On Authenticity- Three Nigerian women I admire and how they are challengingn the future of women.

Today, authenticity is a buzzword. It’s a fashionable way to describe oneself, whether in formal settings or on social media. But what does it mean to be authentic? Being authentic is basically owning up to your personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure to act otherwise. It comes with accepting “the way you will be perceived”, and people’s assumptions based on external dispositions; such as your hair, attire, complexion, occupation and race. And yet refusing to conform because you know that what distinguishes you is your belief in your innate abilities, your values and that your actions match your words whether in personal or public life. This is the tale of Nike Davies-Okundaye, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, and Chimamanda Adichie, a renowned textile designer, an economist and international development expert, and a writer, respectively.

On the love for arts and big gele (headgear)

I love Nike Davies-Okundaye. I remember the first time I saw her in church. It was her gait as she progressed slowly to the altar, her slender body carrying a massive headgear, drawing all attention to her as she dropped her offerings in the box and, nodding and smiling to everyone staring at her, walked back to her seat. I wondered who she was and what that massive headgear was about. It didn’t take long to learn that she is an acclaimed Nigeria’s textile artist and the founder of Nike Art Gallery.

Nike’s career in arts and textiles has spanned over 50 years. She learnt art and craft from her parents and with no formal education; she knew arts would be her meal ticket. Initially, when arts couldn’t feed her, she would take odd jobs working in a construction site to eat and save enough to buy wares for her art. The art industry in Nigeria was a male-dominated industry in the 1960s. Nike not only chartered her course as a woman, but she also groomed any woman that has an interest. Sometimes, she literarily got hawkers off the street, encouraging them to try creative arts. Nike carved a path that never existed, portraying Osogbo’s handmade indigo textiles on a global scale. She founded four art centres in Nigeria offering free training in weaving, painting and other traditional arts.

Nike’s popular saying to women about following their passion is “Give them something to talk about, do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what people will say”. Basically, she is asking women to shun stereotypes and gossip and follow their passion.

On the love of service and native attire

I love Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. I watched her, not understanding what she does, but observed that every time I saw her on the television, she wore a native Ankara outfit and matching headgear. The first time I saw her was in 2003 when she was appointed the Finance minister at the inception of the third Nigerian democratic dispensation. Her native outfit was odd at the time when, as a country, Nigerians looked to foreign attires for validation. As I became old enough to understand economics and economists and the import of her work at the World bank on a global scale, I admired her confidence, her audacity to stand out, to think that for a moment she could shun all presumptions and interpretation of her outfit and be herself. I admired her quest to identify with her root and to work for her motherland, Nigeria.

As the finance minister, she spearheaded negotiations with the Paris club that led to debt relief of US$18 billion. Ngozi founded the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (C-SEA) a development research think tank to bridge the gap caused by the lack of research that affects the quality of policies implemented in African countries. When people thought she might be considering retirement having already accomplished a lot, she vied for the Director General (DG) of the World Trade Organization and was recently appointed the DG. So far, Ngozi is the first female minister of finance in Nigeria and the first female to lead WTO. Being first means opening the minds of other Nigerian women that it is possible for a woman to lead-based on competence. Her outfit passes a message to be confident in your own skin.

On the love for writing and natural hair

I love Chimamanda Adichie. I feel like I have always known her, even though I have never met her. This happens when in writing her characters, in telling their stories, she reveals a little of herself. I have read all her novels. I rarely close her novel till I finish it, say in 48 hours. I see myself, my family, my friends, my relatives, fellow citizens in her story. By dropping out of medical school to study communications, Chimamanda's life reveals the reward of following one’s passion. Before she came into the international limelight, she had written several short stories and poems.

Through her writing about natural hair and carrying her natural hair, she started a movement of Nigerian women carrying their natural hairs in a society still defined by its love for foreign hair extensions. By finding her style and carrying herself with such grace, she shows young women that they are acceptable to the way God created them. Chimamanda divides her time between the United States and Nigeria, where she teaches free writing workshops.

***About: I've spent the last 12 years building experience in Business Development, Partnerships, Strategy & Operations spanning across Africa. I'm highly passionate about Financial Technology and Digital Innovation in the African Payment Space. I enjoy working with high performing teams to build innovative solutions. Solving the "how" of Strategic Implementation/Vision challenges related to businesses, products or partnerships is of utmost interest. If you've enjoyed this piece, don't hesitate to like, leave a comment and share the article with others.