Toyosi Etim Effiong Now You Know Me Better

Toyosi Etim-Effiong Launches Debut Book “Now You Know Me Better”

by PRPress

TV Producer, Toyosi Etim-Effiong launched her debut book titled “Now You Know Me Better,” on Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 at The Oriental Hotel.

Some guests that attended the event include Ebuka, Debola Williams, Chude Jideonwo, Daniel Etim Effiong, Lamide Akintobi, Mimi Onalaja, Kaline, and more. Hosted by Olive Emodi, the event opened with an opening prayer by Pastor Adeolu Adefarasin and the national anthem by DJ KScratch.

Adebola Williams unveiled the book as he read from Chapter Two titled, “My Father is Dead”, captivating the crowd as he channeled the emotions of the chapter.

There was a panel session moderated by Lamide Akintobi. The panelists were Busola Dakolo, Adaora Mbelu, and Chude Jideonwo. The panelists did justice to the topic of discussion: Preserving Your Identity Amidst The Noise in a Digital Age, by sharing from their personal experiences which even made it more obvious that ‘Now You Know Me Better’ is more than just a book about the author but a book for every African who desires to embrace their stories, as they should.

What is a book launch without a book review? The Book Now You Know Me Better was reviewed by Jude Idada, the winner of, 2019 NLNG Prize for Literature. He shared his personal experiences with the author and explained that the book has given him more perspective on how the author has become the strong woman that she is today.

Afterward, the Author’s husband, actor, and Filmmaker Daniel Etim Effiong shared about the journey of watching his wife write this book and how proud he was/is that the book is finally here for the world to read. In his words; ‘I am so proud, not because my wife has written a book, but because she has come up with a brilliant work of art’.

Seeing that the book tells an African story, there was a session for the mothers, who are also characters of the book. The author’s mother, Temitayo Phillips, expressed her gratitude to God after which she commended the precision and accuracy of the author in documenting the events that have shaped her life thus far in the book.

Labo Ademola, former Head of Service of Lagos State and the author’s aunt, commended her for honoring her father’s memory and making the family proud.

Entertainers of the day were songstress Kaliné who charmed the guests with her incredibly magical voice, and spoken word artiste Torpedo Mascaw, whose performance left people enthralled.

The book was published by Femperial Publishing and is now available in bookshops nationwide, on Amazon and Flutterwave.

Chika_6

Education Expert Chika Okorafor Aneke Talks to Vanguard about How COVID will Change Education

by Client NewsPress

In Nigerian society, being a teacher isn’t typically ranked as a prestigious career to have. But Chika Okorafor Aneke is re-defining what it means to be a teacher. With over 23 years of teaching and 17 years of leadership experience under her belt, Aneke, who is Nigerian-British, is an all-round education expert who has impacted the lives of thousands during the course of her career.

She holds a BSc in applied physiology from Sunderland University in the U.K; a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education in Secondary Science, and the UK National Professional Qualification for Headship, NPQH, which is one of the highest qualifications in the world for Head Teachers.

For Aneke, teaching is not merely a career; it is a genuine passion and calling. As a result, she has dedicated her life to promoting the love of learning both in and out of the classroom. For over two decades and counting, she has been working with children from age 0-18 years, as well as their families. She is the CEO of Learnomic, an education consultancy company that helps train school personnel, and establishes sustainable systems to foster more efficient administration and systems that encourage better learning.

In this interview with Vanguard, Aneke says the coronavirus pandemic is a global wake-up call for a technology-compliant education sector.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

How do you feel about education being threatened globally with schools now on shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic?

First, I am not convinced that this is a ‘threat’ to education. I always focus on the positives. It is a lesson or a wake-up call. Education is a right for all regardless of age, status, gender or religion. Respect for this profession has been lost. We have been shown, almost overnight, just how vital it is. We have also been shown that certain aspects of education should not be ignored and the value of life skills, change management, flexibility, technology, growth mindset, and mindfulness are our biggest assets at this said time. Education will change after this historic event for the better forever, I hope.

I see this as something reinforcing class differences because children from well-to-do homes still enjoy online lessons; how can the gap be bridged for their low-income counterparts?

I would say that in general, our education system must be improved. Learning remotely now that everyone is home has been a challenge for many, regardless of social class. Imagine how much preparation, effort, and discipline it takes to make children sit in front of computers or physical books, and have them dressed in school uniform, and encourage them to learn as though they are still in school! Whether you are “wealthy” or “less wealthy,” this is something a lot of parents must face. What our current situation shows us is how technology can be used to reach all youth regardless of status and means. E-learning tools don’t have to be fancy or expensive. Even with a bit of internet data, parents can have some access to online learning tools currently. We definitely need more state schools of a standard that compete with the private sector.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Toni Tones

Toni Tones Talks Challenges Faced in Her Career, Gaining Acceptance as an Actor & More in Flair Magazine

by PRPress

What does it take to stand out in an overcrowded entertainment marketplace? Some would say it takes more than just talent to be noticed. Multi-talented Toni Tones is not just being noticed. She is being remembered.

Born Gbemi Anthonia Adefuye, Toni Tones is a triple-threat force to be reckoned with: She is an actress, singer, and award-winning photographer whose influence in the Nigerian entertainment industry has become undeniable.

Her role in the box office hit ‘King Of boys’ directed by Kemi Adetiba brought Toni Tones critical acclaim. Her electrifying performances in top productions have positioned her as one of the most sought after A-list actors in Nollywood today.

On the road to success, Toni Tones has faced and overcome challenges. In an in-depth interview with The Nation’s Flair Magazine, she speaks about this, and more.

See excerpts from the interview below:

What was it like at the beginning?  

I started my career as a photographer and because of that, it was quite a challenge getting people to take me seriously as an artist and as an actor, at first. At some point, I began to wish I had never started with photography at all, because then I wouldn’t have to fight the tough battle of gaining acceptance, I would just have been able to go straight to building a fan base.  Some OAPs simply wouldn’t play my music because they didn’t take me seriously. It took a lot of hard work, persistence and determination before I was finally accepted in the industry. There were times that I wanted to give up but I am exceedingly happy I didn’t.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered?

It was tough being accepted as an actor because people knew me as a photographer and after then, a musician. Hearing that I was an actor as well, I think it was hard for them to take me seriously initially. A lot of people probably assumed I was just playing around as opposed to chasing my dreams. It seemed like having more than one career was looked upon as a bit of a crime; people tend to put you in a box. They know you for one thing and that is what they choose to be comfortable with and when you try to break out of that box, there’s a lot of opposition. But I am not here to make anybody comfortable, I am here to achieve every single goal that my heart desires and achieve I will.

How do you cope with them? 

I was determined not to be put in a box. I was determined to excel at every single passion I had chosen to pursue. Sometimes, I would ask God why He didn’t just give me one passion so it would have been easier, but I remember praying one day and hearing a voice within me say, “if God has given you many skills, it is meant as a blessing, not a curse.” That put things in perspective for me.  I made a vow never to relent, to give everything I had, to show God I appreciated every skill he had gifted me and I would honour Him by using them. Successful or not, at least I would know I tried. Being able to actually do the things I love is already success to me, because for so long I was afraid to even try. I am glad I never gave up, otherwise I would not be living such a fulfilled life now.

Read full interview on The Nation.

 

idia

Changing the African Narrative One Story at a Time: Idia Aisien Launches NGO The IDIA Project

by Client NewsPRPress

Media personality, model, and philanthropist, Idia Aisien, has officially launched an NGO that is especially close to her heart – the International Development Initiative in Africa (IDIA).

Many people know Idia as the glamorous personality on their TV screens, but what few know is that she has always been passionate about giving back to the continent, and has been doing so for many years, albeit, silently. However, she has now decided to officially launch the NGO because she desires to effect change on a massive, sustainable scale.

The IDIA Project was founded based on the premise that more people have access to various media channels; and viewer engagement online is growing rapidly. However, most of the content is negative—depicting natural disasters, political instability, recession and economic downturn.

The International Development Initiative in Africa seeks to attract increased investment, capital flow and funding; by instilling hope and a renewed faith in Africa through providing an Africa-owned framework and narrative for development. Standing as the continent’s media partner and platform to showcase its progress at regional and international levels through our reports.

IDIA’s mission is to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy, and accelerate the empowerment of women, men and children by telling the other half of the story.

To this end, they will showcase Africa’s commitment to good governance, democracy, human rights and conflict resolution; and the recognition of bodies that are creating exemplary platforms that will increase employment, attract investment and long-term economic growth.

Stay tuned for more updates on The IDIA Project.

Visit:theidiaproject.com

Social Media:@theidiaproject

Seyi Shay

Toke Makinwa, Seyi Shay, Vimbai, Mai Atafo & More Attend GLAM AFRICA Magazine’s “Africa Rising” Event | PHOTOS

by Client NewsEventPRPress

On Tuesday July 24th, GLAM AFRICA magazine held an event to celebrate three milestones: The release of it’s new issue, which features Davido and Casper Nyovest, and celebrating it’s past iconic cover stars who have been pivotal in the “Africa Rising” movement. The event also served as the official launch of the GLAM AFRICA beauty box in Nigeria – each yearly magazine subscriber will receive a free box of beauty products. The first beauty brand the publication is partnering with on this, is Sleek Studio. 

The event which took place at Oriental Hotel, was a star-studded one, as celebrities including past cover stars Toke Makinwa and Seyi Shay, attended and were honored. Others in attendance include Mai Atafo, Vimbai, Uriel, Andrea Giaccaglia, Sharon Ojong, Layole Oyatogun, Lillian Afegbai, Big Brother’s Khloe, and many more.


GLAM AFRICA Magazine is available worldwide, and in Nigeria, at stores across the country, including, Shoprite, Oriki Spa, Sari Signature, Quintessence, and more, as well as on demand at www.glamafrica.com/magazine offering bank transfer and cash on delivery payment options.

Glam Africa Magazine is a quarterly lifestyle publication that showcases African excellence with a worldwide readership of 1.5 million and distributed mainly in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and United Kingdom.

For all media inquiries, e-mail: ngoffice@glamafrica.com

Photo Credit:@ejvisions

Décor: JW Events

Atoke

Atoke’s ‘An Awkward Guide to Being Nigerian’ Garners Rave Reviews from Guardian Newspaper

by Press

Nigerian writer Atoke, recently released her debut book titled, An Awkward Guide to Being Nigerian. Guardian newspaper’s Tobi Awodipe reviewed the book as follows:

It is only natural that you think your body is yours to do with as you wish. Dear Nigerian woman, it is not. Your body belongs to everybody else.” With these words, Atoke opens +234: An Awkward Guide to being Nigerian (Ink Fontaine, Canada; 2017), setting the tone it would adopt throughout. Describing herself as a feminist, Atoke guides the reader through a collection of essays that explores and asks what it means to be Nigerian, the heart and soul of Nigerians and the quirks and nuances that make one a Nigerian. Employing humour, sarcasm, wit, reminisces and flashbacks, she tackles several topics, including those regarded as taboo, sad, happy and everyday events and happenings of Nigerians, both home and abroad.

Atoke’s book is reminiscent of (Peter Pan) Peter Enahoro’s How to be a Nigerian, written back in the 1960s.

A book on Nigeria and its people would be interesting anyway you look at it, negative or positive and this book attempts to capture our experiences, challenges and the things that make us tick as a people. As you read this collection of essays that takes you into the mind of the average Nigerian, you will be amused, perturbed and wish you could change some of the negative values that have become non-living citizens of the country. More importantly, everyone can see himself or herself aptly represented in the book.

Divided into four main parts and several chapters, the first part, ‘The green that so easily besets us’ deals with several core issues that beset Nigerians such as the decision to move abroad for greener pastures, the challenges that come with being a woman in Nigeria, non-payment of salaries, the craze to have babies abroad, the culture of ‘dashing’ money, RSVPing a party invite, the Nigerian foster system, inconducive university education, lack of clean water and the insane desire to always recreate Nigeria abroad – the ineptitude, loudness, culture bias and the general lackadaisical attitude to even the simplest things. Challenging the systems and mindset that promotes these, Atoke attempts to point out the cognitive dissonance of the ills that beset us, even when not in our natural habitat, Nigeria.

In the second part, the writer delves into ‘Bonds of Adhesion,’ and asks readers to identify themselves, tackles culture biases, the fear of juju; love, the Nigerian parents way and religion. ‘Shades of Being Human,’ the third part, explores her personal feminism, feminism in Nigeria, the decision to have kids or not and having kids simply as an insurance factor for old age. The final part, ‘Gliding across a Rainbow,’ explores love and friendship, homosexuality, particularly the fear and stigma surrounding it in Nigeria, death and the fear and stigma surrounding disability. The book ends with chapter eight, where the writer talks about the factors that can make Nigeria great again.

Read the entire review here

Screenshot 2020-05-03 at 16.35.18

Tosin Rufai CEO of Teefal Studios Featured on Cover of Guardian Woman

by PRPress

Tosin Rufai, CEO of Teefal Studios, describes herself as a proud female Muslim photographer breaking numerous cultural barriers by being in this field.

In the mostly male-dominated industry of photography, Rufai is making her mark as one of the top female portrait photographers in the country- with a specialization in child photography.

With degrees in Psychology and Sociology from the USA, another degree in Business Management from Shanghai University, China and a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Texas, USA, Rufai moved back to Nigeria to explore new opportunities. After venturing into several fields, she found her calling in photography and with rigorous training and several professional certifications in photography under her belt, Rufai is one of the most-sought- after child photographers in the country.

In this interview with Tobi Awodipe of Guardian Woman, she talks about her journey into the world of photography, her struggles with conception and infertility and how this experience ushered her towards her true calling.

Tell us about your journey into the world of photography?
I came back to Nigeria from the USA for my NYSC after my studies. Shortly after, I moved to South Africa for a year to pursue some interests but my parents wanted me to move back to Nigeria. So, I applied for a job at NLNG as they were recruiting at that time, but I was not shortlisted at the last stage unfortunately. My mom’s friend then advised me to go to makeup school and I reluctantly enrolled, but I was more interested in the sales aspect so I went ahead to open a full service beauty lounge where I also sold makeup products. I went to Bio Sculpture in Dubai to learn how to do gel nails and it was included in our services. Thereafter, I decided to get a website done so people could order makeup products and perfumes directly and so I got a camera to take pictures of my products for our website. The photographer I employed to teach me the basics then advised me to look into photography because of the quality of pictures I was creating, even as a beginner. I did not think much of it but I realized I could not put my camera down after the class and the more I researched about it, the stronger the passion for it grew. I then decided to go for further training and the rest as they say, is history.

Why child photography and how is it different from the photography we know?
I started out as a beauty and fashion photographer. Being a Muslim, I started feeling uncomfortable working with semi-nude models and sharing those images online, so I decided to specialize in child and family photography when I had my son. My style is also classic and timeless and I did not see that in the industry, so I decided to brand myself to cater to people that appreciate classic portraits. I also love working with children because they are innocent and beautiful souls. It also amazes me how rapidly they change and it is a privilege to help document that.

You moved back to Nigeria from the USA. How has this experience been like for you?
It was rough at first especially when I became an entrepreneur because I quickly realized the work ethics in Nigeria is very different from other places, but things have gotten much better. Most of my clients have also lived abroad or visit frequently so they understand my business model and that makes things easier.

What are the challenges you face in this line of work and how are you overcoming them?
The biggest challenge is when some potential clients complain about pricing and undervalue my work. I have learned that everyone is not my client and that is perfectly fine. The other thing is lack of access to quality prints and frames. I order albums for my premium clients abroad to solve that issue.

What has been the highlight for you so far?
It has to be when I launched my fairytale package. We create customized magical backgrounds for clients. We can pretty much bring anything to life and those photos can be used for personalised storybooks, too.  It was exciting sharing what I had worked on for a long time with everyone. It was well received and has become our most popular package now.

Most people think one doesn’t need special training to be a photographer. Do you share this opinion?
Photography is an art that requires some level of skills if you want to be well recognized and respected. Personally, I believe one should attend extensive training in any field one decides to go into, the moment you decide to do it professionally. You have to invest in yourself and your brand. I personally attended several trainings and I keep learning more.

Read the whole story on Guardian.ng

The Nation

Talk Show Host Jo Maxwell Talks Women’s Empowerment, Career & More in Flair Magazine

by Press

Ibijoke Maxwell Odedina is the host of the Jo Maxwell Show which focuses on the achievements of Nigerian and African women in the Diaspora.  She also has a background in Accounting & Finance, and is an IT specialist. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde of Flair Magazine, she talks about the inspiration for her talk show, capturing the achievements of women in the diaspora, challenges and more. 

What inspired you to start your talk show?

I saw a gap on the screen showcasing the achievements of black women. So, I felt that as a Nigerian I would like to bridge this gap and show that Nigerians in the UK are doing great. Unfortunately, we are not doing things together and collaborating to maximise the opportunities available. For the show, what we did was to bring men into it because of the feedback that we got. As long as we want to be feminists, we still need to carry the men along. It’s been received well and it has also opened my eyes to new areas and opportunities.

I would also like to say that I am more than a talk show host because I do other things to motivate and inspire other people. I am also the founder of PEP (Passionate Empowered Professional) Network. PEP is a network that brings together black career women living and working all over the UK and from around the world. It is first and foremost, a connective and inspiring network, as well as an avenue to sell your brand, receive advice or ideas and be inspired and motivated by like minded business/career women.

What we are doing here is to bring together like minded women to connect, do business, work together and add value to lives in different ways.

A lot of times, we talk about empowerment but a lot of us do not understand what empowerment means. We have people who have helped to find jobs and connections for each other here. Most of them haven’t seen themselves for about 10 years and they live in the United Kingdom. It is really refreshing and we leave all our worries and network. It’s been great.

The intention is that at some point, the network would be in different parts of the world. I am the founder and I have other women who are helping to push the vision.

The theme Press for Progress covers a lot and I believe that as women we should come together and learn to add value to the things that we do. The talk show is a screen for the black women in the Diaspora; we actually don’t have a lot of that. We often get featured once in a while. And even when we get featured, it is about the bad stuff. I am also doing some documentary about how people have gone from nothing to something great. The intention is to capture the full lifestyle of a woman from different angles.

Read more on The Nation

Media Personality Vimbai SLAYS on the Cover of Complete Fashion

by PRPress

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Complete Fashion Lifestyle bears on its cover, renowned media personality, Vimbai Mutinhiri, alongside Kaylah Oniwo. Vimbai spills  on her path to success, and plans for the future.

 

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