LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The popular saying “behind every successful man there is a woman” applies to how the entire world functions, and not just to men.
The word “woman” is strong because it symbolizes love, strength, commitments, responsibilities, nurturing, maturity, and other positive concepts. A woman is like the atom of civilization; without her, nothing exists.
Being a woman means having guts, being extraordinary, and simply setting out to achieve phenomenally.
Nigerian women have demonstrated nothing less than excellence and strength since time immemorial. A Nigerian woman can never be pushed to the side; she is competitive everywhere she goes.
According to the MasterCard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) 2021, Nigeria has 59.1% of the world’s “women professional and technical workers,” placing it second overall.
The report further shows that Nigerian women entrepreneurs are adaptable and resilient even in the face of hardship.
The power of the Nigerian woman may be seen in many forms, from her daily work as a role model, and mentor to her aspirations for careers and business.
Despite not having the essentials, she overcomes obstacles and manages to make things work.
Nigerian women are no longer battling for survival; they are also taking the lead and it is on this premise that voiceofnaija.ng is celebrating these five outstanding Nigerian Women Under 40 on this year’s International Women’s Day.
For one thing, few of them are still somewhat ‘newcomers’, however, they have unique and extraordinary abilities in their respective field.
Ire Aderinokun, 32
Ire Aderinokun is the first Nigerian woman to become a Google Developer Expert. To put it plainly, Ire is a multi-talented and record-breaking programmer.
She is highly creative and fulfilled by programming itself. She sees a fresh challenge and something new to learn every day.
As a full-time front-end engineer at eye/o, she is devoting her resources to helping young women complete online tech programs.
In addition to being a well-known Google developer expert, she founded the Feminist Coalition, a group devoted to advancing gender equality for Nigerian women.
The Tech whizkid is reportedly worth over $5 Million.
Oluwatobi Ayomide Amusan, 25
Popularly referred to as Tobi Amusan, this young lady had always believed she could become the best in the world in the 100m Hurdles, and eventually, her belief became a fact.
According to Wikipedia, Amusan became the first ever Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event when she won the 2022 World Championships 100m hurdles gold medal, setting the current world record of 12.12 seconds in the semi-final, followed up by a wind-assisted 12.06 s in the final.
She won back-to-back Commonwealth and African titles in 2018 and 2022 in the 100m hurdles and is also a two-time African Games champion in the event.
Nigeria’s Tobiloba Amusan was named Africa’s Best Female Athlete for the Year 2022 as a result of her “never giving up” approach to life .
Bimbo Ademoye, 32
According to Bimbo Ademoye during an interview, her acting career began in 2014 when she was cast in the short film Where Talent Lies.
She has featured in over 40 film projects throughout the years, becoming one of the most well-known figures in Nollywood.
Bimbo is not just an award-winning actress, she is a model, fit-fam activist, and brand influencer/ambassador.
Bimbo has become an online sensation, With her YouTube comedy series “Teropi Secxxion,” that depicts her as a therapist who tries to talk things out for her clients but ends up in a disagreement.
She is well known for her resilience and consistency in the media space as she is a role model to several up and coming talents.
Bimbo Ademoye is reportedly valued at a net worth of around $1.6 million.
Tomike Adeoye, 27
Starting out her career as a Radio and TV presenter , Tomike Adeoye broke into the movie scene with her acting debut in 2005 as Tania in the popular TV series titled Jenifa’s diary.
Tomike has significantly improved over the years, thanks to her diligence and commitment, distinguishing herself as a phenomenal award-winning Nigerian actress, media personality, brand ambassador, and businesswoman.
She has worked with top brands which include the likes of Jumia Nigeria, Makari, Xiaomi mobile and so on. She is also a brand ambassador for Maltina.
Tomike is a perfect example of a woman who created her brand from scratch.
Kiki Mordi, 31
Kiki is a Nigerian journalist, media personality and writer. In 2016, she won the award of Outstanding Radio Program Presenter at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards. In 2019, she and a team at the BBC Africa Eye released a documentary exposing sexual harassment of students by lecturers.
Her documentary led to the proposal of a Senate bill against sexual harassment in universities.
She also produced the documentary, Life at the Bay which tells the story of the inhabitants and the survival and struggles of their women.
Her unique work has, over time, changed the course of investigative journalism in Nigeria.
Regardless of their origin or age, these ladies worked hard every day to advance personally, which helped them become who they are now and keep them moving upward.
As Edmond Mbiaka puts it: “You could be the next person to succeed if you choose to learn from successful people instead of being envious of them. Moreover, aren’t they successful because they learned and continue to learn from others?”
Remember not to be too self-sufficient and keep an open mind towards learning and improvement.