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 great success? If you’ve ever painted this picture in your mind, you’ll agree with me that it doesn’t take much to be hugely successful; just a little out of the ordinary everyday stuff.
We have women who have strengthened their development capacities and contributed to the growth of countries. One of those women 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 who has 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 teacher 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, as he demonstrated when he went to work with Professor Jefferey Sachs at Harvard’s Center for International Development. She worked as Director of the Harvard-Nigeria Economic Strategy Program. Although she was fully committed and busy, she had the interest of her country at her heart and she served as an aide 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 in Budget Oversight and Price Intelligence. While she served 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 Lady Due Process. He competently led a team of other experts and ensured that the public procurement legislation, the NEITI legislation and the new mineral and mining legislation were properly applied.
This noblewoman who is married to pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili served as Minister of Solid Minerals, now Mines 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 bring about 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 ethic of transparency in the oil, gas and mining sector.
This mother of three children refused any limitation. She took up 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.
You cannot talk about service delivery in the Nigerian education sector without mentioning this honorable woman. She pioneered modern educational standards such as public-private partnership models for the delivery of educational services. She brought about significant changes that improved the Federal Inspection Service. This positive-minded leader brought transparency and accountability mechanisms for better budget governance to the public’s mind.
Lady. Ezekwesili is really a personality to learn from; the establishment of the initiatives of Institutions of Innovation and Professional Companies is his merit. These initiatives that focus on developing skills for economic competitiveness have provided many with the competitive advantages necessary for greater achievement. she is really a guide light; his influence is quite astonishing. He extended his sphere of influence to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and got them to partner with her 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 oversaw the activities of more than 1,600 employees and ensured that the delivery of projects, economic and sectoral work in 48 countries of the Sahara was a success. 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 an influential woman, who has left an impression of her success on the male-dominated platform. The great quality of her and her hallmarks have attracted the attention of great personalities from around the world. She is a board member of Bharti Airtel; she serves on the boards of the World Wildlife Fund and the School of Public Policy at the Central European University. His 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 draw on her expertise. 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 highlighted her and led to the Abeokuta Agricultural University in Nigeria awarding her an honorary Doctor of Science. inspiring Curriculum vitae if you ask me! I am sure that she agrees with me that Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili is a woman of excellence and positive influence.
She is a woman to learn from 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 nigeria. 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 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 who is loved, admired and respected by many, although with some dislikes but definitely no one ignores her; she sure knows how to leave her mark.
I remember that during one of the workshops we had, everyone dressed the same with jean pants or a skirt and a T-shirt; one could hardly differentiate between junior and senior staff. During the 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 it, and looked up to apologize; I found out that she was lady minister, what did we call it then: Dr. Ezekwesili herself! Instead of taking offense, she reached out her hand to catch me from falling and even when I found my voice and apologized, she said herself: ok, now, can we move on to the next session?. He was in awe and truly inspired by his simplicity, authenticity and wit.
She is an entrepreneur, one that I greatly admire and that I believe 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, go inward and get them out. It has nothing to do with the name of the school she attended, the place where she grew up, or the level of education and exposure of her parents; as good as these, but they’re not all there is. Reach within and draw out that unique potential, with it you can be anything and achieve much!
There really is nothing that is impossible, yes, everything is possible. So go girl!
Copyright, Jaachynma Agu
