On February 24th, 2020, Corona Virus found its way into Nigeria through an Italian who was a consultant to Lafarge PLC in Ewekoro, Ogun State.

This would have been a serious problem for Nigeria if the nature of his ailment went unnoticed.

However, luck was on the side of Nigerians because one woman, a medical doctor by name- Amarachukwu Allison, discovered the index case in Nigeria.

Amarachukwu with her resourcefulness, support and help of her team mates successfully diagnosed the Italian and saved Nigeria and Ogun State indigenes the threat of community transmission of the disease that has since killed 90,985 people globally according to worldometer.

39 people in Nigeria were exposed to the Italian, and they were put under quarantine, after which one of them was proven to be infected. The infected person has since recovered.

5 Things about Amarachukwu Allison

1. Amarachukwu bagged her M.B.B.S degree from University of Port Harcourt

2. She did her house job in the teaching hospital of the same university.

3. Amarachukwu is skilled in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tropical Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine.

4. She has certifications in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Experienced Provider (ACLS), and M & E frameworks for HIV/AIDS and other certifications.

5. Finally, Amarachukwu is credited with being the person who discovered the index case in Nigeria.

1.       Keep a Journal:

 A journal is a place, usually a book where you document your thoughts and events. This exercise as mundane as it appears helps you cultivate mindfulness.

Mindfulness is when you are in harmony with your thoughts and the present. Mindfulness helps reduce anxiety and confusion.

Keep a journal to help you develop mindfulness.

2.       Organize Your Thoughts:

 As a new week begins, you should develop the habit of organizing your thoughts in your journal. Typically, the first thing to do is to document all thoughts, followed by organizing them.

Thoughts must be organized based on their potential effects. Some thoughts are limiting, while some are empowering. Take a good look at your thoughts, which ones are useful, take a look at them and see what you can do with them.

3.       Document Learnings and Improve:

 The journey to great character and attitude requires conscious learning and improvement. Take time to document learning's and how you can improve at work and at home. 

4.       Align Your Goals:

How you perform during the week is what determines the impact you make in every given year. There is no better planning horizon than your week.

You must break down your yearly goals into bits and fit them into your week.

Highlight your goals for the week and seek to achieve them.

Meanwhile it must be noted that goals can be divided into social, business, performance, spiritual and more. However, capture your goals in a way that ensures they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART).

5.       Measure the Weekly Impact:

 Your week must be measured against the objectives you have set. Did you read those books? Did you call your friends and family? Did you say your prayers regularly?

Did make the phone calls? Did you write the articles for LinkedIn?

 Measuring your week helps you answer these questions.   

Aisha Ahmad

Aisha Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability Directorate of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was born on 26^th of October, 1976 in Sokoto State, Nigeria.

Until her appointment as Deputy Governor of the CBN, she was Executive Director, Consumer Banking and Investment at Diamond Bank.

Aisha Ahmad is a graduate of University of Abuja where she bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She also has an MBA in Finance from University of Lagos, a Master’s Degree in Finance and Management from Cranefield University.

Aisha is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and she has since bagged the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

She the Women in Business (WIMBIZ) organization where she helps women in personal development and business growth.

Aisha started her work at, Manstructs Group Nigeria Limited, where she served as Group Accountant after which she worked at Z.O. Ososanya & Company. She then moved to First Interstate Bank (Nigeria) PLC, as Executive Assistant, Treasury Group.

She then proceeded to Zenith Bank where she served as Head of Retail Banking, and then NAL Bank, now Sterling Bank, as Head of Private Banking. Shortly before joining the CBN, she worked as the Executive Director, Consumer Banking and Investment. 

Aisha’s professional career spans NAL Bank PLC, Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC and Diamond Bank.

She also served as the chairperson of the executive council of Women in management, Business and public service (WIMBIZ).

 A 2018 report on Girl Child Education by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) showed that only 45% of girls in Northern Nigeria are enrolled in school.

Currently, the dropout rate for primary school in Nigeria is 35.6%, most of this proportion being young girls. Northern Nigeria had 13.2 million children out of school, representing 69% of out of school children in Nigeria.

The attendance rate for girls is 45%, which means more than half of girls in the north is less than half. This shortfall has been attributed to child marriage and cultural values that promote women

labour and domesticity.

The situation is dire and harmful for the personal development of the “Girl Child” and the country, economically. There are qualitative and quantitative consequences for this situation.

According to World Bank, additional years of schooling increases the likelihood of higher wages for women and reduction in child mortality rates.

Psychologists also hold that children derive a lot of their intelligence from their mothers through interactions that fire up the various parts of a child’s brain.

Education is the basis of other forms of development. Education is a critical factor in employment, life expectancy and access to opportunities.

Several interventions have been made over the years with Nigeria creating and operating various policies from the 1980’s. Some of these policies which include;

  1986: Blueprint on Women's Education. An outreach and awareness campaign to promote the importance of equal education, increase the available educational resources for females and reduce dropout rates among female students.

1986: Nomadic Education Programme. Increase the access to education for children of Nomads without jeopardizing pastoralism.

1991: National Commission for Mass Literacy and Non-formal Education. A policy to motivate parents and families to send their school-age children to school and to establish training facilities that concentrate on domestic science, home economics and crafts.

1994: Family Support Basic Education Programme. A programme to encourage families living in rural areas to send girls to go to school as a means of promoting youth development.

1999: Universal Basic Education. Reduction in geographic and gender disparity in school enrolment.

2001: National Policy on Women

2002: Education For-all Fast Track Initiative.

2003: Strategy for Acceleration of Girls Education in Nigeria.

2004: National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS).

2004: Universal Basic Education Act.

In addition to these policies, Nigeria subscribes to global positions such as “Education for All, 2015” under the Millennium Development Goals and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, where education was declared as a fundamental human right.

These efforts have yielded gains with primary school enrollment increasing from 30%-80% between 1970 to 1994.  However, these gains are significantly reduced because of dropout rates of girls and their irregular school attendance.

Child marriage, Cost of Education and Cultural Inefficiencies have led to the high dropout rates and underdevelopment of the girl child in the north.

The northern part of Nigeria gets our attention because any region that has 69% of children out of school will naturally limit the progress of the entire society.

At WEEC, we believe that the culture in the northern part of the country be assessed and aided by soft and encouraging legislation that will ensure girls study and stay longer in school.

This must go side by side with an encouragement of male child education. None should be left. A male child that drops out of school will almost lead to another female child leaving school because of the patriarchal nature of society. Afterall, the male child that is out of school will need a wife.

We also need a new approach to tackling this problem. We have largely employed a system of goal statements, monitoring and feedback to tackle this problem. But we have not identified how to effect cultural changes as well as other ancillary socio-economic issues in the north.

Globally, we have seen a boost, where Saudi Arabia outlawed under 18 marriage. This should be a signal to Nigeria. If the holy grail of modern day Islam has done this, then we must see if we can benefit from imitating such a policy.

A region where the children are encouraged to engage in nomadism will naturally have a lot of children that will be out of school. This nomadism goes beyond rearing cattle. It involves, the movement of young people looking around for food and survival.

A lot of children are born into this lifestyle, and it has become a way of life rather than an economic necessity.

We suggest that government seek behavioral change through dialogue and communication with the people in that part of the country. We must also seek to develop technological systems for animal husbandry and scientific development of pasture to reduce the inefficiencies climate change brings.

This must also go alongside development of security systems to protect the citizens in pockets of northern economic localities across the country.

If our girls and women are educated, it will change the face of the Nigerian society. This is what we will love to see across the length and breadth of the country.

The girl child must be educated to foster national development, reduce infant mortality, and promote personal development of girls and help Nigerian women rank in higher numbers across various professions in the world.

If Nigeria will be great, it will through people, and if we leave the girl child out, then we have no people in the practical sense.

Talent is equally shared, but not opportunity. To this end, we at WEEC have taken time to research and highlight various opportunities for Africans. These opportunities will support women development. Some of these opportunities are for entrepreneurs and other are for students.

Some of the opportunities are as follows;

Tony Elumelu Foundation Programme for Entrepreneurs

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened applications for its entrepreneurs from all over Africa. Applications have opened on January 1^st 2020 and will close by March 1^st, 2020.

The Entrepreneurship programme is open to entrepreneurs who have novel ideas in any sector and has been in operation for 3 years.  

Applications can be done on https://application.tefconnect.com/

ARM Young Talent Programme (AYTP)

The AYTP programme is organized by Assets and Resources Management (ARM). The internship will allow you learn vital work skills, develop capabilities and gain employment easily upon completion of university education.

Eligibility requirements include;

•           Enrollment in a degree programme
•         Applicants must have completed a year of their degree programme
•         You must be on track for a 2:1 and;
•         Candidates must be available to resume work by 15^th of June, 2020.

To Apply: Visit www.arm.com.ng/armcareers

For more questions, send an email with the subject AYTP 2020 to aytp@arm.com.ng

Al-Sumait Africa Prize

The Al-Sumait Africa Prize originated in Kuwait and it is targeted at programs or initiatives in education.

The prize will be awarded to individuals or institutions who are doing the following; 

•          Improving people’s access to basic education, vocational & training programs and/or higher education.
•          Improving literacy among all members of society.
•          Decreasing the dependence of children’s education on the socio-economic status of their parents.

 For more details on nominations; check www.alsumaitprize.org/nominations/

Yale African Scholars Program

Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS),  is an intensive academic and enrichment program designed for African secondary school students planning to pursue tertiary education and who wish to make meaningful impact as young leaders on the continent.

Participants will enhance their academic skills, receive university admission and financial aid application guidance, and join a network of young leaders from across Africa

Following the eight-day program, students will be paired with mentors who will help advise them throughout the university application process. There are no tuition, meal, or lodging costs for students to participate in YYAS.

YYAS is an official program of Yale University.

For more details check: https://africanscholars.yale.edu/

Interswitch Group Next Engineering Intern 2020 for Young Developers

Interswitch is recruiting for its #NextEngineeringIntern program. Interswitch is an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company that facilitates the electronic circulation of money as well as the exchange of value between individuals and organization’s on a timely and consistent basis.

The #NextEngineeringIntern program for developers seeks to create the next generation of Nigerian developers.

Application deadline is 11^th February, 2020.

To Apply: Visit www.linkedin.com/company/interswitch-limited/

Credit: Clutchpoints

Yesterday, 26th of January, 2020 will go down as one of the saddest days in history for basketball fans, sports and the world. 

The world lost an aspiring women basketball star in Gianna “Gigi” Bryant alongside her friend, Alyssa Altobelli who also aspired to play basketball professionally. 

She died alongside her father and 7 others bringing the death toll to 9. They were on their way to a basketball game in Oaks, California.  

Her father, Kobe Bryant remains one of the greatest NBA players in history. 

Kobe had a fantastic work ethic and personality which brought pride to the game and results for his team- Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-year stint with that great team playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, Dwight Howard and Gary Payton. 

Gianna Bryant evidently had a lot of good example to imbibe from her father. She was just 13-years old and she had the world before her not just because of her father's influence, but because of her work ethic, clarity, and decisiveness. 

Her obvious talent and commitment to basketball was such that; Reggie Miller, another basketball great, famous for his 3-points shoots in October 2018 asked Kobe to allow Gianna to play for UCLA, but Kobe told Miller that she insists on playing for UConn which was farther from home. 

Even her mother couldn’t convince the 13-year old Gianna to stay close to home because at 13 knew the best teams and wanted to play in the best team. 

She and her father intently studied the University of Connecticut women basketball team by watching their games physically and through videos; watching how they play, their emotional intelligence, their attitude to losses and everything that makes a great team. 

Gianna was that laser focused and deliberate.  We guess that attitude is one of the genetic perks, though significant attribute you get from be Kobe Bryant’s daughter. 

Kobe Bryant himself was drafted into the NBA in 1996 at 17. He joined from high school. And he refused to be smothered by the older players. If there was an ideal epitome for hard work, Kobe Bryant is one. 

Kobe would go on to win the NBA slam dunk contest in 1997, just 1 year after his NBA drafting  and 5 NBA championships in 2000,2001,2002,2009 and 2010. Kobe was the most valuable player (MVP) for 2008 in the NBA. 

The story of Gianna Bryant is a story of commitment and great parenting. Kobe travelled to a lot of games across America with her. Sometimes champions are born, other times they are nurtured. Gianna was being nurtured for greatness till this unfortunate event. Kobe died nurturing his daughter.

Kobe saw himself in Gianna and hoped she will carry on his legacy. We have recently seen the trend where fathers are beginning to groom their daughters for great things. 

It is happening even in Nigeria. Bella Disu and Halimat Dangote are a testament to this. 

At the end of the day, Kobe Bryant’s legacy extends beyond basketball. The very act of showing the world how to handle female children, nurturing them in difficult situations from an early age won’t go unnoticed. 

At WEEC we will hold on to this legacy of Kobe’s and we hope to extend the lesson in years to come. 

Gianna and Kobe Bryant are survived by Vanessa (Mother and Wife) and sisters (daughters); Natalia, Bianka and Capri Bryant. 

May their gentle souls Rest-in-Peace.

Embracing a new phase in your life means getting the best of that time frame and preparing yourself the next. We love to celebrate the big 30 with a big cake and friends is great but how prepared are you for the journey ahead.

Our body needs and wants get different as we get older. Lets go through a few tips that will help you be a super 30’s woman.

 Find a diet you love

 Find a workout you love

Reducing your red meat intake

Get your Kegel on

“Urinary incontinence affects 40 percent of women and costs billions of dollars every year to manage,” says Antonio Pizarro, M.D., board-certified OB-GYN. “Women in their 30s should do Kegel exercises — at least 30 reps per day — to improve pelvic floor muscle strength and improve the risks of developing urinary incontinence

Do a monthly breast exam

“Women in their 30s should perform monthly breast exams and report any pain, swelling, lumps, rashes or other changes to their health care providers immediately,” says Experts. “Mammogram screening may start at age 35 if a woman has a first degree relative with breast cancer.”

Tweak your calorie intake

Stay on top of your checkups

 Stand more

Do anything and everything you can to stop sitting so much. Sitting is terrible for your health — even if you work out regularly. Become mindful of adding more movement into your day.

Have more orgasms

Not just because they’re awesome, but because they may offer brain benefits: When researchers took MRIs of women mid-orgasm, they found participants had increased blood flow to all parts of their brains.

Pay attention to bone density

“Osteoporosis is real and can sneak up on you,” says celebrity fitness trainer Alycea Ungaro. “Get plenty of dark leafy greens and up your resistance training as opposed to cardio workouts to keep yourself strong for the next several decades.”

Keep your hormones in check

Always wear sunscreen

Drink water every morning

Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning hydrates your bod (and brain!) for a new day.

Floss

Flossing is one of those über-important health routines we almost always put on the back burner. Meanwhile, it’s one of the most important. It’s not just about removing food bits from your teeth, but the plaque that forms between your teeth, which causes tooth decay, gingivitis and eventually tooth loss.

Visit a dermatologist

“Your 30s can bring significant changes in your complexion,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. David Bank. “As you get older and produce less oil, your skin can get drier and scalier. The accumulation of sun damage can begin to crop up in the form of fine wrinkles, especially in the crow’s feet area. Also, because your skin cell turnover is slower, you may begin to look slightly more pasty with less of a rosy glow.

Eunice Dania

Eunice Dania studied and lived physical and Health Education as she set a record at the Department of Physical and Health Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. She made a first class in her first degree and made distinction in her Masters.

It is worthy of note that she was also an active dancer who attended shows and and events that normally will take her time off her studies. She is truly a young , beautiful, brainy and confident lady and she is an inspiration to her generation.

Cassie DePecol

A lot of people have the dream to visit as many countries of the world as possible but most times it remains just a dream.

Now, Cassie DePecol just became the first woman to travel to all 196 countries world and guess what, she's the fastest person to do so, in a record 18 months and 26 days.