Young Female Titans

Young female entrepreneurs are changing the face of Nigeria. More young women are taking the bull by the horn and chasing after their dreams and aspirations. It is so encouraging to see that our women are not just subjected to the norm of being in the kitchen instead they are determined to make a difference, cutting across all fields, be it financial services, media, real estate, engineering, beauty, entertainment, event, fashion, the list is endless, young women in Nigeria are taking charge.

Often times though, we hear about the achievers, successful women in business and in the professional world, how they started and became successful which is really great and very inspiring. However, there are women who are in the process and seldom looked at. I set out to highlight some young Nigerian women who are still in the process but making dramatic impact. Against all odds these women set out to pursue their dreams, it was not an easy journey for them, it was not all rosy, but they remained steadfast and committed. Together, these women represents an up-and-coming entrepreneurial generation, proffering innovative solutions in their fields. It is my desire that many young women will be inspired by the experiences shared here to go the distance. It is very okay to dream big, you can be the receptionist in a company and aspire to be the MD, You could innovate something entirely new and create a business around it, you could create a system around an existing business, you can do anything you desire, it only takes hard-work, determination, passion, time, resilience, strong will and a 'can-do' drive. It is not easy but it is worthwhile.
Meet three inspiring young Nigerians in business;

Damilola Aina, 27, CEO Damilola Diamond (DD)

Résumé: An over achiever with a university degree. Her craving to organise people's outlook fashion wise launched her passion as a designer/image consultant. And today she has helped so many young women look even better.

Path to the Top: Her flare for fashion and style started at age 15 and she never believed in the word 'impossible'. While in the university Damilola went into modelling, and did jobs for companies like LG Slim, MTN, Coca-cola, Collectibles, Starcoms but to mention a few, she even won the Miss Festac Town beauty
pageant. At age 16 she started her business and her defining moment was when she succeeded in styling most of the girls in school. According to Damilola, she knew she had  more to offer so upon graduation she went on to acquire more experience by working with companies like Insight advertising, Sound city and Vlisco. These working experiences helped her grow her business stronger and better.

Recommendation: "Who says you cant wake up to be the person you dream to be! The you in you makes you the you that you are. Move! Dream! Achieve!.....don't sit and sleep, act!"

Obianuju Chinwuba, 33, Co-founder UOC Foods

Résumé: Obianuju is the CEO Hongel Ltd, a customer based company that specilaizes in wellness and beauty product distribution. She is also the co-founder of UOC Foods Nig, a food supply chain, catering to the stomachs of so many busy individuals. With her experience in health and food, and also thanks to her husband who's a medical doctor she facilitates seminars on healthy living.

Path to the Top: Like many other graduates, Obianuju set out to get a job, but while she worked full time she started a small business that she managed only on weekends. However, with a burning desire to manage her time given that she's married with two kids, and to discontinue building other peoples dream she decided to resign from her job in 2011 and according to her she took a 'daring step' and launched out Hongel, her health and wellness business which is something she desired so much. She stated that being in the business environment and acquiring knowledge and skill helped in setting up her business. With the rate of economic growth, and people getting busier and busier by the day finding less time to shop or cook, Obianuju saw the need to create benefit and so decided to diversify in 2012 when she co-founded UOC Food, starting out with hygienically packed groceries, then progressed to making home cooked meal services.

Recommendation: "There are many challenges on the way but i don't let them deter me. Sometimes even a 'NO' from a client spurs more interest in me."

Lydia Lubo, 26, CEO Cakeville

Résumé: This ambitious young lady manages her cake making business and is fast becoming a brand. She bakes exquisite cakes of all types, and very creative. This experience has accorded her the opportunity to participate and win cash prizes in various cake baking competitions.

Path to the Top: First it started with the desire to just make some money and she attended a catering school, but as she trained she realised she developed a strong love for making cake and became very passionate about it. After completing a six months course in cake making together with loads of inspiration from Buddy Paulo of Paulos she set out to establish Cakeville in 2010. According to her its been a wonderful experience watching cakeville grow irrespective of the challenges she dealt with.

Recommendation: "The number 1 secret to making your business grow is 'PASSION'. You have to love what you do and be dedicated time wise and financially."

Proffering Solutions

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Favourable favours

Todays type of favour

One part of a wedding that somehow people look forward to is the wedding favours.  Wedding favours for guest are made to be small tokens of appreciation for attending the wedding and they also serve as souvenirs from the wedding as well.  Most couples want to be sure that people remember their special day, so they give out favours that are meaningful as an expression of their appreciation. Its a good gesture to want to appreciate people for coming to your wedding and leaving them with something to remember you with. However, most people do not know whats behind this act of giving. Before now, i have always thought that just like the word, souvenirs are merely for remembering peoples event. 

Wedding favours are an unusual yet very common added touch to a wedding. Much like giving wedding gifts, these have been a tradition for many centuries dating back to the European aristocrats of Italy and France. They would provide their guest with a small gift which was called a bonboniere. This was a box that was made out of metal, porcelain, precious stones or crystal. As weddings were seen as a lucky blessing or a privilege, by giving out bonboniere to guests, the couple felt that they were bestowing good luck upon their guests as well. The boxes would contain five pieces of sugar candy or almonds that represented Health, Longevity, Fertility, Wealth and Happiness. As the years go by, the confectioners jumped on the distribution of almonds, dipping them in sugar and other sweet coatings turning them into a more modern and luxurious gift.The Italians traditionally gave out chocolates, whereas the French would give out candies and sugared almonds. The Spanish guests would traditionally receive a small vase with orange blossoms, and the Dutch would receive five pieces of candy that represented wedding wishes which were otherwise known as bridal sugar

Today it is still considered appropriate to send your guests home with a gift in form of wedding favours. 

These favours are presented in a number of ways, largely in a more personalised manner and sometimes coordinated with the theme of the wedding itself.  Many couples now opt towards the more modern idea of marking the occasion with small signs of the occasion, or providing not just sweets but small gifts such as personalised candles, bottle openers, coasters, wall clocks, notepads etc. Wealthy couple give out items like phones, china's, electric kettles etc. Here in Nigeria we even have two kinds of favours the couple to guests favours and the aso-ebi favours which is normally given to friends of the couple who buy their aso-ebi (which is the common outfit for the day).

Favours are not just attached to weddings alone, of course they are given out at birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. 

But like most things in the modern day event, the idea is actually soaked in a history we have long since forgotten. So when you are picking out favours remember you are bestowing the good luck of your day on your guest. For most brides, i will say your wedding favours does not have to be like someone else's. Its not a competition, because Magogo gave out DVD's doesn't mean you have to give plasma screens ( am just saying), always do what you can. You don't have to buy the world for your guest, its the gesture that actually counts not the item. Even the little things would be appreciated too, it even makes you more unique when you do things your way and not the way people want it to be. I have organised a wedding where the favours were the traditional sugared almonds wrapped in little sash drawstring bags and it was just beautiful. 

Whatever you choose to give, know that you are wishing your guest Health, Longevity, Fertility, Wealth and Happiness.