Minority Report (World View

Odunayo Eweniyi is Cofounder and COO at Piggyvest, an automated savings and micro-investment platform that helps young Nigerians access financial services. She is also the Co-founder at FirstCheck Africa, an angel fund and community for women in tech whose mission is to advance equity, capital and leadership for a generation of women in Africa. She talks about how she is helping promote equality for women via FirstCheck Africa.

How The Journey Began

Everyone sets out on a journey, not knowing what it will turn out to be but hoping for the best possible outcome. I’m no different. I started in tech, hoping to make a difference and impact. 

The journey is still in its early days, but I think I’m well on my way. The belief in myself that I can or I’m well positioned to do anything I’ve done is mainly borne out of a great support system. So many people very vocally believe in me so much that it’s easy to believe in myself.

My Driving Force

The one thing that drives me is the desire always to leave a situation, circumstance, or space better than I met it. I believe in constant improvement, and I like to think I take that everywhere. So I’m compelled to do my best to make things better and that’s what I’ve spent my career trying to do.

Memorable Milestones

I have so many memorable milestones. One is getting my first job in Tech. That happened in 2013. And then, there are the milestones of launching my first startup, PushCV, in 2014, shutting down a startup, 500Dishes, in 2016, launching PiggyVest (then called Piggybank.ng) in that same year, and got the first 1,000 users on Piggyvest in 2017. We then raised our seed round in 2018, reached our first million users in 2020, and launched a fund for women (FirstCheck Africa) in 2021. The list goes on.

Lessons Learned

One lesson I have learned over time in my career is always to be prepared for any and everything. This is because everything that can go wrong will go wrong. If there are no plans to ensure things don’t go bad, and put suitable structures in place to mitigate the crisis, there will surely be a crisis. So, we must always be two steps ahead.

On Women Empowerment

I’m a woman; I don’t need a reason to create a level playing field for myself and people like me. It is something that has to grow to become second nature. We don’t need to be motivated to do this. It just happens. Not wanting a level playing field is essentially not being on my side, and that’s not smart at all. 

For instance, I am creating a level playing ground for women via FirstCheck Africa, where I am a Co-founder. FirstCheck Africa is a fund that’s dedicated to advancing Equity, Capital, and Leadership for a generation of women in Africa. I’m also the Co-founder of The Feminist Coalition – a group of young Nigerian feminists who work to promote equality for women in Nigerian society across Financial Literacy, Women’s Health and Safety, and Legislative Power for women. I work to make sure that whatever space I occupy, representation and diversity follows.

There is a saying by Hilary Clinton that I love so much. It says ‘Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all. I strongly believe in representation, which reflects in all my projects. I also think that closing the gender gap requires a lot of hard work and intentionality, so I don’t think that one thing will cut it. But if I had to wave a wand and magically cause a change, it would be to bring equal representation into existence. 

#FindingHerSpark

For young girls and women out there, you need to find the one thing that makes you unique. For me, what I bring to the table is my grit. Whatever I need to do to get a vision to life, I’ll do it. I’ll learn it. This has been my superpower, and I deploy it in all the projects I work on. 

I have a saying I borrow from my dad. It says, “aim very high, work very hard, care very deeply.” When you do this, you begin to see parts of you that you never knew existed. You begin to understand what drives you and the issues you care deeply about. As you evolve, you would then find your spark.

Nwamaka Onyemelukwe is the Director, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. Before joining Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, she worked at Philip Morris International, serving as the Manager, Corporate Affairs.

From Pharmaceuticals to FMCG

I started my professional journey in public affairs with Novartis Pharmaceuticals. There, I championed key projects delivering over fifty new lifesaving medicines under different disease areas (Malaria, Oncology, Hypertension, and Diabetes) to patients at competitive prices. I served in various capacities before leaving the company to pursue other diverse experiences. 

There will always be challenges, but if you are prepared for it, you won’t be caught off guard. When challenges arise, your reaction matters, so, make sure you are never shy or hesitant to ask the right questions or call for help. This would help you handle issues as they arise. If someone had told me that I would be working for a brand like Coca-Cola, I would have argued.

For someone to start her career at a Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Services, that deals in a wide range of products ranging from antimalarial drugs to antihypertensive products and then transiting from pharmaceuticals into the FMCG shows the desire to take on new challenges. 

While I worked in the pharmaceuticals, communication was becoming a fast-evolving space and was taking. I decided to add it to my responsibility and that led to the discovery of my passion. I didn’t realize that it was going to lead me to an entirely new career.

My Growth Journey

I always knew I wanted to do big things. I had big dreams and wanted to achieve them. I was passionate about people and loved to connect with them but having a full-time career in communication was outside my plan. I put in my best and was very deliberate about my growth.

I took short courses and went on short assignments that I knew would help me get better. Although it was extra work for me but I put my heart into it and was able to excel over time. 

Now, I tell young people to go in and deliver excellence in whatever capacity they are called to serve, as no one can tell what will propel success in life.

My Driving Force

I am driven by how we can create a fair and equitable world. I believe that Sustainable Development is very critical to human empowerment. Hence, knowing that what I do daily impacts lives is a significant motivation for me. 

Throughout my career, I have always gravitated toward issues that create a large-scale impact. I love making a difference, so I go out of my way daily to strive for excellence and look for opportunities to create a difference in the lives of others.

Memorable Milestones

One memorable milestone The economic empowerment of over 450,000 women across various programs under my five by 20 Project stood out for me. There is no better fulfillment than seeing my work create smiles and make a difference in people’s lives.

Another critical milestone was moving into the FMCG space and getting to execute a 

Mother and Child program when I arrived at Coca-Cola.

The program opened my eyes to the deplorable state of some teaching hospitals. I was shocked by what I saw, but seeing the changes made after a year was fulfilling. 

Today, the organization has reached more than ten teaching hospitals in the country, providing life-saving equipment, ultrasound machines, and incubators, and upscaling their capacity to save more lives.

Lessons Learned

A major lesson is always to be ready. You must be ready to pounce on opportunities as they come in. 

While switching my career, I sat down, created a strategic plan, and charted my way. Hence, I was ready when opportunities for taking on new assignments showed up. 

Not only did I take them on, I always went the extra mile to ensure that I grew the capacity to excel and deliver at the top level. That’s why I tell everyone who cares to listen to take every opportunity with both hands.

Another lesson is to be prepared for challenges. There will always be challenges, but if you are prepared for them, you won’t be caught off guard. When challenges arise, your reaction matters. So, ensure you are never shy or hesitant to ask the right questions or call for help. This would help you handle issues as they arise.

Also, I have learned to grow my mental tenacity. Make sure that fear does not get you down. You must learn how to bounce back from failures and keep pushing.

On Women Empowerment

I was very fortunate to start my career in a multinational company, and one of the first lessons I learned was that competence is a much bigger factor in comparison to gender. It is not just about being a woman or a man; you must be able to deliver on your assigned tasks. 

That was a vital lesson I learned very early in my career. So as much as I am passionate about creating a level playing ground, competence must be noticed. For instance, I was on a panel where we employed a pregnant 

woman. It wasn’t an issue because she was entirely competent for the job. This is something we advocate for a lot. Whether she’s pregnant or not, this is not supposed to be a deterrent or a barrier to her getting a job. We have had many young women differentiate themselves in various fields, and this number keeps growing. This is an excellent motivation for younger professionals because they have people they can look up to.

At Coca-Cola, we have been able to empower so many women in a very short time. They learned that if they have access to the right support, they can be extraordinary economic multipliers both at the local and global community levels.

We seek to empower women in the workplace and beyond. Women are not only essential in building thriving communities, but they also represent one of the biggest economic accelerators globally. And that is why we are deliberately investing in initiatives that can further this goal. 

Our project 5by20 is a ten-year commitment we embarked on in 2010 and ended in 2020. We economically empowered five million women over those ten years. 

The Spark

My spark is dedication, resilience, and hard work. These are the qualities that help me stay motivated every day to ensure that there is a better society.

#FindingHerSpark

I would advise young women out there to find and understand their passion. You need to realize that everybody is different. You are different from the next woman. When you stop comparing yourself with others, you become open to opportunities. Never forget that life is a marathon and not a sprint. So remain resilient and confident, and don’t forget that you can actually do phenomenal things.

Enitan Okediji works at an International Development Organisation as the Learning, Communications, and Knowledge Manager. She has a Bachelor’s degree in MassCommunication, and also a Masters in Public-Administration – International Development. 

Enitan is a force to reckon with in the development space, especially around communication, media, knowledge management, and learning.

My Vision

At the beginning of my career, success was less about making great decisions and more about exploring. I wasn’t one of those folks who had a very clear vision ahead of her how some people know right from childhood that they want to be an astronaut or Engineer or Lawyer, but that wasn’t for her. There was so much I was interested in back then, and there’s still so much I am interested in now. 

At some point, particularly with my background in Mass Communication, I saw myself being an Investigative Journalist but after going through a deeper search of myself, vision and purpose, I expanded into International Development alongside Communications. However, along the line, I started noticing my desire for social change. I also desired to contribute much more than speaking and writing about issues related to women’s advancements, youth development, and healthcare, amongst others. My intention of translating advocacy into action led me to this point in International Development. 

My Driving Force

My driving force is the only desire to improve the lives of people in any capacity, either directly or indirectly. I enjoy contributing my part to actualizing a worthy vision, which usually revolves around development, and this pushed me into the international development space. 

What kept me captivated in the development sector stems from the logic that deeply connects with my personality which is being curious, imaginative, decisive, and ambitious enough to believe that “nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing. I am able to see a world that 

constantly achieves relevant results through effort, intelligence, commitment, and concentration, regardless of the negatives. 

On Women Empowerment

I believe that Women and girls can do whatever they want.  There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish; I believe that I, as well as other men and women, have the power to close the gender inequality gap, and there is still a lot of room for more competent women to take on more managerial and executive roles in the workplace.

The Spark.

I believe that no one else on the planet has the way my talents, expertise, intrinsic abilities, and gifts are interwoven. My spark has no duplicate and no box. I can be whoever I want to be…

I am aware of the grace I bring to the table when I am involved in any project related to Media, Communications, International Development, Knowledge Management, or anything I set my hands to do. My uniqueness is my spark. 

#Findingof HerSpark

Unplug from the noise. One interesting thing about Eagles is how they can fly up high into the mountains and shed off old feathers. These old feathers may signify mistakes, and the shedding off process could also symbolize mindset shift or rebirth”. 

As a young girl or woman, things may not add up for you if you are too focused on what other people are doing. It’s okay to identify people you admire, but never let it distract you from identifying what makes your eyes light up.

Chidi Koldsweat is an International Development professional with over thirteen years of experience helping donors, governments, the private sector, non-profits, and impact-driven organizations reach more communities with their funding and solutions in Africa. In this interview, she opens up about her work, women breaking out of society-dictated labels and building something for themselves. 

About Donors for Africa

Donors for Africa Foundation is a non-profit organization working to break the cycles of poverty in Africa. We believe that for Africa to experience sustainable growth, we must increase investments in its people and its institutions. We work with key stakeholders to contribute to the sustainable development objectives by governments, objectives that are needed to guide and inform the planning, preparation, negotiation, monitoring, and implementation of a policy.

In addition, we also provide technical expertise and support to philanthropy organizations, donor agencies, the public/ private sector, nonprofits, and impact-driven businesses. This is extremely important to guide the implementation of their solutions in a way that guarantees impact and sustainability.

My Motivation

My driving force evolves beyond the way I feel. It is similar to what trainers do at gyms; they train under every circumstance. Whether it is rainy or the sun is shining, I am driven to get things done, whether I feel like doing it or not.  From my experience, I have discovered that when I hit a funk, the moment I get up and sit in front of my computer, I get motivated.  Each time I follow that rule, the lazy feeling leaves me, and I have full concentration on the work. 

If you wait to be motivated all the time, you may never find the right motivation to get to work. Motivation often fades away. I push myself to work. I have a mental picture that if I want to be better than yesterday, I must be consistent with my actions. We cannot ration consistency at different volumes. Consistency is doing what needs to be done regardless of your feelings.

The Spark

One thing I love doing is going over and beyond. I realize that I have always gone over and beyond in every role that I have occupied. I am the kind of person who wouldn’t get satisfied with one level or phase of the work, I must go over and beyond to get it done. I was blessed to be surrounded by women who would tell me that no matter what level I attain, there is more, and that’s the beauty and strength of the human mind to push for more. It is jneedke going from being skinny to developing abs and muscles, this only happens because you were consistent with your training. 

This is what my spark is. They need to consistently show up so that a family miles away can get the next solution that they needed to have a better shot at life.

On Empowerment

When it comes to empowerment, if I had a superpower, poverty would be the first thing I would eradicate. Diverse levels of social injustice revolve around poverty. I believe that when people know better, they do better. When people are in better conditions, decision-making is easier. Many women would not stay in abusive relationships/marriages if they had resources to cater to themselves and their kids. Poverty is such a horrible decay, and if I have the power to change anything, I’ll change that.

#FindingHerSpark

For a woman to find her spark, it is important to know that a woman is first an individual before anything else. We have seen a lot of labels attached to women over the years, and I am not sure I understand the progression of these labels. When a woman is not a wife, girlfriend, best friend, or one of the labels, people feel there is an emptiness or an irrelevance to who she is. 

A perfect illustration of this is the construct that some women do not think of wealth creation; they think of wealth only when provided by their partners. I came across a social media post about a man who, ten to fifteen years after his mother’s death, still receives monthly payments as part of his inheritance from his late mum’s investments. His mum had bought properties when she was still alive, and when she passed on, her children benefited greatly from their investments. Women must believe that they were created and crafted for a purpose and not only the labels. 

How, then, can we throw all the labels away? It is simple, work on finding fulfillment in what you do. I want women to be conscious of their individuality. There are too many issues associated with our reality as women, yet we must not lose our individuality.

Raquel Daniel is an educator, author, and social entrepreneur who works in marginalized communities in Nigeria, focusing on education, sexual and reproductive health, and community mobilization. Beyond the Classroom Foundation, she works closely with remote villages and internally displaced communities providing free menstrual health education with free sanitary pads to those who can’t afford them.

She is also the author of three books and a co-founder of a volunteer platform called 

Nzuriaiki. In this interview, She takes us on an emotional journey down her growth path, sharing how she broke out of lack and is now leading campaigns to improve the lives of women and girls in the country.

The Beginning

At the beginning of my career, my vision for the future was to build free schools in remote communities with trained and well-paid teachers who have the resources they need to do their jobs. This is because I want children who can’t afford to go to school to have a chance at basic education. 

I grew up being a very optimistic person but I never saw myself working as a development practitioner. I studied Education in school specifically because I wanted to be a teacher and a school owner. Working with children in public schools and enrolling displaced children back to school doesn’t seem far from what I always wanted to do and I believe it only allows me to do more and still achieve my vision of building schools in remote communities later on.

My Driving Force

My late father was and still is a huge driving force for me. Growing up, anytime I was scared or unsure of something; he would say to me, “if there’s anyone I believe can do this, it is you.” He never played down my abilities or treated me like I was less than my brothers. That gave me a lot of confidence in myself. When I started off my career and even while in university, I constantly heard his voice reassuring me that if I could break the cycle in our family and go past high school, something no one has ever done, I would break our family free from poverty.

My late father made me see the need to do things no one has ever done in my family, thereby paving the way for others behind me, which has always been the driving force in my career.

Memorable Milestones

The first time I sat in a classroom at the University of Lagos as a student, I recall crying at the back of the class because I knew deep down that I had started a journey that would change the trajectory of my life and my family’s. 

Another memorable milestone for me was the day I first stepped outside the shores of this country. It was a road trip to Ghana, and when we passed the Benin Republic border, I took a deep breath and said out loud, “this is the first of my many trips abroad by land and by air.” 

A final one I would share is my graduation from the University of Lagos. I wept for hours because my dad wasn’t there to see his baby girl finally bag a degree and thus, breaking that cycle in our family. These three and so many have stayed with me. I hope to one day share it with my children.

Lessons Learned

I’ve picked many lessons along the way, and some of my mentors taught me. The first that comes to mind is learning that it is absolutely okay to start small, even if I have big dreams. Sometimes, we are too focused on the big dream and turn down every opportunity to start small. It could be an opportunity to volunteer, intern at a company, or take up a lower position and grow our way up.

The second is that relationships are key. I have heard this from my mentors, but it is more important than most people give it credit. I have learned with relationships that one can close doors nicely without shutting them. We might get into disagreements with others in our career journeys, but we shouldn’t be quick to write them off. 

On Women Empowerment

Each time I get the opportunity to speak to young women and girls, I always tell them; do not to be afraid to step out and take the lead. As someone who grew up in a family where I wasn’t treated like a ‘girl,’ I found it strange getting to boarding school and being told by a teacher that I talked too much and that my “sharp mouth” wasn’t “girly.” I saw a lot of girls who were outspoken, just like me, and wanted to be made deputy class prefects because the boys are usually the class prefects, and they did nothing. 

At that age, I knew it was a clear show of a culture of dominance that needed to be broken. I recall speaking out in my second year of Junior High School, asking that the position be contested openly instead of nominated. The school leadership looked into it, and it was changed. The term after, I contested for the position of class prefect and won. I believe that women can be exceptional leaders if given the opportunity, which is why I am passionate about creating a level playing ground for women because when we do, it activates our creativity and power. 

Creating Equal Opportunities

Through my work, I always create opportunities for women and girls to participate, allowing them to showcase their potential and also lead. For example, in the internally displaced person’s communities and remote villages where we work, we ensure the women leaders are involved in the stakeholders’ conversations we have with their leaders. 

I might not have the power to create EQUAL opportunities for women to thrive because, honestly, that is the vision. But I do my best to include women and allow them to activate their powers.

The Spark

Since my early years, people have always noticed that I bring life to many ideas. It was so amazing that when anyone had a sketchy idea, they had conversations with me, and almost immediately, it became a full-fleshed profitable idea. However, I never activated the commercial part of this gift in me. As a matter of fact, I spent hours validating and creating ideas with people and did not get paid until someone brought to my notice how unique my gift was. 

So right now, helping you to bring life to your ideas is now a business for me, and I believe it is actually The Spark for me. 

Although this gift came with a lot of challenges and seeming hate from colleagues; I always reminded myself of a statement my dad always said casually that, “God created a table in the presence of your enemies. So it’s your table in their presence, but it’s your choice if you want to eat at your table or not”. 

#FindingHerSpark

Everyone is born with a spark. That spark is the one thing that makes us unique and stands us out from the crowd. To every girl and woman aspiring to find her spark, I would say, remember that regardless of your background, ethnicity, or race, your spark will shine bright if you can find it and live it. When you do find it, don’t hide it due to fear or any insecurity; use it and allow yourself to be a blessing to this world.

Nwamaka Onyemelukwe is the Director, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. Before joining Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, she worked at Philip Morris International, serving as the Manager, Corporate Affairs.

From Pharmaceuticals to FMCG

I started my professional journey in public affairs with Novartis Pharmaceuticals. There, I championed key projects delivering over fifty new lifesaving medicines under different disease areas (Malaria, Oncology, Hypertension, and Diabetes) to patients at competitive prices. I served in various capacities before leaving the company to pursue other diverse experiences. 

There will always be challenges, but if you are prepared for it, you won’t be caught off guard. When challenges arise, your reaction matters, so, make sure you are never shy or hesitant to ask the right questions or call for help. This would help you handle issues as they arise. If someone had told me that I would be working for a brand like Coca-Cola, I would have argued.

For someone to start her career at a Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Services, that deals in a wide range of products ranging from antimalarial drugs to antihypertensive products and then transiting from pharmaceuticals into the FMCG shows the desire to take on new challenges. 

While I worked in the pharmaceuticals, communication was becoming a fast-evolving space and was taking. I decided to add it to my responsibility and that led to the discovery of my passion. I didn’t realize that it was going to lead me to an entirely new career.

My Growth Journey

I always knew I wanted to do big things. I had big dreams and wanted to achieve them. I was passionate about people and loved to connect with them but having a full-time career in communication was outside my plan. I put in my best and was very deliberate about my growth.

I took short courses and went on short assignments that I knew would help me get better. Although it was extra work for me but I put my heart into it and was able to excel over time. 

Now, I tell young people to go in and deliver excellence in whatever capacity they are called to serve, as no one can tell what will propel success in life.

My Driving Force

I am driven by how we can create a fair and equitable world. I believe that Sustainable Development is very critical to human empowerment. Hence, knowing that what I do daily impacts lives is a significant motivation for me. 

Throughout my career, I have always gravitated toward issues that create a large-scale impact. I love making a difference, so I go out of my way daily to strive for excellence and look for opportunities to create a difference in the lives of others.

Memorable Milestones

One memorable milestone The economic empowerment of over 450,000 women across various programs under my five by 20 Project stood out for me. There is no better fulfillment than seeing my work create smiles and make a difference in people’s lives.

Another critical milestone was moving into the FMCG space and getting to execute a 

Mother and Child program when I arrived at Coca-Cola.

The program opened my eyes to the deplorable state of some teaching hospitals. I was shocked by what I saw, but seeing the changes made after a year was fulfilling. 

Today, the organization has reached more than ten teaching hospitals in the country, providing life-saving equipment, ultrasound machines, and incubators, and upscaling their capacity to save more lives.

Lessons Learned

A major lesson is always to be ready. You must be ready to pounce on opportunities as they come in. 

While switching my career, I sat down, created a strategic plan, and charted my way. Hence, I was ready when opportunities for taking on new assignments showed up. 

Not only did I take them on, I always went the extra mile to ensure that I grew the capacity to excel and deliver at the top level. That’s why I tell everyone who cares to listen to take every opportunity with both hands.

Another lesson is to be prepared for challenges. There will always be challenges, but if you are prepared for them, you won’t be caught off guard. When challenges arise, your reaction matters. So, ensure you are never shy or hesitant to ask the right questions or call for help. This would help you handle issues as they arise.

Also, I have learned to grow my mental tenacity. Make sure that fear does not get you down. You must learn how to bounce back from failures and keep pushing.

On Women Empowerment

I was very fortunate to start my career in a multinational company, and one of the first lessons I learned was that competence is a much bigger factor in comparison to gender. It is not just about being a woman or a man; you must be able to deliver on your assigned tasks. 

That was a vital lesson I learned very early in my career. So as much as I am passionate about creating a level playing ground, competence must be noticed. For instance, I was on a panel where we employed a pregnant 

woman. It wasn’t an issue because she was entirely competent for the job. This is something we advocate for a lot. Whether she’s pregnant or not, this is not supposed to be a deterrent or a barrier to her getting a job. We have had many young women differentiate themselves in various fields, and this number keeps growing. This is an excellent motivation for younger professionals because they have people they can look up to.

At Coca-Cola, we have been able to empower so many women in a very short time. They learned that if they have access to the right support, they can be extraordinary economic multipliers both at the local and global community levels.

We seek to empower women in the workplace and beyond. Women are not only essential in building thriving communities, but they also represent one of the biggest economic accelerators globally. And that is why we are deliberately investing in initiatives that can further this goal. 

Our project 5by20 is a ten-year commitment we embarked on in 2010 and ended in 2020. We economically empowered five million women over those ten years. 

The Spark

My spark is dedication, resilience, and hard work. These are the qualities that help me stay motivated every day to ensure that there is a better society.

#FindingHerSpark

I would advise young women out there to find and understand their passion. You need to realize that everybody is different. You are different from the next woman. When you stop comparing yourself with others, you become open to opportunities. Never forget that life is a marathon and not a sprint. So remain resilient and confident, and don’t forget that you can actually do phenomenal things.