Learn about all of the great work she has been doing for Africa and Nigeria.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Hello, hello Stephanie! How are you? How was your day?
SBA: I’m really good thanks, having a busy day, but all good.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: I’ve been observing your hard work at CNN in trying to tell modern
stories of who Africans are for almost a year since we were introduced. Share with our audience your personal background?
SBA: Well, I was born in Lagos and moved to England from Nigeria when I was 12. I grew up in South London and I’m the eldest of four. In terms of my career, I’ve had a fairly long and varied career in the British media. After university I started my full time journalism career at New Nation, a now defunct national black newspaper in UK. I also worked for the London Evening Standard but it was at the Daily Mirror that I really cut my teeth as a reporter, working on different desks including the 3am showbiz column where I basically went to parties, interviewed celebrities and tried to get stories out of them. That was a lot of fun in my early 20s! I also got a chance to work in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which was such an eye-opener to the situation over there.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: How did you get into the media field?
SBA: I always knew from a young age that I wanted to be a journalist, so I channeled a lot of my efforts into making that happen. I basically did every bit of work experience/internships in a variety of publications I could find, ranging from fashion magazines to local newspapers. I remember getting my first front-page story at the York Evening Press (in northern England) and it was such a buzz seeing my byline in print. I guess, I was very focused and determined to become a journalist and eventually I landed my first job at New Nation and haven’t looked back since.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: At what point did you begin working for CNN?
SBA: I started working for CNN.com in the London bureau as a freelancer in January 2008 and became a permanent member of staff in 2009.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: How did the opportunity come about?
SBA: I heard through a friend they were looking for freelancers, I sent off my CV and the rest is history, as they say.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Good for you. That actually makes for a nice transition into my next question. The media is a very powerful medium, as we all know. The company you work for is a giant and definitely a household name, worldwide. What responsibility do you feel, if any, towards Africa in your role at CNN for CNN.com?
SBA: When commissioning stories for the website, I do try to seek out the stories that may not necessarily be the obvious “bombs and bullets” and poverty stories out of Africa and I know that CNN as a network has a commitment to looking beyond these stories as well. To that end, CNN has three primetime shows: African Voices, Inside Africa and Marketplace Africa, which enables us to cover a range of stories from the continent that are not necessarily being told. I mean we all know about Africa’s problems, but I’m interested in highlighting those who are achieving and excelling against the odds. People like Ory Okolloh from Kenya who is innovating and using technology to empower people.

People like Lovetta Conto, a 16-year-old war refugee from Liberia who’s making jewelry from spent bullet casings used during the civil war. Or those like William Kamkwamba, who taught himself how to build windmills from junk to transform his village in Malawi. There are so many inspiring everyday people in various African countries really achieving great things, against all the odds and that’s what I try to highlight in my role at CNN.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Highly impressive and inspirational stories. Speaking of that, what are your thoughts on the recent Young African Leadership conference hosted by President Obama?
SBA: I think it’s great that the president is focusing on Africa in this way. It’s always important to get dynamic young people together and encourage them to share ideas and their vision for the continent but also to encourage them to put those ideas into practice and not just have a talking shop for three days and everyone goes their separate
ways. Africa is a very youthful continent so, in a way, a lot of these young people are very key to the development and future of Africa. Also last year, I was nominated to a not-for-profit organization called Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI), which was co-founded by Segun Aganga, who is now Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, and it’s not dissimilar to the president’s forum in that we were encouraged to share ideas about ways to make Nigeria better and work on specific projects that will make a difference to the country.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Interesting. Yes we have featured NLI on LadybrilleNigeria.com. Many desire to be exactly where you are today. What are your words of encouragement for them?
SBA: Journalism and the media in general is a very tough industry, you have to be quite thick-skinned and never take no for an answer. It also takes a lot of determination to become a journalist, in the traditional sense, for example, with a newspaper etc. I mentor a number of young people who want to get into writing and journalism and my number one advice to them is to make sure they’re always creating, writing etc… in this day and age you need something that will prove your commitment and enthusiasm for the industry. I always encourage them to find an outlet to get their work published, be it with blogs, student newspapers/websites etc…

I also encourage people to take part in structured internship programs, not just one where you make cups of tea and ultimately gain nothing out of it. It’s a definite foot in the door, but you need to go in with your eyes wide open and ask a lot of questions about what your duties will be. I oversee my department’s internship program at CNN and we put in a lot of effort to ensure that the interns get something tangible out of it; we help them develop their ideas and give them an opportunity to get their work published
as well.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Let’s shift gears and narrow our focus to Nigeria, your country of origin. Nigeria celebrates 50 in October and I know you have a few things at CNN you are working on. Share with us what that is all about?
SBA: I’m spearheading a project called Africa 50 for CNN throughout August which looks at the 17 African nations that turned or are turning 50 years this year. That’s a third of the continent, which I thought was quite significant. So we are using this as a springboard to really analyze where the continent is, not just the ones who are turning 50, but to take the pulse of Africa. We’ve looked at a number of issues including foreign aid in Africa to democracy, technology and where it is headed in Africa and China’s new role on the continent.

We’re also very interested in hearing from ordinary citizens, who quite often don’t get a voice, so we set up a specific assignment page (www.ireport.com/africa50) via CNN’s user-generated section, iReport. We wanted to hear from people about what’s happening in their country, what’s working? What’s not? The best thing about their country etc… I actually commissioned one of the young people (Erick Kaglan, a journalist from Togo) who attended President Obama’s conference to write a piece for CNN.com to share his experiences at the forum and also his vision for his country as a potential future leader and that was a very popular story for a few days on the website.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: What are you most proud of in terms of where you feel Nigeria is as a country?
SBA: There’s a lot to be proud of about Nigeria, for me it’s the resourcefulness of a people who are mostly down but never out. I watched the recent BBC documentary “Welcome to Lagos” and although a lot of people complained that it focused too much on the negative part of the country, which I agree with to an extent, I loved the way they showed that the Nigerian spirit is resilient and resourceful.

Like the abattoir worker who somehow found a way to make a business out of boiling animal blood and selling it for a tidy profit. It was back-breaking work, but, you know, our people are not shy of hard work and they do whatever it takes to survive. I’m also proud of the way Nigerian music artists have broken through on the world stage, you hardly go to a party or a club these days without hearing Nigerian music. And not forgetting our literary talent, with people like Chimanda Adichie, Adaobi Tricia Nwabauni and Chika Unigwe to name a few.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: I know I saw the abattoir worker story and was speechless. What makes you embarrassed, if at all, to be a Nigerian?
SBA: I guess I’m embarrassed and saddened that the country’s vast wealth has not translated into a better life for the citizens, many of whom live in grinding poverty. The level of waste and inefficiency in the country is also quite embarrassing. The fact that an oil-producing country has to import its oil to be refined before it can export it to
be sold on the world market because of a lack of functioning refineries is pretty embarrassing and wasteful.

As you know, Nigerians place a lot of value on education, it not uncommon for people to have two or three Masters and even PHDs, so it baffles me why this knowledge does not necessarily translate to the development of the country. ‘E go better sha,’ as Nigerians are fond of saying. I do think, though, it’s up to Nigerians in the diaspora to throw their hat in the ring and go back home to help the country progress with the skills they’ve gained abroad. This is definitely in my long-term plans.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Speaking of going back home to help, I know you covered the story on the “Enough is Enough” campaign and the whole new youth movements. What are your thoughts on the youth revolution and its impact on upcoming elections in 2011?
SBA: I think it’s great that more young people are engaged in the election process and actually feel they have a voice and can make a difference.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: I agree!
SBA: That’s why I thought it was important to cover the “Enough is Enough” story. Nigerians are famous for being “beer parlour pundits” and it was encouraging to see young people mobilize and protest about things they are not happy about. I hope this movement will encourage more people to exercise their right to vote in upcoming elections and know their vote can make a difference.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Let’s lighten things up a bit. I don’t want to get too personal but I know, since we are “friends” on Facebook, you just recently got married. Congrats!
SBA: Thank you! It really was my big fat Nigerian wedding with over 700 guests and was held in Lagos. I really loved the traditional engagement ceremony actually. It was so emotional.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: How awesome! In Nigeria we LOVE our weddings so I have to ask for our women readers, what made you decide he was the “one” for you?
SBA: Wow, well I guess I just made a connection with this wonderful guy and knew, without a doubt, that he was the one for me. It was a total whirlwind romance; we got engaged just six months after meeting in an underground station in London of all places! He’s a lovely, kind, caring and all round good guy so that’s why I knew he was the one!

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Fill us in on some of the Nigerian vendors in the industry you used. Who made your cake?
SBA: My cake was made by a lovely lady in Ikeja, Lagos who runs Tolulope Catering. I think she’s been making cakes for 20 odd years and really understands the craft. I thought she did a great job on the cake.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Dress?
SBA: My dress was by San Patrick, which is part of the Pronovias range, from Spain I think. The style was called Palermo. I tried on so many dresses but when I put this one on, I didn’t want to take it off and that’s how I knew it was the dress for me.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Did you have an event planner?
SBA: No, I didn’t actually, I was very involved in the process and I guess I couldn’t really let it go. I sourced everything from the flowers to venue, which I didn’t even visit before hand, but I had always seen this really beautiful garden driving on the International Airport Road every time we went to Lagos, so I always knew it was somewhere quite special so it was top of the list when we were looking for venues. To be honest though, it was not easy planning a wedding in Lagos from London but we pulled it off. My mum was really great. She took a month off work, a few months before the wedding and went to Lagos, she sorted out the cake, aso-oke, caterers etc… I also made use of relatives in Lagos to visit places and check things out for us. I really enjoyed the wedding planning process and it became a bit of a mini-obsession actually.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Wow! Funke Bucknor-Obruthe and other Nigerian wedding planners should look out for you. (Laughs) The introspective question. How do you balance it all: wife, media personality, ambitious young Nigerian/African professional?
SBA: Well it’s not by my might, I believe in God and I really believe it’s by his grace that I am able to balance it all. I’ve learned over the years though that ambition is good, but your career doesn’t have to define who you are. It’s just an extension of who you are. I place a lot of value in my faith, friends and family and that definitely keeps me grounded.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Many thanks for being our personality of the month.
SBA: Thanks so much for asking me. It’s a pleasure as I’m a great fan of the Ladybrille brand.

~Interview by Uduak Oduok
Courtesy photo

‘I do not come to you by chance’ a book written by a humorous Nigerian writer, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani captures such theme with an amount of hilarious seriousness.

Winning her first writing competition at the age of 13, the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) graduate of Psychology first came to global recognition when her debut ‘I do not come to you by chance’ won the Commonwealth writers prize – Africa Region.

It is no gains say that Adaobi is a person you cannot get bored with, considering her high sense of humour.

LadybrilleNigeria caught up with the humourous writer and our personality of the month on her book and why she chose to make ’419′ the focal point.  Enjoy our  interview with Africa’s award winning Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani.
_________________________
LADYBRILLENigeria.com:   The literary world recently applauded the entry of a book titled ‘I do not come to you by chance’ written by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. Who is Adaobi Nwaubani?
 Adaobi:  I am all things to all people!   Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I voluntarily adjust myself in order to reach a wide range of people.   
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Going back to the early stages of life, as a child, what was growing up like?
 Adaobi: As a child, I always wished that I was somewhere else or living a different kind of life.  That might have had something to do with the fact that I read so many books and experienced so many people’s lives, without actually doing much real life traveling.  Through the windows of our big house, I’d watch urchins playing in the rain and wish that I was free to do the same; I’d see our house helps folding their clothes into Peak Milk cartons and wish that my clothes didn’t always have to be in a drawer; I’d read about children who missed having their parents at home with them all the time and wish that mine would abandon us once in a while…There was always a different kind of life I wished I were living.       
 
 LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (Interesting)  How did you start writing? Could it be said that writing, for you, is hereditary, considering the facts that your godmother, Mrs. Angelina Ukairo co-authored some books, your mother also wrote but did not publish and the first female black African to publish a novel, Flora Nwapa, was your mother’s cousin?
 
Adaobi:  At first, writing was mainly just something I did in school.  I won my first writing competition at age 13 and that was the first of many writing competition wins.  But after secondary school, I abandoned the talent.  It wasn’t until around 2001 that I made the decision to put this gift that God has blessed me with to better use.  That decision is the main factor that motivates me to write today.  My extended family also includes Nigeria’s most renowned photographer, Sunmi Smart-Cole, one of Nigeria’s most popular musicians (name withheld), two former beauty queens, judges, politicians, all sorts of other professionals, and also loafers and layabouts.  So I had lots of choices—other than writing—if I wanted to simply ape what someone else had done or rely on genes.  
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com:     The book ‘I do not come to you by chance’ talks on a contemporary issue affecting the Nigerian foreign image. How and why did you choose such theme for your first book?
 Adaobi: Mine was a case where the novel came before the story; I had decided to write a novel before I knew what I wanted to write about.  Eventually, I decided to frame my plot around a phenomenon that had always fascinated me—the science of why people do the things they do.  The 419 theme simply came in handy to better explore that.     
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com:  You grew up under highly educated parents, your father is a lawyer and accountant and your mother is an educationist. How have your parents affected / influenced your writing?
 Adaobi:  It takes a lot to impress my parents.  Other families roll out the drums to celebrate achievements that mine conditioned us to see as natural everyday occurrences.  This is probably why there are certain standards to attain before I’m finally satisfied with my work, and why I like to do things that no one else has done, or do the same things others have done but in different ways.     
 
 LADYBRILLENigeria.com:  It is observed that most books on topical issues of such are written with much ‘seriousness’ and with less or no sense of humor, but your book is humorous. Are you trying to make Nigerians and the world laugh over an issue that has brought shame to our National image?
 
Adaobi:  Writing with a serious tone is just a habit African writers have formed over the years, probably a result of desperately wanting to be taken seriously by the rest of the world.  We’re quite jovial in real life but it hardly shows when we write.  The books I’ve enjoyed most in my life were those laden with humour.  I wanted to write in the same style that I preferred to read.  I wanted to show that you could still handle the serious issues that plague us in this part of the world without necessarily sounding grave.       
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com:  You have written ‘I do not come to you by chance’, ‘Coming to UK’, and ‘We have decided to help’. Which novel are you working on presently?
 Adaobi:  It’s a secret!
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (No problem. We will wait)  I am not sure you are an obsessive writer, but, apart from writing, what else do you do?
 Adaobi: Apart from my editing work with Nigeria’s revolutionary NEXT newspapers, I sing in my Christ Embassy Church choir, and spend a lot of time researching and mapping out plans for certain projects I’d like to embark on in the near future.  
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com:  Who are your role models?
 Adaobi: My pastor, Rev Chris Oyakhilome, is my mentor and life coach.  
 
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: A school of thought has it that challenges are stepping stones to greatness. You have faced one challenge or the other, which of them would you love to share, and what has been motivating you?Adaobi: I could write a whole book on this! One of the greatest challenges anyone aiming to achieve anything distinct in Nigeria will face is the low expectations of people around. There is so much hopelessness in our environment that our people are eager to celebrate whatever glimmer of achievement comes our way, but then they become so happy and relieved that the achievement came in the first place, and so don’t expect another anytime soon. Thus, they watch with little faith in whatever you are doing, not making the slightest attempt to hide their scorn. But it’s always a delight to see them proved wrong, to see their pride and eagerness to celebrate reignited once again.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com:LadybrilleNigeria once again congratulates you on the Commonwealth prize which did ‘not come to you by chance’ but was as a result of hard work, commitment and the passion for a better Nigeria. Thank you for granting this interview and for being our personality of the month, Ms. Nwaubani.
 
Adaobi: It’s been my pleasure. 

~Interview by Morenikeji Damola Aanu

Excerpt from the Book Review by the Washington Post

“Dear Friend, I do not come to you by chance. Upon my quest for a trusted and reliable foreign business man or company, I was given your contact by the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I hope that you can be trusted to handle a transaction of this magnitude.”

The feelings that such unsolicited e-mails provoke — impatience, scorn, amusement — make most of us click the delete button daily. Nigerian e-mail scams are so notorious that few of us give them a thought. And yet these missives are an unsung literary form, a river of wheedling, flattery and grasping that flows directly from the desires of the human heart. The young Nigerian writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is determined to follow them back to their source. Her pointed and poignant first novel is a lively, good-humored and provocative examination of the truth behind a global inbox of deceit.

As the story opens, Kingsley, a first-born son, struggles to provide for his beloved family when his ailing father’s income dwindles. Possessed of a fine mind but poorly connected in the corrupt Nigerian job market, Kingsley falls in with his notorious uncle, Cash Daddy, the larger-than-life mastermind of a thousand e-mail scams. A silver-tongued cross between Homer Simpson and Col. Kurtz, Cash Daddy is a conman of blubbery greed, chilling wisdom, offbeat charm and unabashed naked exhibitionism — all delightfully rendered. As Kingsley puts it, “He could probably even talk a spider into weaving silk socks for him.” (Washington Post)

Within Nigeria, while public relations is not a novel concept among banks and oil industries, in the creative industries, especially fashion, it is still a very new concept. To date, there is only one PR firm within the country, MORSI PR, solely focused on servicing Nigeria’s fashion &/or beauty industry and its professionals. The firm’s founder, Moriam Osiro Musa, is our LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month.

“PR in the (fashion) sector is lacking seriously. You have to have a genuine passion for it before you venture into it, as it comes with its own loads of challenges,” explains Musa in our interview with her for this feature. “There are so many hidden talents out there and no one to package and project them properly.”

She should know. Musa began Morsi PR in 2008, “because (she) felt a strong need to project the creative edge and talent of Nigerian’s fashion industry in the right manner.” In 2008 and till now, many within the industry had no idea of what public relations meant, much less the need for a PR agent. PR, at best, was and is Nigeria’s hugely thriving wedding industry and the high profile coverage by the media of its major wedding celebrities; think the recent Jameel Disu and Bella Adenuga wedding as a reference point.

“There was a void that needed to be filled,” continues Musa in her explanation on why she decided to open a fashion focused PR firm. “[I] decided to make it a busy one by starting a journey that most dreaded and would not embark on because it was termed as “UN- lucrative” and not worth the hassle.”

Logically and on its face, those who feared to foray into Fashion PR were right! There was no track record of financial success. While names like Nigeria’s Canada based Bobby Taylor/Bobby Taylor PR existed, Taylor’s firm focused &/focuses predominantly on music. Within fashion and within Nigeria, it was hard to point to a fashion PR firm. Nevertheless, Musa seemed undaunted. As time would show, she was the right person to help pioneer the first ever Nigerian fashion, beauty and lifestyle PR firm.

Musa’s education and professional background, to fully appreciate the mark she would make in Nigeria’s fashion history, might be helpful.

Musa attended Air Force Secondary School (AFSS), Ikeja. She subsequently enrolled and completed college at the University of Ibadan, graduating, by 2001, with a degree in Nutrition from the school’s college of medicine. By 2004, her love for all things fashionable overwhelmed her need to continue work as a Clinical Nutritionist at NNPC Clinic Benin-City. She quit.

That same year, Musa with very limited experience, except for her passion for fashion, got her first real fashion job as a rookie fashion journalist for City People Magazine.

From 2004-2008, while at City People (arguably the country’s most popular soft sell fashion and lifestyle magazine), Musa helped develop and implement numerous fashion events and programs including: the First Bridal and Accessory Exhibitions both at Terra-Culture, the First Women Empowerment Programme held at Golden Gate Restaurant, the First City People Fashion Awards aka the ANKARA FESTIVAL held at Lagoon Restaurant, the First City People ANKARA SHOW and the ‘Return of Mon-Ami (one of Nigeria’s fashion icon),’ to the Nigeria’s Fashion scene.

Now armed with a strong fashion resume and equally important, the connections, Musa felt convinced she could lose the “UN” in “UN-lucrative,” with her goal to launch a fashion PR firm. In October 2008, Musa launched MORSI PR, Nigeria’s first fashion, beauty and lifestyle PR firm “positioned to redefine the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry through the creation and deployment of parity-breaking PR strategies.”

Since its launch, MORSI PR has represented some of Nigeria’s foremost fashiona nd beauty brands including: Banke Meshida-Lawal/BM Pro, Tara Durotoye/House of Tara, Ugoma Ebilah/Zebra Living, Venevici, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi/LDA, Sixth Sense, Tae, Alima Oyofo, Hair solutions, Hallero, House of Dorcas, Ouch, Etc Lingerie, Ella Henri, Della, Alter Ego Textiles, Adu, High Society-Diva, Dermalogica (S.A.), Beth Modelling Agency and Makeda.

In addition to the fashion brands represented above, Musa’s MORSI PR also stages an annual event called “Beauty and the Feast.” Beauty and the Feast, now in its second year, is according to Musa,

“Nigeria’s finest, professionally driven fashion, beauty and lifestyle exhibition, designed intricately by the couture board at MORSI PR to fulfill the most outlandish fashion PR dreams.” The event is “a gathering of the most outstanding, unrivaled, style-imbued designers, fashion icons and beauty professionals under one roof to showcase the effulgence of Nigerian Fashion and beyond.”

Musa hopes that her success and foray into Fashion PR will allow others to “step up,” as she puts it. “That is the only way we can propel the Nigerian fashion industry to its Zenith worldwide, like in the western world.”

As to PR tips she would give Nigeria’s fashion professional and businesses to help amplify their brands, Musa  provides these tips:
“1) (for designers) ensure you have a collection that easily flaunts your unique selling point; 2) pay attention to details. It is very important; 3) have some kind of online presence, even if it is Facebook or a blog; launch a website for professional interaction; 4) talk to a genuine and registered fashion PR company, with (emphasis) on the fashion, because not all PR coys are fashion pr coys.”

LadybrilleNigeria salutes and celebrates this brilliant woman for her accomplishments and trailblazing qualities.

“Elegance Speaks! Style has a VOICE. Communicate your Style,” says the budding PR maven. We agree.

The Beauty and the Feast event takes place on May 23rd, 2010.

~Article by Uduak Oduok

Dr. Ola an exemplary product of England’s Foster care system, was raised in a working class home by foster care parents where she quickly learned the value of hard and smart work. Dr. Ola later applied these skills learnt in her childhood to put herself through school with jobs in retail, modeling and administration. Undeterred by the challenges (financial included) that seemingly blocked her path, Dr. Ola graduated medical school at age twenty one (21), becoming the youngest doctor to graduate in the entire country. With such impressive credentials and brilliance, you would think she would settle for working at England’s prestigious acute care facilities/hospitals.  She had a different agenda.

Influenced by the feature film Hotel Rwanda and the death of her twelve (12) year old sister, Dr. Ola, for 9 months,  saved half of her salary, networked and read all she could on what it took to run a successful medical business.  In 2009, armed with knowledge, the finance and handson experience, she added to Nigeria’s “brain gain” by booking her ticket to a country she had never even visited to execute her plan.

 We should mention that, in her short twenty-four years on earth, the very ambitious doctor has authored numeorus articles in leading medical journals, sat on various influential boards at the British Medical Association, produced ground-breaking research in the field of regenerative medicine through her work with induced pluripotent stem cells; and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship.

Dr. Ola truly captures the essence of a brilliant woman (Ladybrille) and serves as an inspiration to all and we are honored to have her as our LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month. We caught up with the very busy doctor for a very straight to the point interview, given her time,  to see how our fashion professionals and industry can be a part of the solution.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Dr. Ola, thank you for the interview. Why Flying Doctors Nigeria?
Dr. Ola: After the death of my twelve(12) year old sister due to the lack of critical care transport facilities in Nigeria, it seemed like a very natural way to combine my experience working with air ambulances all over the world with my clinical and avaition skills.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Share with us, very briefly, the background of the folks that make up the Flying Doctors Nigeria team?
Dr. Ola: There are management, clinical and administrative staff, along with the board of directors. Each member of our team is skilled in a particular aspect of the company. I owe all of our success to their hard work.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Share a bit more about your personal background?
Dr. Ola: I grew up in a tiny fishing town called Lowestoft in the East of England. I had a very working class background and got my first job at 15. I spent 5 years in medical school in York.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Where did you complete your residency and in what specialty area(s)?
Dr. Ola: In the UK, it’s called foundation training and I did mine in the West Midlands developing a special interest in pre-hospital care and trauma.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Are you in private practice or do you work for a hospital/clinic?
Dr. Ola: Both. I do cosmetic medicine in Abuja, but my main work is here in Lagos running the AA and working in the hospital.

LADYBRILLENigeria: For us to truly appreciate what Flying Doctors Nigeria does, paint for us the current problems with healthcare in Nigeria?
Dr. Ola: I’d like to start by introducing you to a concept called the golden hour which is the hour immediately after a trauma/acute medical emergency has occurred. When a patient reaches hospital within the golden hour, the chances of him/her surviving are drastically increased. The current time of arrival to hospital in Lagos post-trauma is an incredibly poor 3-4 hours. Poor road conditions, the tiny number of hospitals equipped to handle major trauma, traffic congestion and the sometimes huge distances to the nearest hospitals all contribute to the challenges the Flying Doctors Nigeria addresses with our air transportation service.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Sort out the logistics for us for our readers who might be reading and able to help. Flying implies airplanes. I know you are a certified pilot. I also know your company has the support of the Nigerian government. But, I still have to ask, how are you funding what must be tremendous costs in both staff and equipment to meet the ongoing demand for your services?
Dr. Ola: The first air ambulance was proposed in 1960 for Nigeria. Since then every 3-4 years there has been a lot of talk, but no action. I decided to take that action. Just because the service is expensive doesn’t make it any less essential. We are always looking for private companies to partner with.

LADYBRILLENigeria: We are all affected, the fashion, music and entertainment industries. Tell us particularly how the fashion industry can be a part of the solution from the perspective of medical supplies that we can provide, especially where textitles might be concerned?
Dr. Ola: I have worked extensively in the fashion industry both in retail and then as a model. My experience tells me that the industry wields an enormous amount of power and influence with people young and old alike. I have been to quite a few fashion shows that support medical research and know of handful of brands that support clinical medicine. Organizations like ours can always save more lives with more medical equipment and more funds. With great power comes great responsibility and I would urge the fashion industry to keep up the good work.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Explain a bit more about your numerous services.
Dr. Ola: We offer training from basic first aid right through to advanced life support. Clinical and research consultancy. In addition to this of course the Air ambulance service.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Let me end this with one final question. I am sure you are well aware of the current Jos crisis and not unique to Jos but so many of these kinds of crises that seem to always be ongoing in Nigeria. Is your organization equipped to handle the casualties that come from these unfortunate circumstances?
Dr. Ola: I have worked through both the London underground explsions and several earthquakes in Asia. Our team are very experienced in managing major incidents. We are already talking to our partners in the Northern states regarding the sort of major incident cover we can provide.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Last words to our readers, particularly on more ways they can help and be a part of the solution?
Dr. Ola: Have a look at our website, follow our blog, come on our courses and stay safe.

~Interview by Uduak Oduok
~Courtesy Photo

Ever thought about publishing your own book, maybe a fashion book? If so, then you will really enjoy Myne Whitman aka Nkem Akinsoto our LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month. Myne Whitman is the author of ‘A Heart to Mend,’ her first novel, which captures in a concise and sweet manner, modern day Nigerian romance.

Every character in ‘A Heart to Mend’ is probably one you can relate to, know personally. Whitman’s ‘A Heart to Mend’ explores modern day Nigerian romantic relationship delving into tough themes like inter-ethnic dating and marriage, pre-marital sex, social class and emotional unavailability, all set against the backdrop of turbulent times in Nigeria’s financial industry/Nigeria Stock Exchange Market.

In our interview, our personality of the month discusses, the writing process for all LadybrilleNigeria future authors and later dishes out delicious servings of her romantic novel. Enjoy and be sure to support and purchase Myne Whitman’s impressive work.

Myne Whitman Discusses The Writing Process
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Myne Whitman, first, let me congratulate you on publishing your first book. Also, I must say extra kudos for being confident to delve into the financial world. I loved it!  Before we get into the many themes running through your novel, let’s get into the writing process and how our audience who might want to self-publish their fashion or similar related books might do so.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: The first question that typically comes to mind is ideas on what to write. How do our LadybrilleNigeria writers get ideas on what to write?

Myne Whitman: I find inspiration from real life. From my own life, from the people around me, and stories I read in the news or books. It could be just a sentence in a newspaper or a line in a movie and my creativity just feeds on it.

A lot of the themes handled in ‘A Heart to Mend’ were inspired in the same way. People have asked so I have to say that none of my characters is based on me, or anyone I know in particular. They’re just people of my imagination but based on a cumulative of my experience. So while may seem free from some of the usual constraints we real persons face, they also share our fears and hopes, our victories and our pain. If you look closely, you may even recognize one or more of them.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I certainly did. I saw many persons in my life in the book and myself too. Okay. We (now) have an idea for our novels. (T)he obvious next step is to write. What are some of the challenges you went through in writing ‘A Heart to Mend?’

Myne Whitman: ‘A Heart to Mend’ is a romance in the suspense category- some may call it a romantic thriller. It was challenging to write especially with the plot I chose. The story is set in Lagos, where I’ve lived for only a few weeks at a stretch. I’m also a novice in the stock market industry, which forms the backdrop. So not only did I have to update myself, I had to bring these settings to life for those who have never experienced them.

Again, creative writing is not a child’s play as I realized when I compared some of my short stories and scripts with what was already available. The excuse that I did not study English or Literature could not suffice. To prepare, I took some free online courses and workshops for Creative Writing and Fiction from the University of Utah, MIT, Open University UK and Suite 101. I’m still taking these trainings and they’re an on-going project. I also became a member of a writing meet-up group in my area that includes traditionally and self-published authors and gifted writers and editors.

Finally, I believe in creating characters that I can identify with strongly enough to feel what they feel when they are going through emotional turmoil, and convey some of this feeling in my work where it shows through to the audience. This can be quite tough and emotionally draining but it is worth it in the end.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I agree on the emotionally draining part but it is indeed worth it because you make the characters truly come alive.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I am a writer at heart and write literally every day, non-fictional and fictional works. I find I can have many drafts before I settle with the final thing. How many drafts did you come up with before the final draft for ‘A Heart to Mend’?

Myne Whitman: I had quite a few drafts and drafts of drafts especially during the critique period. I had to rethink, rework and rewrite to get a believable story that flowed well. That said, I edit a lot while writing so that at the end it’s minimal. Still, I appreciate fresh eyes to help me proof and then I force myself to move to the next project.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What about the revision process for you? There were places in the book, for example, that I felt you could have given us more explanation especially when you dabbled in Nigeria’s financial sector. How did you determine the angles to approach your story?

Myne Whitman: The revision process was quite tedious. Luckily I had the plot outline so I knew where the story was going and how I wanted it to end. I also knew the themes I wanted to focus on which included: social class, intermarriage, family estrangement, and contemporary relationships and sex. I knew I wasn’t going to go into too much details in the other sub-themes like the financial aspect or the foster care system. I only had to make sure from my first readers what was enough to carry the major part of the story.

LADYBRILLENigeria: How did you determine what facts had to be included to help give your readers better . . .context?

Myne Whitman: I had to play it by the ear. I did my research into what life is like in present day Lagos for the kind of people that match the characters in my book. I also read a lot into what goes into business takeovers, hostile or otherwise before I decided to go with the latter because I am of the opinion that conflict drives a story and nothing like a struggle to build a character and get the reader rooting for one or the other.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: We have our idea, we have written, revised our stories and now its editing! I noticed you gave credits to many bloggers, friends and family who helped edit your book. I couldn’t help, nevertheless, with noticing a few spelling, and punctuation errors. Lol!

Myne Whitman: You must have very sharp eyes indeed, lol . .  . but you’re right. One or two typos escaped the eagle eyes of the naija blogville crew. Very minimal indeed as I have had several people congratulate me on the quality of the novel being a self-published novel and all. However, we’re not resting on our laurels. I have edited the manuscript even further as it will soon be published in Nigeria.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I guess we edit, edit and edit some more. Lol!

Myne Whitman: Editing is very, very important. It can never be underestimated the amount of enjoyment it removes from reading an otherwise good story.

Myne Whitman Tells us How to Get Published!

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Okay, so thankfully the hard task has been done. We now have our novel. How do you get it published? Tell us the pros and cons with self-publishing?

Myne Whitman: The pros for self-publishing are that the author retains full control over the content, design, and marketing of your book. You retain all rights to your manuscript and most of the revenues earned from the sale of your books. You may be able to penetrate small niche markets that a commercial publisher would overlook or ignore. The book may also have a greater chance of success because you’re more committed to promoting it than a publisher who has hundreds of other titles. I want to point out that apart from the commercial success, there’s also that deep satisfaction of knowing your creative work is out there making and contributing to conversation.

On the flip side, it can be expensive and requires a lump sum outlay to begin with. Even when the book is out, the author may have to invest further in the publicity and marketing of the product. When you’re published traditionally, you can leave all that to your agents and publishers and go back to your next project. Not so here, you have to put in a lot of time, effort and energy to get the book buzzing. Also, a lot of organizations still do not like working with self-published books either to review, distribute or feature.

LADYBRILLENigeria: What are the perks of publishing with a publisher like Author House?

Myne Whitman: I decided to self publish because I heard some good stories about the process and how it can be successful if you apply yourself. I felt I could follow the route since I was now a full time writer. I first improved on my writing by attending workshops and blogging which helped to polish my manuscript to professional standards. Then I read about other authors who had done the same and what their experiences had been like with different companies.

I chose Author House because I read several good things about them and they have met those so far. They assign you a design team, a book consultant and a sales person. They have various packages including editing and promotions and you choose the one that suits you best and which you can afford. I also liked that they had access to a large number of the major retailers in America and the UK.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: How do you get paid going through a publisher of that caliber?

Myne Whitman: Although there is no upfront contract payment, you get paid royalties just like many other publishers based on the number of books you sell.

Myne Whitman Dishes on ‘A Heart to Mend’
Myne Spills on the Lead Characters Gladys and Edward

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Myne, ‘A Heart to Mend’ was a very easy read. The language was simple and I think I completed it in four hours. Let’s start with your intro with the characters. I particularly enjoyed the intro of Gladys. Initially, I thought she was a ‘Nigerican’ woman who had returned home based on her insistence to navigate Lagos herself. But, I LOVED that she was just from Enugu yet she had the same naivety . . . as you would see a ‘Nigerican’ . . .  sister display in a big city like Lagos was present. Describe Gladys character in the novel.

Myne Whitman: I pictured Gladys to be a stable young woman. Her upbringing was very vivid to me. I knew exactly the circumstance with Gladys and how she grew up. She had lost her father early and had been thrust with responsibility. She ends up confident, content and sharp. I loved the fact that she had the standard of no sex before marriage and she stuck with it. However, she is also still at the self-discovery stage, a little bit timid, well brought up but also at the adventure seeking phase.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: She is quite rational, I think even more so than the lead male character Edward Bestman. Describe Edward’s character?

Myne Whitman: Well from the get go I imagined Edward to be an all round man. You know the tall dark and handsome type, hard-working and successful. He had a lot of ego and pride in his character but this was just a cover-up for the insecurity, which had affected a large part of him. Edward grew up rejected and as an orphan, and his earlier flings with women only taught him that no one could want him for himself only. That beclouded his judgment about relationships for so long. As expected, he had barricaded his heart and was not letting anyone, man or woman in.

Myne Whitman Discusses Emotional Unavailability & Nigeria’s Foster Care System

LADYBRILLNigeria: You explore emotional unavailability in both the male and female lead characters but really the emphasis is on Edward. Why did you feel the need to touch on this theme?

Myne Whitman: The novel details how we can be affected by events from our past and how it may limit our opportunities in the present especially in the area of love and relationships. Though this happens only when we allow it, alas, some of us do. The over-arching theme here is love and it teaches that while none of us is perfect, we should be able to keep our heart open for that person who has enough masking tape to cover our imperfections.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Interesting way to put it with “enough masking tape.” You also did a good job touching on Nigeria’s foster care system, if any. But you left me wondering and actually wanting a little more information on the foster care system there. What about foster care or Nigeria’s orphans made you explore that in your novel?

Myne Whitman: While I still lived in Nigeria, I was involved with some volunteer work that necessitated me to visit a number of orphanages and it intrigued me what the future held for the children I met there. They were mostly happy, likeable children but I worried that with the general instability in Nigeria things might get more difficult as they got older. I have also read quite a few articles on the topic and the story of Edward in A heart to Mend is my own way of teasing out my thoughts of the topic though couched in fiction.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Do you know or could you shed a little light on how Nigeria’s foster care system works? Is there a way to assess extended and non-extended family relatives who can come forward to help take care of orphans in the foster care system?

Myne Whitman: There is no foster care system in Nigeria per se. There are two ministries involved in taking care of vulnerable children; the women/ youth affairs and the social development departments. They do their best in the yet to be structured environment but the majority of the job is done by non-government agencies who set up care homes, rehabilitate these children or call on the willing public to foster them. Any identified extended families are usually involved in these processes but most times, the children may have been abandoned with no familial links.

Myne Whitman Discusses Inter-ethnic Dating, Pre-Marital Sex and Social Class

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I thought it interesting that you had an Ibo character from Enugu, so conveniently and without a thought, have a romantic and ultimately serious relationship with Northern/Yoruba character. I know your real name is Nkem Akinsoto. Is that a reflection of your background influencing the story line?

Myne Whitman: No, my background had no influence on the novel. It may even be the other way around since I already had started the manuscript before my own story. Lol!

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (Lol!) I, nevertheless wonder, why not explore the fact that it could be an issue given Gladys was born and raised in the East? Are you suggesting young people in modern day cities across Nigeria are not necessarily as caught up with inter-ethnic dating and marriage?

Myne Whitman: Yes. Though I think interethnic marriage is still a big deal in Nigeria, it’s not as it used to be especially in urban settings and with young people. Lagos is a melting pot, most working class residents speak English or pidgin and the corporate world is made up of people from different parts of the country. There are third-generation Lagosians who have never been to their parents or grandparents state of origin.

In addition, there are also mitigating circumstances in this particular story; Edward is an orphan with no extended family and the same for Gladys. Other cultural attributes were more important in their peculiar situation and that is why social class is the more important element of this story. I explored classism and how it can be the source of even more tension and conflict than ethnicity.

The relationship between Edward and Gladys’ stand out because of the obstacles they face and of course, it challenges the norms of the Nigerian society; especially where cross-class relationships are concerned. That was an element of Nigerian society and the world at large that I wanted to question.  I also think that cross-class relationships will continue to be a source of drama as long as human beings feel more comfortable associating with people of the same social class.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I chuckled and at times laughed at the inherent contradictions present in your characters, which to me, accurately reflects modern day Nigeria. You’ve got Gladys who says she is devoted Christian and refuses pre-marital sex. Yet, she drinks and makes out every now and then with Edward. What exactly were you trying to achieve here?

Myne Whitman: Lol…I was just trying to be real here. Many of us are the same and I guess no one is perfect. As they say “body no be firewood” abi? Each of us have to make our own life choices and decisions and sex should be something you do only when you are ready. Gladys felt their relationship was not at that stage yet and did what seemed right to her and what she could live with.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: True talk, “body no be firewood” indeed. Lol! What strikes me most about your novel is the confidence displayed by Gladys. Her poor background is simply not an issue. She is proud of that. In shaping Glady’s character and exploring social class, what messages were you hoping to communicate to your readers?

Myne Whitman: Gladys obsesses over the social and financial divide between her and Edward, and believes that has to be the only reason he had barricaded his heart and was not letting her in. The lesson is to not assume anything, talk things out with your partner, communicate, communicate and then do so again.

Myne Whitman Discusses Integration of Nigerian Fashion & Pop Culture in Novel

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I loved the way you integrated middle class Nigeria into ‘A Heart to Mend’s’ story line. Your characters shopped at Shop Rite at the Palms Shopping Center, attended album launch parties and danced to Sound Sultan and Tuface. They also had backgrounds working or trading Nigerian textiles. What was the deciding factor in integrating today’s emerging middle class, (fashion and pop culture) in your story?

Myne Whitman: The main factor was the characters I chose to portray. Gladys and Edward were both brought up in the cities of Enugu and Kano respectively and are now living in Lagos. They are both working class and I wanted to keep this as real as possible. These are the things everyday Lagosians do, they go to work and they find ways to relax. The music and literary scene are coming up gradually and I decided to put that in too. A lot of young Nigerians are listening to and reading Nigerian music and books.

Myne Whitman Discusses Nigeria’s Turbulent Financial Markets?

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: For me, I enjoyed this part the most in your novel for two reasons: First, that a woman author DARED to take on the Nigeria Stock Exchange was exciting to me. We are so used to seeing men dominate in real life in this sector. Second, you had enough dialogue to show your understanding and knowledge of the stock market. Tell us the amount of research that went into setting the story against the backdrop of a rough financial market in Nigeria?

Myne Whitman: This took up the majority of my research time for the novel. It was also quite a difficult chore because not a lot of the material is online. I had to speak with a few people in the business to get a realistic feel.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: How much time did you spend within banks in Nigeria in your career and also personally? Your description of the bank settings was a nice touch?

Myne Whitman: I worked in a Nigerian bank for roughly two years and was fully immersed in the financial sector during that period. This was also around the time of a lot of shifts and unrest during the banking consolidations and I needed to know the basics of the industry to calm aggrieved and worried clients.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: My main critique of ‘Heart to Mend’ was two folds. First, I would have loved an actual time period, in dates, for better context, and second, I would have loved a little more laying the foundation for many lay persons who will read and not necessarily understand the financial dialogue that takes place in your novel. Maybe if Edward introduced this to Gladys  . . .

Myne Whitman: I wanted to leave the dates open so as not to date the novel as time passes. Also I believed that most of my readers are smart enough or plugged in enough to figure it out. There were so many clues that just one click on google will fetch you the answers, lol. Finally, this was not meant as a textbook on finance, so the focus is on the relationship between the two characters of which none of them is a financial expert either.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Nevertheless, let’s use this opportunity to explain some things for our lay readers and others who stumble upon this interview. First explain the business climate of the Nigerian Stock Exchange that your story draws on? What has happened in Nigeria’s financial markets.

Myne Whitman: The context was that a few years ago, the Central Bank decided to drag the banking sector into the twenty first century so that they could do business globally. They all had to shore up the capital and this sent out ripples to all the players in the financial markets in Nigeria which can even still be felt now. Only 25 banks survived out of over 80 and recently, a few bank chiefs stepped down for better management by the CBN.

Myne Whitman Discusses the ‘Hostile Takeover’ & Insider Trading Plots in her Novel

LADYBRILLENigeria: Your story gets very interesting with the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) drama embedded in your story line. The M&A turns hostile with a ‘hostile takeover.’ In simple terms, how does a ‘hostile takeover’ work?

Myne Whitman: A hostile takeover is when a company tries to take over ownership of another company, most times a smaller one, without the cooperation of the management of that smaller company.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: You bring to light some of the Security Exchange, Insider Trading laws. Expand on it specific to your novel for our lay audience that will purchase your book?

Myne Whitman: In the novel, Mr. Odusote one of the characters wanted Edward to leverage on his knowledge of his company business plans and being a member of the NSE to cause a flux in the market prices of his shares. This is against the law even though some stock brokers do it once in a while if they think they can get away with it. A couple of such companies were fined up to millions of Naira recently by the NSE.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com:  There is also the word ‘conglomerate’ that you use. Explain how that works in the context of a ‘hostile takeover’?

Myne Whitman: A conglomerate is a large company usually made of two different companies that deal in different businesses coming together under one corporate umbrella. In the book, Edward has a parent company that was holding several interests, property development, entertainment, telecommunications. However, if the hostile takeover of Bestman Group of companies had worked, he would have lost his position as chairman/CEO.

Myne Whitman Tells us What’s Next and Where to Purchase ‘A Heart to Mend!’
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What next for Myne Whitman/Nkem Akintoso?

Myne Whitman: I have two other manuscripts I’m working on and hope to complete one before the end of the year. I want to remain in the midst of my readers and fans. Co-ordinating the Blogsville Interactive Story has shown me so much talent and given me some ideas. I’m still playing with those thoughts for now and will broach them with the necessary people in due time.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Where can our readers buy your book?

Myne Whitman: The book is available online on my website www.mynewhitman.com (autographed), and also on the Authorhouse and Amazon websites (UK, US, Canada). It can be pre-ordered from Barnes and Noble, Borders, Target, Books-a-million and Waterstones. It will be available in Nigeria latest by the end of March 2010.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Thank you Nkem. A job well done. Not bad for a first novel. I enjoyed the simplicity of the writing and the characters are one that many can relate to. Best of luck on future endeavors!

Myne Whitman: Thank you very much for this opportunity! I really appreciate it.

~Interview by Uduak Oduok
~Courtesy Photo

Ajibola ‘Ayana’ Olubiyi, our February 2010 LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month, is one woman who knows a thing or two about managing a successful business, especially in a tough business climate like Lagos. A passionate fashionista at heart, Olubiyi is the manager at Swe Bar & Lounge, Lagos. Barely two years old and under Olubiyi’s management, Swe Bar & Lounge has become the go to place for fashion and entertainment industry professionals, celebrities and regular Nigerian patrons. LadybrilleNigeria caught up with our very busy Personality of the Month to discuss and provide you tips on how to successfully manage your fashion businesses.

In our interview, Olubiyi discusses the characteristics of sucessful managers: good decision making, ability to successfully manage employees (clearly defined job descriptions, interview process, hiring, firing and dealing with underperforming employees) and marketing, among many. In discussing marketing, Olubiyi places heavy emphasis on customer service i.e. creating a value experience for your clients/customers that elicits an emotional response and keeps them coming back. . .

A Littie Background on Olubiyi

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Ayana, thank you so much for your time and this interview. Let me start first by giving our readers a little information about your background. Where were you born and raised?
AAO: I was born in Lagos. I was raised in the UK and Nigeria. I attended Corona Primary School in Apapa, went to Federal Government Girls College, Oyo, St Mary & St Anne, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire for Secondary school and for college, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Do you have any siblings?
AAO: Yes I do, 2 brothers.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I am always fascinated with names in general and their meanings. For all of us and especially our non-Yoruba speaking readers, what does Ajibola mean?AAO: It means I woke up to meet wealth.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Very intriguing. We hope you share your wealth with us or show us how we too can wake up to wealth. (laughs) Who is Ajibola? Who is Ajibola Ayana Olubiyi? How would you describe yourself?
AAO: (laughs) Superwoman . . .(laughs) . . . a woman of many parts, an extrovert and pretty passionate about the arts, fashion and culture.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (laughs) Superwoman, you seem to be! You do so much which we will get into very soon. But from one busy woman to another, have you figured out how to balance it all?
AAO: (Laughs) I wish I could tell you that there was a magic formula . . . (laughs) . . . but truly for me it’s all about prioritizing and delegating, because some things deserve less attention than others.

LADYBRILLE.com: Indeed. The balancing act remains tricky, nevertheless, doesn’t it?
AAO: It (does).

Olubiyi’s Career Path Before Swe Bar & Lounge + Managing a Business

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Okay, you are a manager at Swe Bar & Lounge. Briefly walk us through your career path before you assumed your current position at Swe?
AAO:I started my professional career as a retail banker then went on to investment banking (portfolio management/stock-broking), took a break went to art school to learn how to make jewelry and here I am running a bar/lounge.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (laughs) Wow. Interesting where life takes us! Let’s talk about managing Swe. You make it look so easy. But, surely it must be a challenge managing any business much less a high pressured job like yours. How do you go about structuring your day in your role as manager? Walk us through a typical day in your life as manager?
AAO: A typical day for me usually begins at 12noon, armed with my to-do list, bar-stock management, meetings with suppliers and vendors, meetings with potential clients, event planning and also socializing.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Socializing! When do you have time to do that . . . when do you find time to answer e-mails, return calls . . . ?
AAO: I create the time. Like I said, prioritizing is key because quite a few of those calls and e-mails are with regards to the business.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Gotcha. How would you describe your managerial style?
AAO: Authoritative and democratic, at the same time, a bit of a contradiction you’d say but in the Nigerian context a firm hand is required (especially being female) in the industry we operate within.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I know you are one of a very few women in the line of work you do. What would you say is your personal management philosophy?
AAO:Price is what you pay, value is what you get . . . propounded by Warren Buffet. I’ve lived by this philosophy since my days in banking. The customer who receives value will always come back.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Solid philosophy and so true. Let’s narrow in on the “value” part of your management philosophy. For the many “boss ladies” and “boss men,” especially our fashion entrepreneur readers, who have to wear so many hats including that of managers, what does a well managed business look like? How do they know they are doing it right?
AAO: First and foremost a well managed organization’s reputation would speak for itself, this is external but internally a well managed company has good ratios, inventory ratios and the return on equity. These ratios tell you how well management is performing. For instance, (Accounts Receivable) AR Turnover is indicative of management’s collection policies, procedures and ability. Poor AR turnover may lead to cash flow issues, for example. I also rely heavily on client feedback to know if we are on the right track.

Olubiyi Speaks on Hiring and Firing of Employees

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Part of being on the right track is having the right team to help you deliver the value you speak of. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, has said the best advice he can give entrepreneurs is hire slowly fire quickly. As a manager, what are you looking for when you are hiring a potential employee?
AAO: The first thing I look at on a resume or application is length of time at previous jobs. We want someone who is going to be committed to the job we are hiring them for. If they’ve had 5 jobs over the last 6 months, I need to know why. There are always circumstances that lead to people quitting jobs after a month or 6 months. We like to know why so we can determine whether this candidate is probably going to leave in 4 months or will stick it out for the long haul. We also look at reasons for leaving previous jobs. If there was a dispute between the candidate and their former employer, we want to know about it. This too helps determine whether the candidate is going to stick around. We want to hire people that are interested in developing careers with the company, not people who just want part time jobs because they’ve got nothing better to do with their time.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: You’ve done your homework, you hire an employee but then he/she is not quite working out. How have you dealt with, for an example, an employee that is underperforming?
AAO: . . . The first step is ensuring that all of (our) employees have clearly defined job descriptions and know what’s expected of them. (Our) policy states one verbal warning, three written ones then termination.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I see the authoritative and democratic management style at play. (laughs) Let me take you a different direction. One of the things I know you have been instrumental in doing at Swe Bar is to create an environment and work culture that is “family,” and it extends to your patrons. Share with our readers tips on how to create a similar work environment and culture while still getting the job done?
AAO: It’s pretty simple I put myself in the position of the client and treat them the way I’d want to be treated if I were in an establishment like ours.

Olubiyi Speaks on Leadership & Future Trends on Bar/Lounges in Lagos

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: When I observe you and your work, you appear to have the critical elements of a successful leader in your capacity as manager: trust, care, commitment, communication and confidence- you take too many risks with your costumed themed . . . parties not to be confident (laughs). Explain for us why these key aspects of leadership are important in any business?
AAO: Thank you (laughs) . . . It’s important for business (entrepreneurs) to have good leadership qualities because businesses don’t run themselves. I can tell you from personal experience that good leadership skills lead to workers who understand what is expected of them and who are encouraged to meet and exceed those goals. Work flows more smoothly and thus more efficiently. Everyone stays focused on business goals, decreasing lost time and effort and productivity is increased.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Every guest that walks through Swe’s door must leave with a good experience and in your case word on the street is they often walk out with a great experience. With Swe’s many events, everything has to go right and if it goes wrong it falls on your shoulder as the manager. How do you plan for surprises or can you?
AAO:I always have a plan B because doing business in Nigeria requires that you may even have to have a plan C . . . ”Be prepared that something may go wrong.”

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What would you say are the trends for bars/lounges in the next five years in Lagos?
AAO:Definitely we will see more bars /lounges coming up in the future and I believe with the emergence of well educated owners, attention to detail, improved customer service and themed bars will be the order of the day. I also believe we will be seeing bar franchises as well.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Interesting. What do you think the future and 2010 in particular holds for you?
AAO: I wish I could predict the future but I pray to do bigger and better things within the hospitality industry and develop my jewellery label as well.

Olubiyi Speaks on Swe Bar’s Offerings

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Describe the ambience and aesthetic at Swe?
AAO:Swe has a warm and homely feel to it, very comfortable and relaxing. In terms of aesthetics, it’s ethnic mixed with contemporary art décor-a bit of the old and a bit of the new.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What are its offerings during the day?
AAO: A quiet get-away spot during the day that’s WI-FI enabled where you can have lunch with colleagues/friends and hold business meetings

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: At night?
AAO:Swe’s versatility is its uniqueness because it can be converted into a night club after hours. The slogan “The weekend begins on Thursdays and it starts at Swe” is no joke, because on Thursday nights with the live band the atmosphere is electric, Friday nights are the club nights with our in-house DJ and celebrity Guest DJs from time to time, Saturday nights are usually when events are held otherwise its old school music night and karaoke on Sunday is the business with a library of over 3000 songs, including Nigerian songs.

LADYBRILENigeria.com: You seem to have an open invitation to artists and fashion designers at Swe; not just the big names but emerging ones too. How important is the presence of a place like Swe Bar & Lounge in Lagos for Nigeria’s fashion and entertainment industries
AAO:? We’ve positioned ourselves within the top category within bars and clubs in Nigeria and we’ve always supported arts and culture and we pride ourselves on the relationship we’ve been able to develop within that sector with its participants and we place a lot of value on them, likewise we believe they place the same value on us.

Ms. Olubiyi Speaks on Online Marketing & Upcoming Valentine Events at Swe

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: When it comes to social media, especially for a club/lounge in Nigeria, nobody does it as well as Swe and specifically you Ayana. You are on it with Facebook! Tell us how you have been able to use Facebook, for example, for the online marketing of Swe Bar events. How successful have your online marketing efforts been?
AAO:Why thank you for the compliment….We created a group page which has over 3000 members and is constantly updated with photographs of our regular nights and also of events and info about happenings at Swe. I must confess the online marketing efforts have proven to be very successful. The feedback is awesome.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: How much of your time goes into mapping out and executing a sales and marketing plan for Swe Bar for each event?
AAO: That depends on the various factors required to create the event. If its solely a Swe initiative it usually doesn’t take that long but with regards to external inputs it may take longer as sometimes set deadlines with the externals are not met.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I know you always have so many themed parties whether Halloween, Thanksgiving and so much more. What are Swe’s plan for Valentine’s?
AAO: We are hosting a Valentine’s party with a different twist that’s all I can say for now. Don’t want to let the cat out of the bag . . . (laughs)

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (laughs) Awww! Fine. That’s fair. For our Nigerian fashion industry professionals worldwide who might be interested in renting out your venue for an event, what is the process like?
AAO: It’s pretty simple when contact has been established, appointments are scheduled and we meet with the potential client, each event is weighed on its merit and we look to see if it falls in line within our policies and brand.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I like that it at the end of the day events must fit with the Swe brand and company policy. Brand compatibility is so important. Where can they reach you or a Swe representative?
AAO: We can be reached via various mediums, facebook, twitter, telephone calls, e-mails and at the bar. Soon it’ll be possible to reach us via our website.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Thank you so much Ayana! Any last pearls of wisdom to those looking to follow your foot steps?
AAO: Arm yourself with knowledge about the industry you operate within, that’s pretty important and treat your clients the way you’d want to be treated.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Thank you!
AAO: Thank you too for the honour

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

12►

The very driven, humble, fun-loving, straight shooter and compassionate Chichi was born in Washington, DC at the historical Howard University Teaching Hospital. She is one of four children (she has three siblings-a brother and two sisters). Although born in the USA, she was raised in Nigeria where she attended Aba-Owerri Road Primary School in Aba, and Federal Government Girls College, Gboko in Benue State. She later returned to the United States and in 2001, graduated with a degree in Accounting from Howard University. A year later, she obtained her MBA from Strayer University and by 2007 she obtained yet another degree, an MPH from Strayer in Non-Profit Management.

She is the founder of Miss Nigeria in America (MNIA) Beauty Pageant, a pageant that highlights the beauty of Nigeria and its citizens in the USA with grace, style, service and advocacy.

We are excited and honored to have this remarkable woman as our LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month! In our interview Chichi discusses her passion for helping the poor, equality for African &/Nigerian women, MNIA and hope for a better Nigeria.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Chichi thank you for the interview! Let me start with the fact that I noticed you obtained a graduate degree in Non-profit management. That is arguably unconventional, especially as a Nigerian. Why did you decide to do so?

Chichi: I used to work in Nairobi,Kenya with the East and Central Africa Trade Hub [ECA Trade Hub]. The ECA Kenya Trade HUB was a branch of the African Global Competitiveness Initiative $200 million), a five year Presidential initiative aimed at promoting the export competitiveness of enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa, (SSA), in order to expand African trade with the United States. Part of my job was to help strengthen trade relations among these East African countries and to help the rural women in the some of the remote villages to become self-sufficient.

To better my chances of being among the decision makers, I had to arm myself with the tools to be successful in my role. Most of the US Government projects in Africa are spearheaded by Americans who have lived in the continent for many decades. While Africans are grateful for the help and guidance we receive from ally countries, we have to start taking care of our own continent. Thus to successfully compete with my foreign colleagues for leadership roles in the ECA Trade Hub initiatives, I felt furthering my education was required to ensure I stood out from the rest.

As a black woman in the US, you have to be twice as good as your competition. So settling for a college degree was not enough. I decided that if I was going to take on any cause for women in Kenya and Nigeria, then I would get the necessary education. Today I am proud to say that I have an MBA and an MPA in Non Profit Management.

Miss Nigeria in America Pageant (MNIA)

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Very impressive. How did you get into pagents? Why MNIA?

Chichi: MNIA is my heart and my soul. As you know it means the Miss Nigeria in America. My belief is that without women, the world cannot thrive or even exist. MNIA was founded as a result of the dying state of education in Nigeria as it concerns women and young girls. I strongly believe that every Nigerian woman should have access to pursuing some form of formal education in her lifetime. Education does not necessarily mean going to school and doing assignments. Possessing an education arms a woman with the facts of life, the reality of situations and the willingness to open up and embrace change.

MNIA was an idea to celebrate Nigerian women and the opportunity to impact the lives of many. It is a thought process to teach and instill among all Nigerians, the value of unity across our many ethnicities.

The Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant identifies Nigerian women in the US who exemplify beauty, talent, supremacy and intelligence. It aims to create new role models who through the beauty pageant will serve as ambassadors that will define a new Nigeria, enrich the beauty of the Nigerian Woman and enhance a new strength, energy and spirit for the advancement of women while positively impacting their communities.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Very noble mission. What exactly does the winner of Miss Nigeria in America do?

Chichi: She serves as an ambassador for Nigerian women in the United States of America. After the pageant, the winner of the Miss Nigeria in America works with a management company in charge of booking her for different events. It is good to note that we do not necessarily promote her as a model. Our primary focus is for her to be a voice and advocate for women’s rights in Nigeria and abroad. This is accomplished through her MNIA awareness campaign for social justice and women’s empowerment. We also try to assist her with any programs that she wants to implement that will effect positive change in the lives of women around the world.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Walks us through the preparation for MNIA. What goes into getting contestants ready for competition?

Chichi: The first step is the application process which asks the general questions. One of the criteria for competing is that you must be in a 2year or 4year college or have already graduated. After we get all applications, they go through a review process to determine who will go to the final stage to compete.

The girls are interviewed and the finalists are notified. The final contestants are then awarded a random state in Nigeria. The girls cannot represent their state of origin and they cannot represent their tribal states. The competition starts 8 weeks before the pageant, where they have to go through various tasks and projects to prepare them. Then they are given assignments, to quiz them on facts about Nigeria, women issues, social issues and on how they can help to improve humanity at large. The girls must also find volunteer programs to enroll in to help the less privileged.

I try to communicate as much as possible with all the girls to encourage them. I am still in touch with most of them because they inspire me and keep me grounded.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: MNIA I found to be quite intriguing because you could have a contestant whose origin is Yoruba compete for Ms. Cross River. Why is that?

Chichi: It is our intent to foster unity among Nigerians. The idea is for Nigerians to learn about other cultures and states in Nigeria thus demolishing any impressions they may have. The resulting effect is being able to empathize with, understand and nurture each other. By learning to respect their cultural differences, they are less inclined to see someone as an ‘Ibo’ man, or ‘Yoruba’ woman but instead as just a Nigerian, their fellow country person.

So a Yoruba girl, assigned to represent Cross River State, will leave the pageant knowing more about the beautiful state, its natural resources, the governors and the commissioners as well as the number of cities and tourist attractions that the city has. She’ll be able to define Nigeria as her country and not just by the knowledge of her tribe.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Your ability to integrate and ask Nigerians to work together in harmony leads me to another question. You are (quite) outspoken about your views whether on political or social topics. Have you had any instances where you suffer repercussions as a result of your very tell it like it is style?

Chichi: I don’t recall any repercussions. But one saying my mother drummed into me was “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” In other words, if you truly believe in something then say it and believe it. I have also hoped that being outspoken will teach other women not to hide behind their fears but to come out and speak openly on some issues that must be addressed. There is no reason why we cannot vie for Presidency in Nigeria. There is absolutely no reason why the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America cannot be a woman.

There is no reason why any strong Nigerian woman cannot be a voice of reason to bring Nigeria back as the Giant of Africa. Our culture is so strong and so deep rooted that many believe it’s a “man’s world” in Nigeria. Unfortunately we are in the 21st century and a lot of things have changed. Women have a voice now and I think we should use it.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: MNIA is not the only thing you do. You are involved in a lot of charity projects share some of them with us?

Chichi: I work with People Assisting the Homeless [PATH], a homeless shelter in Los Angeles and with N Street Village in Washington DC. In the past, I have worked with Texas Children’s Hospital as well as with the American Diabetes Association.

This year, I plan on working with Face Africa [Saran Kaba-Jones] on their water project in Liberia, and UNIHIV [Oluwayimika Angel Adelaja – 1st Runner up for the 2009 MNIA Pageant] on creating awareness for HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles and among Nigerians in Diaspora.

But my most current project that is dear to my heart is working with Claret Onukogu [Miss Nigeria in America 2009] on the MNIA Project Women’s Education to raise money to pay for the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board [JAMB] Exam and the West African Examination Council [WAEC] for the girls of Egwuanna Girls Secondary School in Abia State, Nigeria

I had a chance to visit the school this December in Nigeria and saw firsthand the poor state of education in Nigeria. MNIA will adopt the 18 girls who are in their final year of high school to ensure that they take the necessary exams and to help at least one girl to fulfill her dream of attending University in Nigeria.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I am sure the 18 girls are thrilled. What a life changing experience that will be for them. Tell us, what about your background makes you care that deeply about the homeless, for example or other disadvantaged citizens of our society and community?

Chichi: I was very privileged to grow up with both my parents and in a stable household. My dad is a Pharmacist, my mom was a school principal, my older sister is a Pharmacist, my younger sister is an entrepreneur in Abuja and my younger brother is a Chemical Engineer. So I feel blessed. However, there are others who are not privileged as I am and my heart goes out to them.

While I was growing up still trying to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be, there were others who just wanted to make sure they had a place to live and food to eat. I went to school in the north and saw poverty first hand. I paid attention to my surroundings and deep down in my heart I promised that once I got myself together, I would dedicate my life to helping the less privileged.

I have to tell you, when you are empathetic towards others and you put the needs of others before you, you feel a certain kind of peace and stability. I was raised in a home, and I am creating a home for my new family. Building a home is very important to me and if I can help others to create a home to be able to have peace and achieve their dreams then I will dedicate my life doing that.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Educate us a bit more on the pageant industry in Nigeria where do you see it going?

Chichi: I would first like to thank Silverbird and Ben Murray Bruce whom I adore and would be honored to meet someday. I have admired him since I was 9 years old because he put Nigeria on the map as one of the countries with the most beautiful and intelligent women. Watching the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria (MBGN) gave me a good perspective of pageants and competitions.

But unfortunately, a lot of people have the mindset that pageantry is just about beauty and women parading around. It is more than that. To compete in anything in life, takes guts and courage. The Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant has produced a lot of women leaders who have gone on to become the ambassadors. Leslie Oluchi Ibeanusi – Miss Nigeria in America 2005 owns a non-profit called Making Noise, Inc. through which she brings to light the struggles of Africa and raises funds to some of the causes. Ronke Oke – Miss Nigeria in America 2008 owns DISCOVER, a non-profit that Develops Institutions, Students, and Communities by Offering Various Educational Resources. She supports Dress for Success in Memphis Tennessee and continues to raise money to help the mission of the non-profit. Till date, we have worked with over 100 delegates all of whom have graduated from college, in a Masters program and have started some form of non-profit to help the less fortunate.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Our image as Nigerians continues to be tarnished and of course the recent incident on Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab has earned us a spot on the US Terrorist Watch list. What are your thoughts on that?

Chichi:I was in Nigeria when I heard the news of the failed terrorist attack. I was not surprised that we ended up on the terrorist list. I asked my friends, “What would you do if you were the United States of America? As it stands, Nigeria has no leadership. No one can tell us where the President is. If we had good leadership, then the President of Nigeria should be in Washington DC with President Barack Obama to help fight this situation. I have been following the news and I still have not seen the response from our President.

One thing some Nigerians fail to understand is that the actions of one person can tarnish the image of the whole country. And failure to stand up and fight at the right time to rectify a situation only makes it worse. If we are on the terrorist list, then the leadership in Nigeria should be active and honest to his citizens. We can all fight this together but not on a hospital bed and definitely not through the lies and deception of those who are controlling the situation.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What do you feel given recent socio-political events affecting Nigeria becomes the role of MNIA?

Chichi: MNIA will continue to promote awareness for the globalization of the Nigerian woman. Our mission will shift to encouraging women to take on more leadership roles to help shape Nigeria as the Giant of Africa. As we continue to live in the 21st century, it is my hope and dream that you will start to see more women in the Nigerian government to help structure programs that will help benefit a higher percentage of women in Nigeria. We hope to create more individuals like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who continues to be a strong force for Nigerian women in Diaspora.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Any final thoughts you want to share with us?

Chichi:I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on who MNIA is and what we hope to accomplish in the near future. I must say, I am honored to be featured and I draw a lot of my strength from strong women like you.

One thing I want to encourage women is that you can be a wife, a mother, and the CEO of a huge conglomerate at the same time. God created us to be nurturers and builders and we have to apply ourselves in society. We can be a voice of reason. Don’t let society make you believe that you can’t do it all. You just have to organize yourself and put your priorities in place. I am married to my best friend and business partner and we have mutual respect for each other both in our personal lives and in our business. Whatever you want to achieve as a woman is possible if you set your mind on it. Don’t settle and believe in yourself. They say, behind every successful man is a woman. We have the power to make change in the world. Let’s use our voice to make that change.

You are doing a fabulous job of showing the world that the true beauty of a strong educated Nigerian woman is not just beauty but brains, compassion, ambition and drive. Thank you.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Thank you Chichi. You are truly an inspiration.

~Interview by Uduak Oduok

~Courtesy Photo Chichi Dike

Tokunbo, as far as we are concerned, is a woman that embodies greatness and is at this point on her way to unmeasured success. An architect by day and a creatively intelligent designer by night and weekends, Tokunbo is the owner of a one of a kind invitation business called IJORERE The Invitation. Ijorere incorporates Nigerian fabrics like Ankara, Lace, Aso Oke, among many, to create aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly, chic, elegant, funky and unique invitations. IJORERE’s specialty is weddings and indeed it is why many brides, near and far, are clamoring at Tokunbo’s feet to make their day an Ijorere one.

We caught up with Tokunbo for a fun down to earth chat (via phone and IM) that explored the business of Ijorere: from concept to execution, mistakes made along the way, funding, investors and growth.

In addition, to our LadybrilleNigeria bride or groom, if you are planning a wedding in 2010, LADYBRILLENigeria has teamed up with IJORERE for a contest where one lucky LADYBRILLENigeria bride or groom wins the opportunity for IJORERE The Invitation to design his/her wedding invitations. Watch this space for the contest COMING VERY SOON! Enjoy the interview.

OLATOKUNBO’S BACKGROUND

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Hi Tokunbo. It is a pleasure (chatting) with you.
Tokunbo: The pleasure (is) mine! (Smiles)

LadybrilleNigeria.com: How was your day?
Tokunbo: Sweet & busy as usual, making invitations you know.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: We will get more into that but first, is Ijorere a full time (job) for you?
Tokunbo: Nah, I am an Architect by profession running an invitation business.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: So you still have a 9-5 that you go to?
Tokunbo: Yes Ma’am. I work as an Architect with the government U.S GSA and evening and off days I work on my business.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Okay. Got it. You are a very busy woman. Give us a feel for who you are. Who is Tokunbo?
Tokunbo: (I am) a designer, a creative thinker, sweet talker (laughs), a mother, a wife.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: On the sweet talker, I agree! (laughs) In fact it appears you should be singing. Do you have a singing background? Your voice sounds melodic.
Tokunbo: (Laughs) Nah, wish I could. I am not a bad singer. . .just not a professional one! Thank you. (Smiles)

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Okay consider that as another side gig when Ijorere really takes off. (Laughs) So, let’s talk Ijorere. For non-Yoruba speakers who will read this interview what does it mean?
Tokunbo: Ijorere is pronounced “E-jaw-ray-ray,” it’s a Yoruba word for “a grand day.”

HOW IJORERE THE INVITATION BEGAN. . .

LadybrilleNigeria.com: How did the concept come about?
Tokunbo: Ijorere originally started as a way for me to vent out my creative traits but it was really a way for. . . how can I say this? I love “Ise owo” meaning I love working with my hands. I also enjoy the delights of discovering things the old fashion way. We live in a world of technology and the days of receiving an invitation or a hand written letter is almost obsolete. This is how I started to conceptualize my thoughts for Ijorere.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Let me backtrack on the “Ise Owo” thing you mentioned. You already seem so busy with so many things why add another “Ise Owo” with Ijorere when you are already playing Wonder Woman?
Tokunbo: (Laughs) When one is passionate about something you do it! (Laughs) Drawing or making an invitation is all the same to me. . . I am working with my hands.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Yes Indeed. Let’s really get into it. We are about to roll our sleeves and join you with an “ise owo” Ijorere interview madam.
Tokunbo: I’m ready!

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Okay so you are venting your creative energies and ideas. How does it turn into this business?
Tokunbo: About seven (7) years ago, I made my own wedding invites. My guests were shocked with what they saw! They thought I had a professional service create them for me. Of course later on, I had a lot of my friends and family requesting for my services and you know I just really enjoyed it so much I thought . . . hmmmm, I think someone is trying to tell me something here. Anyway fast (forward) to sometime last year. . . I started researching to see what was out there . . . trying to figure out my niche. Invitation designers come a dime a dozen. I wanted to stand out from the rest. I noticed something was missing. I saw modern invitations, very Western. I saw Indian inspired and Asian Inspired invitations but no African Invitations. Hmmmm . . . how come?

I dug (deeper) looking for African invitations or African-American invitations and all I discovered that represents black people were invitations of a couple with black faces . . . and I said, “this can’t be it?!” I thought invitations should be able to somehow reflect a person’s culture in a way that their guests could share a little piece of that individual’s Ijorere (grand day)?

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (Begins laughing)
Tokunbo: You are laughing but it is oh so true. . . just google African-American invitations right now and you will see what I am talking about.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: I am laughing more out of excitement because it is so interesting how we think basic ideas have already been done only to realize there is a gaping hole and nobody has filled it. It is indeed how Ladybrille Media Group came about. With a large population of Black people worldwide you would think this has been done?!
Tokunbo: “The idea” came about when I would notice that the patterns printed on invitations were patterns you would find on fabric. I love texture, vibrant colors and patterns and so I thought, “why print a pattern, why not just add the pattern, the texture, the fabric?” Uduak, I ran up the stairs of my house, took out all the pretty African fabrics I had, incorporated it into my invites and Voila! Ijorere was born!

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Wow! What a story.
Tokunbo: Exactly…

THE MISTAKES AND JOY OF RUNNING IJORERE THE INVITATION . . .

LADYBRILLENigeria: We will get into the details of running Ijorere very soon but let’s turn our attention for a quick minute to the actual invitations you design. You execute with such precision, seriously. Tell us about your architectural background which it appears informs your designs of Ijorere The Invitation.
Tokunbo: Certainly. If I were to give you a good take on my style of architecture it would be summed up as so . . . “Contemporary, BOLD & exotic.” I believe my invitation design reflects this style. I have over a decade worth of experience working in the architecture world. I graduated from architecture school with a Bachelor’s degree in 2001.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: There are many young Nigerian girls and aspiring designers who will read this and get chills because you are doing what they want to do. What is lacking in our industry and for women as a whole is the business “know how.” Walk us through what the next steps were for you. How did you turn this into the business that it is today?
Tokunbo: I am not really a business minded person, so you can just imagine how many mistakes I made! I think it is true that if one is a creative minded person, they are usually not business minded. (Laughs)

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (Laughs)
Tokunbo (continues): It was all fun coming up with a name for my business, designing the logo, coming up with a slogan but when it was time to register the business, all the legalities with trade marking my logo, dealing with web designers that knew the technical aspects of designing a web but they couldn’t envision what I wanted . . . was so frustrating.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Hmmm . . .
Tokunbo: Then comes the money aspects. Pheew! Where can I start?

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Abeg start o! We wan hear this part because that is what it really comes down to with running a business, the financial backing. (Laughs)
Tokunbo: (Laughs) One has to have a little capital to start a business. I didn’t have capital. I had a job as an Architect so I used my stable day job to invest in my business. I bought a lot of stationeries to make samples, spent money on advertising to spread the word, unfortunately some were spam.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: What do you mean spam?
Tokunbo: I spent money on web designing several times, because I am a perfectionist when it comes to anything design and how it represents me, my vision and my style. Without getting into names, I once advertised with a wedding site, paid big bucks for it $$$$ and nothing, not one customer. I wasted money on web designers who didn’t have a clue of how to be an “Artist” if you know what I mean. But it was all good, because I needed to make these mistakes so my eyes could open to the light of what is right, what is wrong, what will benefit me and not.

Then, there was the issue of knowing my worth. It is obvious that what I sell is not worth $2.00. It was obvious that what I kept creating was not for the “budget clientele” and so now I know who I am selling to, I understand my worth, I know how to set my prices and stand my grounds about it.

WHOSE YOUR AUDIENCE, HOW MUCH WILL YOU CHARGE  FOR YOUR SERVICES?

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Let’s take each apart. Who is your target audience, who are you selling Ijorere to?
Tokunbo: Anyone who appreciates good design. The discerning bride, affluent customers who understand that their Ijorere comes but once and it should be grand. It’s for those who understand that first impression counts. Ijorere invitations are luxurious eco-friendly invitations that will (survive the wedding event). These are invitations people will never forget.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Okay just so we are clear, you’ve got the bridal customer (Nigerians, Blacks, Indians, Whites etc) who else? What other customers?
Tokunbo: Majority of my customers are brides or wedding planners but Ijorere also serves other customers. This December we are focusing on babies. I have a few mom-to-be’s asking for baby shower and baby announcement cards.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Awwww. . . that is so cute! I never even thought about baby showers but baby shower invitations would be perfect also.
Tokunbo: Yeah, it is. I am so excited with the baby card thing, too cute! Oh, just wait till you view what I am about to showcase for the lil’ munchkins!

LADYBRILLENigeria: Excited! (laughs)
Tokunbo: We also provide special event invites, house warming cards, etc.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: You have also said, “I understand my worth, I know how to set my prices and stand my grounds about it.” As fashion business professionals trying to start a new venture, what are some tips on how we figure out our price points and stay true to it?
Tokunbo: I say do your research, see what the going prices are. Critic your products and ask others (that are not customers) what do you think this is worth? I did what I did because I love doing it. I didn’t know what it was worth. The professional photographer I used to take pictures of my invitations said to me. . . “Oh my God! These are not for the (average) client Ola!” My mom saw how much time I put into my work and said, “Hmmmm Tokunbo, these are not cheap invitations.” The ladies at the printing shop looked at my work and said, “Ola you are going to have to focus on a “certain” demographics here. . .”

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Let’s continue a bit more on tips. You mention a lot of mistakes you made in trying to get your business started: Give us tips on finding the right website designer?
Tokunbo: I have a new motto. My advice to others is to “do as you will & follow your heart…but do so with your eyes WIDE WIDE open.” The most successful people in the world do what they do best! #1, If you have a great idea, protect it first before anything or else!

LadybrilleNigeria.com: The intellectual property part. Copyright/trademark protection.
Tokunbo: Heck yeah! (Smiles) #2, Come up with a real business plan. I wish I had. I would have avoided a ton of mistakes. #3, If you are going for a web designer, check out samples of their work. If you are a just a tiny bit worried, follow your instincts and go to another . . . (as in) next!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. . . FUNDING FOR IJORERE

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Those are very useful tips Tokunbo. Tell us a bit more about your funding situation. Do you at this point need investors? If so, what exactly can you offer investors and what kinds of investors are you looking for? Is that what it will take to help you quit your 9-5 or are you doing both as your passions?
Tokunbo: Ijorere The Invitation is just the beginning of my business ventures . . . I have plans to network with the right people, people who believe in Ijorere and are willing to invest in my ideas. I have thoughts to open a transformable space to hold my clients’ events, a loft to be exact. Here is where my Architectural experience comes in. I want Ijorere to be a one stop shop for all things luxe and Urbane. A client would be able to host their event at Ijorere, I would interior decorate the space, converting it to their heart desires. Each time an event takes place it would be one of a kind and not look the same as the previous event and of course how would the guests know about the event unless they get “The Invitation.” (laugh)

Per investors, I need someone willing to partner up with Ijorere, buying property that would be used to host any kind of event. Per what I would bring to the table, creative design with an ethnic flare. . .unconventional designs and creative ideas that are not cliché, not the norm. People want to see unique things, and visit unique spaces. It’s refreshing to see something different sometimes you know.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: (Such ambitious goals). It sounds great. Where is Ijorere as a business now? It would seem to me it should be very active in Nigeria given the wedding and events market?
Tokunbo: Oh! I am working on it. I needed to establish my business where I live first, the U.S and I think I have finally got a wave started. Now my target is Nigeria once I convince “our people” flyers or copies are NOT the proper way to invite your guest!

BRIDES AND GROOMS . . . WHERE AND HOW TO HIRE IJORERE FOR YOUR WEDDINGS

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Great transition for us to talk Naija weddings! It is wedding time in Naija. How do brides get you to design for them? What do they need to do? What steps would they need to take?
Tokunbo: Oh definitely, it “is the season in rejoice.” Ijorere provides service internationally now. A bride simply needs to contact me at ola@ijorere.com and we can start to have conversations (via email) about how we can make her Ijorere come to live. They can contact me via phone at 312.401.3956. Her invites once completed would be sent via FedEX.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: What if a bride wants a more personal touch than phone calls or e-mails especially since it is an emotional time?
Tokunbo: Yes. A bride’s day is a very big event and so I always meet with my clients. Ijorere is personal. I try to have what I would call an “intimate relationship” with my brides. My customers become my friends by the time we are done. But for brides located internationally, we are unfortunately limited to how we can connect. So a phone call to get a sense of her style, pictures and lots of correspondences via email would be her options.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: What about wedding planners looking to retain/hire your services, people like Funke Bucknor-Obruthe and the likes? How do you work with wedding planners?
Tokunbo: Working with wedding planners is cool. I kind of prefer dealing with wedding
planners because they understand their brides and can articulate their styles and tastes to me better. Sometimes a bride doesn’t really know what she wants and that could be time consuming. But, I haven’t come across that situation yet. I am very intuitive and so I am somehow able to figure out what she might like.

LadybrilleNigeria.com: Final question for you. We’ve talked about the Nigerian bride because obviously this interview is for LadybrilleNigeria. BUT for our non-Nigerian brides for example at our sister sites like Ladybrille Magazine, Ladybrille Stars or brides who will run into this interview from diverse backgrounds, can you customize invitations to reflect their cultures?
Tokunbo: Most certainly! That is exactly what Ijorere is about. (Smiles) I am Nigerian, a Yoruba girl and so my eye favors designs that showcases where I come from. Ijorere celebrates multi-cultures, but yes I can’t help but to proudly incorporate African or more specifically Nigerian designs to my invitations. I guess you could say I am show off where I come from. (Laughs)

LADYBRILLE.com: (laughs) But Non-Nigerian brides can tailor their Ijorere invitations to reflect their own personal cultures that do not necessarily infuse Nigerian designs into them?
Tokunbo: Yes. I want people, brides to understand that Ijorere The Invitation are invites that reflects where they come from. Ijorere are invites to allow them to share a piece of their heritage with their family and friends whether they be Caucasians, African- Americans, Polish, Irish, Indian, Asian, African and so forth. We all have a culture, a tradition and there is something extra special and beautiful in sharing that with others on their Ijorere day!

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: Thank you so much. You’ve been such a delight to have and we look forward to a month on LadybrilleNigeria that is simply IJORERE because we have you as our personality of the month.
Tokunbo: Uduak, it was such a pleasure chatting with you this evening, May your day be Ijorere, A day that is Grand!

~Interview by Uduak Oduok
~Photocredit: Ijorere The Invitation

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Funlayo handles marketing, public relations and some of the daily business operations while Shola primarily researches, develops and manufactures the products. The fierce entrepreneurs have two subsidiaries under AgroBotanicals. The first is the Shea Radiance line of luxury spa products, also created from fairly traded shea butter. The second is Shea Radiance Supplies, a company that caters to small scale manufacturers selling small amounts of shea butter (5lbs -100lbs) in the natural and organic cottage sector of the spa business.

We had the pleasure of delving into the mind of the socially conscious and environmentally driven Funlayo Alabi, LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month, to discuss the beauty business, shea butter, shea products and what it takes to be successful fashion/beauty entrepreneurs. Read on . . .

LADYBRILLENigeria: Funlayo, first, there is a serious love affair with shea butter. How did that come about?
Funlayo: Having children with problems like eczema (youngest son had eczema) and extremely dry skin (oldest son had extremely dry skin prior to a kidney transplant) pushed us to revisit old remedies we remembered from our childhood. We asked my mother to bring us a few pounds of shea butter on her visit from Nigeria and we started using it on the kids and ourselves. The results were very encouraging and we realized that by adding different oils and humectants to shea butter we could create really effective moisturizers. Everyone in my house loves shea butter. Our shea butter formulations are so effective that they eliminate the need to use petroleum based products on the skin.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Give us the brief history of how you founded the subsidiary, Shea Radiance?
Funlayo: Once we began formulating our products and sharing them with friends and family, it became evident that there was a market for effective natural based moisturizers. We did some additional research and felt there was a need for luxury natural and organic products based primarily on the functions of shea butter. A lot of the large companies are begining to incorporate shea butter in their products, but use a very insignificat amount and they use refined shea butter. We wanted our products to be rich in unrefined shea butter so the customer would feel the immediate benefits to their skin.

LADYBRILLENigeria: For those who might not know, what are the qualities of Shea and where does Shea come from?
Funlayo: Shea Trees grow in the West African Savannah. They can be found in Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal and Togo. Scientific research has confirmed what our grandparents have known about shea butter. In addition to being a superior moisturizer, Shea butter also relieves eczema, soothes burns, promotes healing, eases muscle aches and colds.

Shea butter is rich in bioactive properties:
• Antioxidants such as Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Flavinoids including Catechins (Similar to those found in Green Tea)
• Triterpenes with anti-inflammatory and protease-inhibition properties
• Phytosterols which improve skin metabolism and reduce inflammation

LADYBRILLENigeria: As you know, Nigeria’s beauty industry is very much a part of the fashion industry. You are actively involved in trading Shea from Nigeria. Briefly describe the current state of Nigeria’s beauty industry as you know it?
Funlayo: Nigerians have always been on the cutting edge of beauty and fashion. We (Nigerians) are extremely creative at taking the old and creating something new and fresh. I see a move towards more natural and traditional beauty solutions growing in Nigeria. Lots of Nigerians are going for a more natural and organic look with their hairstyles and their fashion. The Nigerian fashion industry is on the verge of a major breakthrough on the international stage.

LADYBRILLENigeria: When all is said and done, what kind of footprint are you looking to leave (outside) and most expecially within Ngeria, as a business woman?
Funalyo: I believe that for any business to remain profitable, it must be sustainable. Shea butter production is primarily a woman’s business. As our business grows and prospers, we want to see the cooperatives we buy from grow and prosper. The shea butter producers are the caretakers of the shea trees that grow in their villages. If they are exploited and not paid fairly, what is the incentive for them not to have the shea trees chopped down and sold for firewood/charcoal when money gets tight?

I want my business to have a positive impact on the local community. Many companies buy shea nuts at a low price and ship them out of the country to extract the butter. We prefer to have the women do the shea butter production because it adds value to the product and they make a better wage.

LADYBRILLENigeria: (Speaking of the women producing their own shea butter), as the owner of a business, to a large extent your business values are an extension of you. What are Shea Radiance’s business values, if any?
Funalyo: We want our business to be around long after we are gone. Our business model is based on sustainable practices that have been best summarized by Andrew Savitz in the triple bottom line:
People
Planet
Profit
LADYBRILLENigeria.com: (Okay, let’s touch on people and planet.) You and your husband are even more remarkable than I thought. [I] love that 10% of proceeds from sales of your shea products go to the Agricultural Initiative for Women in Africa (AGRIWA). Explain why it was important for you both to get involved with AGRIWA?
Funlayo: AGRIWA is a non-profit organization that we are in the process of setting up. While in Nigeria in April (2009), we saw many opportunities to do good works in the rural communities in particular. We believe in giving back. We do it in our personal lives and we felt that as our business grows and expands we needed to have a vehicle that would allow us to do charitable work. Women in rural communities are especially needy of medical and educational support for their famillies. Our goal is to be able to fund in a small way projects that will improve lives and alleviate poverty. We hope to partner with other organizations that have a heart for the poor so we can do joint ventures with them.

LADYBRILLENigeria: So, I received the (review samples) Ultra Rich Body Cream, the Chocolate Truffle Pure Shea Butter (thanks for putting a warning label that says do not eat it (laughs)) and the Pomegranate Whipped Shea Butter. Could you explain the distinctions between pure vs. whipped shea?
Funlayo: Yes. Shea Butter is a very versatile moisturizing base and we feature this by creating 3 distinct textures of moisturizers using shea butter.The Chocolate Truffle Pure Shea Butter is the raw shea butter scented with a hint of cocoa essential oils. It has the firm texture of shea butter. This product is a great healing balm and can be used for moisturizing dry callused feet at bed time, sunburn, cuts, eczema, dry nails and lips. It’s a great spot treatment.

The Whipped Shea Butter is half shea butter and half combination of nourishing oils whipped into a rich souffle. This oil based delicacy is great for those who don’t have the patience to work with the raw shea butter beacuse it is easier to apply. It is also excellent mositurizer for the dry winter months. It is a great hair and body moisturizer.

The Utra Rich Cream is a rich creamy textured shea butter product. It is filled with antioxidants and extracts including Baobab etracts, Marine Extracts, Pumpkin and Guava extract. It is a very rich cream and a little goes a long way. This cream keeps the skin hydarated all day long long.

LADYBRILLENigeria: The Ultra Rich Body Cream is indeed VERY rich. Is that for all skin types or just really dry skin?
Funlayo: It’s for all skin types and those with dry skin will appreciate the benefits even more.

LADYBRILLENigeria: I like your packaging. The Chocolate Truffle packaging is not only attractive but the container is 100% biodegradable. I am really impressed that you are especially conscious about your environment. (If) you have lived in or visited Nigeria, we are far from being as conscientious about the environment, unless of course you go to the villages. What do you think has made you that sensitive about our responsibility to the earth and our job to do our part for a cleaner environment?
Funlayo: Thank you. It took us almost a year to design that package from the time the idea was conceived. We wanted a package that would convey the beautiful, renewable and sustainable nature of shea butter. We are more sensitive about the environement because our business in shea butter is dependednt on these trees being available to produce fruits. If the women who are the caretakers of these trees decide to cut them down, it will have a negative impact on the environment and our business. This is why Fair Trade is an important component of being good stewards of the environment.

LADYBRILLENigeria: (Let’s touch on the “profit” aspect of your business value systems) I read on your blog that you recently visited Nigeria and gave a speech in the Niger Delta area. You identified five primary concerns in supply chain logistics that affect Nigeria’s ability to be profitable in trading shea. Briefly explain each concern to us and why we should care?
Funlayo: Yes, we were in Minna, Niger State for a Shea Butter Financing Workshop sponsored by the Niger State government and USAID/West African Trade Hub. The major challenges faced by Nigerian producers is lack of financing from the banks. In spite of all the talk about supporting agricultural initiatives, that money is rarely seen by those who are really interested in developing the shea butter business. Another challenge is the lack of committment to quality standards – in haste to make money Nigerians are sometimes known to compromise on quality. The last challenge is the need to rebrand Nigeria’s image. Negative reports of Nigerian ethics hurts all our businesses. I know that there are many excellent and creative entrpreneurs in Nigeria. We just need to hear more about them and less about the corrupt ones.

LADYBRILLENigeria: I like that you have a blog that is regularly updated and seems to be an extension of your customer service to your clients. How important is that in today’s fashion business world?
Funlayo: Yes our blog is an extension of who we are. We try to stay updated and this can be a challenge with so many conflicting priorities. Our customers want to about our trips and other interesting facts. I also know that as Africans, we have a unique opportunity to educate and inform others about all the good that is coming from the continent. We currently have two blogs, http://www.shearadiance.typepad.com/ and http://www.sheabutterexperts.com./ The same extends to the fashion world because people want to stay informed on the trends. I am amazed at the number of incredible designers emerging from the continent and the only reason I know this and can brag about it to my American friends is because I read blogs/websites such as (LadybrilleNigeria) that highlight this.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Your business is involved with the West African Trade Hub in the USA. How can Nigerian fashion and beauty businesses like yours, looking to trade with the West, use the West African hub to their advantage?
Funlayo: The West African Trade Hub was created to fulfill a mandate by the USAID to promote trade between the US and West Africa. It was through the Trade Hub that we made a connection with our partners and cooperative in Nigeria and have since made several trips with members of the trade hub to the shea areas in Nigeria. The trade hub also helps execute the AGOA mandate which also promotes trade of certain items, including textiles, crafts and fashion from West Africa to the US, tariff free.

LADYBRILLENigeria.com: What next for Shea Radiance?
Funlayo: Well we just updated our product line with new labels and logo. We are looking forward to the 2010 shea harvest with the hope of buying and selling lots of shea butter.

LADYBRILLENigeria: How do we support your work and where both online and offline can we find your products for purchase?
Funlayo: You can find us online at http://www.shearadiance.com/or shearadiancesupplies.com. We are also in the Mall at Columbia. Our non profit efforts through AGRIWA will be published on AGRIWA.org soon. Those in the Washington DC Metro Area can find us at the Shea Radiance Kiosk at The Mall in Columbia, on the lower level beside Kay Jewelers during the holidays.

LADYBRILLENigeria: Thanks Funlayo for being our personality of the month. We are honored and congratulations with all of your great work. (It) is not as easy as you make it all look.
Funlayo: Thank you so much for letting me share our story.

Visit Funlayo Alabi’s Shea Radiance site(s).
Visit the West African Trade Hub here.

~Interview by Uduak Oduok

LadybrilleNigeria Personality of the Month is a monthly feature of Nigeria’s fashion entrepreneurs, business leaders and personalities truly connecting and changing the face of Nigeria’s fashion industry.

Fashion Illustrators are responsible for helping fashion professionals such as fashion magazines, retailers, public relations and marketing communicate their fashion message through their drawings, sketching or paintings.

Understanding this backdrop and quick definitions, for industry novices, can you name any Nigerian Fashion Illustrators? How many Nigerian “designers” are you aware of that sketch their designs before attempting to consruct the real deal?Okay so maybe a hand or two went up but for the most part, most of your hands remained by your sides. Allow us to introduce you, in this exclusive, to our Ladybrille®Nigeria Personality of the Month, Ibeabuchi Ananaba (Ibe) a talented artist and Fashion Illustrator whose work, we believe, will “wow” you just like it did us.

Ibe, we think, might just be one of the new and leading crop of fashion illustrators who will help strengthen and further Nigeria’s fashion and design industry with his talent and skills. Let’s meet him, shall we! Also be sure to catch him and his work in person at the Goethe Institute in Lagos on October 10th, 2009.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Hi Ibe, it is nice to finally make this interview happen. Your work has been so impressive but we never could quite seem to connect to make this happen. How are you?
Ibeabuchi Ananaba (Ibe): Wow . . .I am fine. A big thanks for asking and I’m also happy we finally made this happen.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Many, even within Nigeria (Naija), do not know who you are. Would you please introduce yourself?
Ibe: (laughs) My name is Ibeabuchi Ananaba. I’m from Obegu, Ugwunagbor L.G.A -Abia State. I was (born in Belgium and raised) in Aba but I am now based in Lagos. I am a Fine and Applied Arts Graduate of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (1999 set). I majored in Painting. My hobbies are listening to music, enjoying jokes and sketching.

I grew up with the ambition to touch lives with my creativity and the ambition still remains the same. While many, even within Nigeria, might not know me now but I know that things evolve. With time, things will unfold and like FAZE (a popular Nigerian music artist) sang – “One day dem go holla my name”!

Ladybrille®Nigeria: (laughs) Good choice of artist to quote. FAZE is actually one of my all time favorite artist out of Naija. Indeed “One day dem go holla (your) name” if you keep up the quality work. We will talk a bit more about your artwork in general but first, you do fashion illustrations. Where did your interest in fashion come from?
Ibe: (It) comes from my appreciation of nature and the human form. I love figures a lot. The human structure is amazingly dynamic. It has every flow and rhythm you enjoy when listening to your best music. It is so complete that God had to make out time to create it last. That said, I have always had the zeal to create designs that would enhance or compliment the human form. As time went on, I developed interest in flipping through magazines and appreciating fashion trends, styles and illustrations.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Okay Let’s talk more about your art work. I know there are a few galleries here and there within Nigerian but paint the picture for us in terms of the state of art in Nigeria?
Ibe: The state of art in Nigeria, in my view, is like a flower yet to bloom. People are beginning to appreciate things and getting to open their minds to ideas. If you look at some locally made music videos, you’ll appreciate the new breeze. Somehow it might seem cheap but then the fact that one realizes he/she has to make a mark or even dare to attempt is a pointer to sunny days. Beyond the visual arts, the music industry is growing as well as the movie industry. Together they help uplift our image but then I think the need for the government to see the potential and give a heavy support is crucial.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Outside the country it is hard for artist to make money and that is even in societies where art is really appreciated. “How you take manage for Naija?”
Ibe: (laughs) In as much as “man mus’ wack,” I deeply do this for the love. With this in mind, I got myself a job. I work as a Senior Art Director at an advertising agency here in Naija called Insight Communications Limited. It is a job that always task the brain and gives you room to create. It has helped expand my mind and opens a window for me to get a grasp of how the human mind could be influenced by what we think . . .
There is this feel good (feeling) when you realize you are part of a ground-breaking campaign that everyone talks about, or at least you witnessed one or can understand the process.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Back to fashion. Within the context of fashion in Nigeria, you don’t per se hear about sketches as much as you do in the West. Have you thought about collaborating with Nigerian designers who maybe are not as gifted in fashion sketching to help them really capture their imaginative designs on paper?
Ibe: I have had that within me ever since but I’m yet to meet a designer I can connect with so we can shake the world. Although times are changing, I notice a lot of things within the fashion industry is picking up. There is more energy and vitality now on the street level but I know there is always room for (improvement). You just have to notice that gap and fill it or else one goes irrelevant.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Where do you see Nigeria’s art world going?
Ibe: It is moving forward despite the many challenges. There is hope. There’s a new Naija awakening in various aspects including the arts. From performing art to visual arts, there’s a shift that’s favoring a lot of people down here. Awareness is gradually growing.

We’ve witnessed big art events like ARESUVA and ART EXPO twice here in Nigeria. They might not have met or equaled the standards (in the West) but the fact is that something new is happening and it’s begun to revive lost hopes and encourage upcoming artists. Big brands are beginning to realize the vital role art plays in the communities they operate in, so it has opened a new channel for the business of art to flourish.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: What galleries would you recommend we check out to see some pure talent?
Ibe: Some virtual galleries like www.lineguage.com, www.seekproject.com and a whole lot of others are there to visit. One of the cutest new galleries I discovered is Artistic Liscence at Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island. Terra Kulture is another cool place. YabaTech Art Department, AFA gallery, Quintessence Gallery, Mydrim gallery,Omenka Gallery,Nike gallery and more within Lagos. There are also (many) galleries across Nigeria with some great hidden talents although most galleries are concentrated here in Lagos.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Where are some of the hangout spots for up and coming artists and art lovers looking to be inspired?
Ibe: Terra Kulture, Center for Contemporary Arts, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, Universal Studios at National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, Kelechi Amadi-obi Studio, Photo, Garage and a whole lot of places in Lagos.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: Are you teaching or offering any art courses in Nigeria?
Ibe: Not yet, perhaps one day it will happen.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: What are some of your upcoming art projects?
Ibe: At the moment, I have an upcoming art exhibition at Goethe-Institute Lagos titled AGAINST ALL ODDS. It is an art exhibition of my ballpoint pen drawings. I call it an epistle from me to the public advocating for HOPE. I want to use it as a pulling force to draw people together aiming to stir up a paradigm shift. I also have an incomplete fashion art project titled SELENSE. “Selense” is a slang I heard while growing up to mean “show-off” or “to flaunt.” It is a project that celebrates the fashion sense of today’s contemporary chic woman, irrespective of race and geographical location.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: We are still getting our minds around the creative arts in terms of presenting and preserving the culture in a way that is appreciated. Any suggestions on how the country can preserve our rich arts and culture?
Ibe: My suggestion would be foundational. It has to start from the grass-root level. It has to start from the school curriculum. The awareness and appreciation needs to be taught and emphasized from a tender age. People need to be well informed so they can function with a liberated mindset. Art in my days in school was mostly misinterpreted. Art goes way beyond what people think it is. Art transcends entertainment and ranges from informative to educative and even therapeutic. Art, one way or the other, influences our way of thinking, living and behavioral patterns which makes up our culture. It explains and shows our heritage and identity.

Living a well balanced life also would help in preserving our artistic culture. Some term it as a waste to take time from the daily crazy hustle to explore art while some don’t realize its essence. Some know how to travel far to appreciate a sight seeing while some fail to see the need. A balanced lifestyle helps open and equip the mind on how to preserve what is yours.

I also think strong campaigns that reinforce the essence and importance of our artistic culture and the need to preserve them are also very important, campaigns which reach the masses through different media that grabs people’s attention. Other programs like trainings could help out too.

Ladybrille®Nigeria: (Well said). Our final question for you. Who are the “must know” Nigerian artists within and outside the country?
Ibe: Within Nigeria names like Kelechi Amadi Obi , Henry Morkah, Ugo Ananaba, Uche Iroha, Enyinnaya Ihediwa, Chima Etu, Chamberlin Ukenedo, Rom Isichei, Kainebi Osahenye, Edosa Oguigo, Segun Adejumo, Ben Osaghae and Nsikak Essien. Outside Nigeria names like Okey Iwundu, Onyeka Ibe, Ugochukwu Smooth-Nzewi, Bright Eke, Pita Ohiwerei, Olu Amoda and Iheanyi Ihediwa are all names to know.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]