of possibilities? Is there an ecosystem of entrepreneurial activity? Do you have the mindset to start a business that can exploit the voids/gaps in your market? Borrowing to fund your business is not bad. There are different sources of borrowing. It's however essential that you are sure of your business objectives before accessing any credit facility.

What's a financial services company (Square) got to do with a music streaming app (Tidal)? Plenty. “New ideas are found at intersections, and we believe there’s a compelling one between music and the economy,” said Twitter's Jack Dorsey, on the 4th of March 2021, as Square buys Tidal for $297 million. “Making the economy work for artists is similar to what Square has done for sellers,” Jack tweeted. “Square created ecosystems of tools for sellers and individuals, and we’ll do the same for artists.” Square's products include POS machines and debit cards to support small businesses.

I read an article which said that African hair is thick and tightly curled in order to protect the skull from excessive heat. Elsewhere, someone wrote that the compulsory cutting of hair in many African schools is linked to colonialism – a way to control the African identity. African hair comes in various textures ranging from rough to silky. It can also grow beyond the buttocks, whether silky or kinky. Take Daddy Showkey’s hair for instance. This blog post will discuss ways to manage the “thick, woolly” - according to my social studies textbook - type, which for a long time, many blacks have been ashamed of.

I believe everyone was born with talent, yet m any people die without activating them .  As children, we are loaded with our true personalities, our calling, and a deep connection to the creative force. But as we grow older, we tend to forget who we were as children and who we are created to be.  In pursuit of academic qualifications, climbing up the career ladder, or competing with others, we often forget that life is filled with endless possibilities and we all came into this world alone, with special gifts - our talents - something we are very good at, that comes naturally to us . Our gift and service to humanity. Most successful people who walked this earth; regardless of being early or late bloomers, their

The two time-tested secrets to financial stability are saving and discipline. You cannot be financially stable or free from debt if you cannot control your spending habit. To be free from financial problems you must also live within your means; more spending equals less money in your pockets. To be able to save a lot, you will have to sacrifice a lot of luxury. Research has shown that millennials are the highest spenders followed by the generation before them. Getting out of debt is a conscious decision you need to make. Maintaining a savings or personal finance principle for unpredictable times is crucial to having a happy and prosperous year. These 9 tips can help you to become financially free this year:

Life can be chaotic if you are in the business of managing different social media accounts. To make your life easier, you may want to check out these 7 apps help you schedule and keep things more organized. Some of them have been around for a while too: 1. Sprout social 2. Hootsuite 3. Buffer

If you want financial empowerment, you need to find 4 things: Problems and Solutions to th ose problems. Once you have found that solution, you should make a Business around it, based on the Market (what people are saying and what people want). Adaptation is key today. If your chosen field or strategy is no longer serving today’s needs and purposes, you need to try something else, based on today’s realities. The world is changing and you need to change with it. Don’t be afraid of change. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Ask yourself, “What opportunities are here for me? What services can I render? Do I have the necessary skills? How can I be of help?” As a young professional, one of my bosses called me a trouble shooter – I was always quick to render

Ever had the experience of spending weeks or even months preparing for Valentine’s Day and buying what you felt was the perfect gift, and as the days build up to that romantic and sensual moment, BAM! Something happens and you break up. The gifts are either stuck with you or you hate yourself for gifting them out in the first place to someone you would now call an asshole? The season of love is here again, a time for sharing, exchanging gifts and most definitely spending. Have you ever noticed that a lot of time and money goes into planning to get our loved one(s) and partner(s) the best Valentine’s Day gifts, and that many-a-time, we end up buying the wrong gifts or indulging in irrelevant spending?  Valentine’s Day is expensive and millennials are the biggest spenders, followed by the generation before them. 

UNESCO calls for proposals for the 2021 Silk Roads Youth Research Grant (USD10,000 grant). The grant aims to promote peace and security through creativity, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, regional and international cooperation. Application Deadline: 18 April 2021. UNESCO launches a call for young women and men under the age of 35 to apply for the 2021 ‘Silk Roads Youth Research Grant’. 12 research ... (read more).   UNESCO calls for proposals for the 2021 Silk Roads Youth Research Grant (USD10,000 grant) | Opportunities For Africans "The Silk Road was and is a network of trade routes connecting the East and West, and was central to the economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between these regions from the 2nd century

Photo: Unsplash Not everyone is under lockdown and not every economy has been badly affected by the global crissi. While some establishments have plummeted, others have either sprung up or rebranded . There are still Organizations out there looking for new skills and a diverse workforce. If you are not employable today, don’t expect to get a new job. If your skills are not relevant to the needs of today, you may not be considered relevant. It’s a hard and harsh fact but we need to tell ourselves the truth. Call me the TOUGH LOVE sister 😊 if you may. WE need to take our job security or cash inflow into our own hands. In today’s uncertain times of massive pay cuts and job losses, we can’t help but learn new skills or dust old ones. Many have come to grapple with the reality of putting aside skills and experiences which may have made them champions or the best staff of the year before the pandemic. Having found their titles, degrees, certificates and skillsets becoming increasin...

Lady Gaga Fashion diplomacy is simply the use of fashion as a tool to deliver clear messages, influence and shape opinions. For example, Princess Diana's style, Margret Thatcher's blue coats, dresses and skirt suits (hardly any trousers) and Madeline Albright's choice of brooches, communicated their stand about a particular issue. I've missed blogging about fashion and the Biden-Harris inauguration on 20th January, 2021 gives me so much inspiration. I don't think the fashion choices were mere coincidences; there could have been an element of coordination to make the messages louder and clearer, considering what the USA is currently going through. "There was a return to fashion diplomacy that became Michelle Obama's calling card", says #Vogue. Here are some of the messages:

Nope. That's not me. It's my mum. The phenomenal thing about being a thought leader is that you are remembered for starting something which has never been done before; something which makes people stop, reflect and take action. Something which is life-changing and long after you are gone, it still feels like you never left. Prof. Catherine Acholonu, my mother, the prolific author and activist was a thought leader. Fearless and daring, she challenged status quo and pushed beyond gender, cultural and religious barriers, in order to introduce something new.  In her words: "I always have a way of saying things long before time. Because thinkers are those people who are able to pierce into the future and catch glimpses of light and bring it down" She was a thought leader in areas which reflected Gender Dynamics, Culture and Tradition, Quantum Leap in Consciousness, the Esoteric, Environmental Degradation, Achaeology, African History and Pre-history...

First published on Facebook on 8 December 2017. Wedding business is big business in Nigeria and Banky is a Business Man (according to his Instagram bio). From the wedding planners, to the decors, food, cake, makeup, clothes, photogs, almost everyone is a big winner. Enter Banky W and Adesua Etomi's wedding which started November 11, 2017, rubbing off the fame of The Wedding Party movie, trended with the hashtag

It feels so good to be back. So much has changed since I shared my last blog post with you all. So many new experiences on social media, so many new trends in the Nigeria bloggosphere, etc. etc. I have truly missed blogging but before I share any new posts with you, I will first say I am so sorry I

Have you visited www.venussbay.com? The Extraordinary Woman Conference 2016 Abuja Theme: Womanhood a Call to Service. there shall be skill acquisition, Capacity building, Empowerment, Mentoring, Workshops & Impartation.