Celebrating Major General MG Ali
Major General Moundhey Gadzama Ali is a distinguished military officer. He was born on April 7, 1966, in Borno, Nigeria. Known for his exceptional leadership, courage, versatility and expertise, Major General Ali has made significant contributions to the Nigerian Armed Forces and has served in various National and International Assignments. As a thorough senior Special Forces officer, he has led troops on successful military operations such as Operation Hard Knock where he led the first successful re-enforcement into Turbmangburg, Liberia in December 1995. During the breakdown of peace agreement in Liberia April 6 war, Ali was instrumental in creating a buffer between Joint NPFL and ULIMO – K onslaught on ULIMO-J at Vai Town, Liberia. Gadzama was electoral commissioner and the first to land a Helicopter in Tikpe Town Rivercess County Liberia, which was hitherto unimaginable. He went ahead to conduct a peaceful election that brought Charles Ghangy Taylor into…
Tony Joy: Africa’s rising social entrepreneur who’s making rural development so cool
A lot of people who begin their NGOs or social enterprises start with big dreams and big ideas. They go to the big places and cities to execute their visions, but some others like Tony Joy have decided to go directly to the grassroots to bring real solutions to real issues. Meet Tony Joy, a social entrepreneur, 2022 Askoka Fellow and the Founder of Durian Nigeria. At 16, Tony developed a wave of inner anger against marginalization, discrimination and bias within society and as a result of her experiences, she never wanted to see people being treated without value because of their social background or because they come from rural communities. Her passion and quest to support women in rural communities drove her to begin Durian Nigeria, a non-governmental organization that gives rural women the knowledge and skills they need to turn their local waste into reusable items and a…
Bright Uboh: How can I forget the beautiful people who also attended the BlankPaperz Communications Workshop
Bright Uboh chronicles his exciting experiences after leaving Calabar to attend BlankPaperz Communications Workshop in Uyo. “I still made up my mind that no matter how late it would be I’d be in Uyo for the workshop. I’m glad I didn’t miss it.”
This is why it’s important to have the right community of friends and a supportive family – Chidinma Ibemere
Students in Chidinma Ibemere’s Biology class at Federal Government College, Enugu are definitely lucky to have her. As the Lead Volunteer at Chidinma Ibemere Foundation, Chidinma is committed to significantly contributing her quota in driving sustainable changes in the Education Sector in Nigeria. “It is acceptable to be in touch with your emotions but it is more productive when you choose to take courage to lift yourself from every form of doubt, fear and worthlessness” People self-sabotage a lot, feeling their ideas are boring, too small or useless. What’s your opinion on solving this? I honestly feel everyone has experienced this [self sabotage] at some point. I have had moments of self-doubt as well as seasons where I didn’t think much of myself and my ideas. Dwelling in such situations can be exhausting, hence, the importance of having the right community of friends and a supportive family. It is acceptable…
Patrick Ndifon: The Product Manager Championing Cross River’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Growth
“What’s the best possible state that something can be in?” is a question that constantly fills the mind of Patrick Ndifon, an entrepreneur, product manager and coach for startups, in His daily quest to solve problems with the use of technology and unlock the potential in people. He is the founder and Executive Director of PSIFON Org., a social enterprise dedicated to shaping and growing entrepreneurial ecosystems within local communities. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur for young people presently living in Calabar? For young entrepreneurs in Calabar, these top three skills are important: resourcefulness, agility and resilience. A fourth skill, to crown it, would be ambition. Calabar lacks many resources that are needed for entrepreneurial success. Resourcefulness will help an entrepreneur find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. Agility is needed to quickly learn and adapt and grow to…
Madonna Badom: Here’s why You should always explore new things
In a world where it’s simpler to swindle people than to be honest, Madonna Badom has decided to be sincere. This is Madonna, a communication and management strategist who specialises in designing social projects for Adolescents and Young People. “Oh please! ALWAYS EXPLORE” is one thing she believes in. If you had the chance to start your recent years over again, what would you do differently? My recent years have been the most challenging and exciting because I have been juggling many things together. If I had the chance to start over knowing what I know now, I would put less pressure on myself, I would ask for help more and I would be less afraid. As a young professional, I pressure myself to strive for perfection and this often comes with overwhelming anxiety. So, If I had to do something differently, I would put less pressure on myself…
Regina Augusto Charumar: The Environmental Activist paving the way for a more environmentally conscious society
Meet Regina Augusto Charumar, a defender and lover of the environment, climate advocate, civil society volunteer, PhD student in Sustainability, professor and founder of the Environmental Movement Generation in Mozambique. My secret to success is my focus and my persistence. I am a dreamer, and the success of my dreams depend on my focus. Who’s Regina Augusto Charumar? What sparks her interests, what good does she want to see and do in the world? Regina Charumar is an environmentalist and a dreamy woman. She’s 33 years old, was born on the border but lives in Maputo, Mozambique. She is a PhD student in Sustainability, a climate advocate, civil society volunteer, award winner, TV presenter, professor and founder of the Environmental Movement Generation. Regina wants to see a more conscious and ecological Mozambique and wants an environmentally better society. What’s something you’re working on now that you want more people to…
The Talented 17 year old whose love for machines led her to learn about AI
Have you ever met a 17 year old girl who is very knowledgeable in cybersecurity? In 2019, she joined a digital summer academy program and picked interest in cybersecurity and coding. The fact that a computer system, network, or application can be hacked, and people’s credentials can be stolen remained amazing to me. After the day of the IT security class, I started researching cybersecurity, what it meant and how one can become an ethical hacker. I was 14 years old then. Here’s a great mind to watch out for. Here’s also what inspires Abigail to want to build an AI-powered wearable device, paired with a mobile application that would monitor and diagnose early stage diseases. What are the top skills anyone in the world needs to have before they can do or achieve what you’ve done? I started my cybersecurity journey while I was preparing for my senior high…
“It takes Courage to share openly about Mental Health” – Elizabeth Ita
Elizabeth Ita is many things but thankfully, with the help of mentorship, she has been able to group these things into three categories: product, health and design (PHD). Everything she does revolves around these 3 things. When she lost her father several years ago, she had a tough time processing this loss but in that process, she found purpose in her pain and Stilt Ng was born. What someone’s life might look like on the outside isn’t always an accurate depiction of how they feel on the inside. What part of your life experience would you alter if you had the chance to? Knowing how my experiences have shaped who I am as a person, I am not sure I would change a thing. I have had regrets and I have made mistakes, but I have drawn lessons from them. My guiding word for many years has been a passage…
Teenage Boy Dominates Calabar: “I don’t know when and how to give up”
Victor Eyo is a vibrant, optimistic and innovative young person who takes advantage of every opportunity to do good. He’s most resilient and never backs down from a challenge. He’s always burning with passion to see his plans come to fruition. Here’s an everyday young person doing something cool and we think you should meet him. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula for teens to become successful tech bros or tech sis? Yes, I believe there’s a pattern or formula for teens to become successful tech bros or sis in whatever field they find themselves in. For any young person to turn out successful, they must first give themselves to learning, stay humble and respectful, no matter how skilled they are, taking into consideration that there were people in their respective fields before them. They need to put themselves and their work out there, connect…
Ibrahim Mohammed: This is me
BlankPaperz Short Piece contest longlist I’ve always admired people who have all the confidence in the world. People who are not afraid of a crowd or not afraid to say what’s on their minds without any hesitation. I’ve fought every single day to become that person. As a young child, my mother made it clear to me that in a selfish world, the smart ones succeed. As humans, the idea of being competitive and wanting a better life, runs through our veins. How we achieve this relies solely on us. My dream is to become a legitimate business entrepreneur, but getting there is no easy task. I wish to take advice from people who have been there and are thriving and hopefully, this will work out for me. On the other hand, if it does not, this does not mean my dream is over. It simply means I need to…
Joshua Omale: A Person that Impacts Lives
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist One of the complexities of our frail frame is the problem of finding ourselves, knowing who we really are and what we are specifically here to do. This problem of identity has made a lot of people ⏤ young people especially ⏤ to run ‘kitikiti‘ in search of answers. In the process, purpose is replaced with ambition and material abundance. In the end, they do not become the perfect versions of themselves and do not fully maximize their inert potential. Instead, they become what society says they are. I go love be that person I was originally meant to be ⏤ one that should impact lives. With this understanding, I will not pursue my ambition as one that is seeking personal comfort and fame which could be at the expense of anything and anyone. I’ll rather channel my time, energy, skills, talent and resources into…
Oluwatobi Akinola: The person I go love be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist A change maker for the less privileged kids.Person wey get mouth wey go fit ensure say children wey dey less privileged get opportunities to actualize their dreams. An Early Childhood Educator.Person wey go fit nuture children wey them put under her care, wey be say the children go get adequate care and attention when their parents no dey around. An Early Years Photographer.Person wey go help parents keep track of their pikin growth right from when them get belle until the last years of their Early Childhood (0-8years). An Early Childhood AuthorPerson wey go dey write engaging and interesting books for children. My Love for children has been an inspiration for me. It has influenced my choice of course and it has also built my passion to make amazing inventories for children. I go like be person wey dey intentional about the holistic development of…