Being a woman is not a limitation; rather it is a chance to live like a man with a womb! It is a call to do everything that men can do and even more, it is to live boldly, a lot! Every woman is pregnant with possibilities and she can give birth to potentials that will transform lives and impact nations!
Have you ever thought of yourself or seen yourself in the spotlight of prominence and huge success? If you’ve ever painted this picture in your mind, you’ll agree that it doesn’t take much to be hugely successful; just a little off the beaten track everyday stuff.
We have women who have enhanced their development capabilities and contributed to the growth of countries. One such woman with a refined reputation and high prestige is Obiageli Ezekwesili. This powerful and influential woman has a BA from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; she is a Nigerian Chartered Accountant and one of those who have brought positive transformation to the world at large.
With a Master’s in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and another Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Oby is a master of excellence and influence. She is a woman to learn from if you want to truly stand out.
Obiageli Ezekwesili is an exceptionally gifted woman with commendable achievements. She first worked with Deloitte & Touche as a consultant. While she was there, she managed the organization’s audit, controlled business affairs and was vitally involved in the organization’s other financial services. She is such a transparent person that she co-founded the global anti-corruption group called Transparency International. For five years, she held the position of director of this group based in Berlin, Germany.
Oby is not afraid of work, he showed it when he went to work with Professor Jefferey Sachs at the Center for International Development at Harvard. She worked as Director of the Harvard-Nigeria Economic Strategy Program. Although she was fully engaged and busy, she had the interest of her country at heart and she served as the assistant to the first president of the Fourth Republic of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In time, she was formally elected to a position in the Presidency. She accepted the position of Senior Assistant to the President of Nigeria for Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence. While serving in this capacity, she acted as a leader in many institutional reforms. She accomplished this through the act of establishing due process mechanisms and strategies. The great job she did in this position earned her the nickname of Madam Due Process. He competently managed a team of other experts and ensured that the public procurement legislation, the NEITI legislation and the new minerals and mining legislation were properly implemented.
This noblewoman who is married to Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili served as the Minister of Solid Minerals, now Mining and Steel Development for twelve months. He initiated a viable reorganization and upgrading program that helped Nigeria become a recognized and credible mining investment destination. He stopped at nothing to achieve success and effect national transformation; he also led the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. He further showcased his transparency by leading the first national implementation of the universal ideals and ethics of transparency in the oil, gas and mining sector.
This mother of three children refused any limitation. She took on the challenge of heading Nigeria’s most sensitive ministry, the Federal Ministry of Education. She served as the Honorable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Education for ten wonderful months. As Minister of Education, she changed the basic structure of the ministry to focus primarily on achieving education for all. She went beyond the goals set to improve the Millennium Development Goals in education.
One cannot talk about the provision of services in the education sector in Nigeria without mentioning this honorable woman. She initiated modern educational standards such as public-private partnership models for the provision of educational services. She brought about significant changes that improved the Federal Inspection Service. This positive-minded leader brought transparency and accountability mechanisms to the public’s mind for better budget governance.
Ms. Ezekwesili is really a personality to learn from; the establishment of the initiatives of Institutions of Innovation and Professional Companies is a credit to him. These initiatives that focus on developing skills for economic competitiveness have provided many with the competitive advantages necessary for greater achievement. she is really one guide light; his influence is quite amazing. He extended his sphere of influence to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and got them to partner with it in launching adopt a school program that fosters love for all humanity by corporations, community groups, and individuals.
In 2007, the United Nations Bank appointed Obiageli Ezekwesili as Vice President of the World Bank’s Africa Region. He supervised the activities of more than sixteen hundred employees and ensured that the delivery of projects, economic and sectoral work in forty-eight Saharan countries was successful. The impact and uniqueness of it drew praise and praise from the mouths of many. She is a valuable and inspiring woman of honor. She notably served at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. She stood her ground and continues to do so on the local and international stage with successful impact to date.
Obiageli Ezekwesili is a female influencer, who has left an impression of her success on the male dominated platform. The great quality of it and its hallmarks have drawn the attention of great personalities from all over the world. She is a board member of Bharti Airtel; She is a member of the boards of the World Wildlife Fund and the Central European University School of Public Policy. Your distinguished economic policies of hers are mind blowing! This has attracted organizations such as the Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy, New African Magazine, and The Center for Global Leadership, Tufts University to take advantage of her specialist knowledge. She is a board member in these organizations.
The crowns of honor and everyone wants to identify with them. Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili’s personal integrity set her apart and caused her to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science by Abeokuta University of Agriculture in Nigeria. inspiring Curriculum vitae if you ask me! I am sure she agrees with me that Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili is a woman of excellence and positive influence.
She is a woman from whom to learn and stand out greatly. You too can be like her! She is like many of us; her first degree and her first master’s degree were even in Niger. Who said you can’t reach that height you’ve dreamed of? What is hindering your movement? Turn that obstacle into a stepping stone and move towards the higher life that is destined for you, dear woman! That standing ovation may be for you!
I am so privileged to have worked with this unique woman of substance; I was one of her administrative officers at the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development: where she taught us how to make the land work for us and I dare say she is truly a distinguished woman. She has this unique way of bringing everyone together with no one feeling left out in any way! She is someone whom many love, admire and respect, although with some dislikes but definitely no one ignores her; she sure knows how to make her mark.
I remember that during one of the workshops we had, everyone dressed the same with jean pants or skirt and a T-shirt; you could hardly tell the difference between junior and senior staff. During tea break, I was exchanging pleasantries with someone and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going until I bumped into someone by mistake, stepped on her and looked up to apologize; I found out that she was madam minister, what we called it then: Dr. Ezekwesili herself! Instead of being offended, she reached out to hold me up so I wouldn’t fall and even when I got my voice back and apologized, she said: okay, now can we move on to the next session?. He was amazed and truly inspired by her simplicity, authenticity and ingenuity.
She is an entrepreneur, one that I greatly admire and that I think every woman should follow.
Dear Woman, everything you need for that beautiful life and for those dreams of yours to come true is within you, come closer inside and take them out. It has nothing to do with the name of the school she attended, the place she grew up or the level of education and exposure of her parents; as good as these, but they are not all there is. Reach in and draw out that unique potential, with it you can be anything and achieve a lot!
There really is nothing that is impossible, yes, everything is possible. So go girl!
Copyright, Jaachynma Agu