International Women’s Day (IWD) is a vital day that has been set aside to commemorate the achievements of women across all spheres of life. The recognition is necessary to further encourage girls worldwide that there is no limit to what can be achieved.
Just like the theme for this year’s celebration #BreakTheBias, TheCable Lifestyle examines ten women who are breaking barriers and making waves in their various endeavours in recent months.
Olabimpe Olayinka
Olabimpe is leading the inspirational journey of developing a cure for cancer from African herbs. The 29-year-old native of Ogun state emerged as the best graduating master’s student in the University of Ibadan in 2021 with a perfect CGPA of 7.0 out of 7.0. The achievement also came a few years after she emerged as the best graduating pharmacy student from the same university in 2016, with a 6.6 CGPA out of a possible 7.0.
Olabimpe is channelling her brilliance into developing a less toxic and more affordable cure for cancer from African herbs.
“I feel like if we can get safer alternatives from herbs for the treatment of cancer, it will not only be cheaper, most likely, it will be more tolerable for the body and less toxic and then give people a chance to live a better and healthier life,” she had told TheCable.
Shatu Garko
In 2021, Garko became the first hijab model to be crowned the winner of the Miss Nigeria beauty pageantry. The 18-year-old broke a glass ceiling that has been in place since the pageantry debut edition took place in 1957.
The Kano indigene was also the youngest winner of the event and walked away with N10 million as well as a one-year residency in a luxury apartment, a brand new car coupled with lucrative brand ambassadorship opportunities.
Mimisen Iyorhe
Iyorhe was included in the officiating team for the maiden CAF Women’s Champions League (WCL) final.
CAF appointed Iyorhe as the second assistant referee for the encounter between Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana and Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday in Cairo.
Iyorhe had made history earlier last year after she was included in the first-ever all-women team of referees to officiate in a men’s tournament.
Kemi Adetiba
Adetiba rebooted her King of Boys franchise with a sequel in August 2021. Titled ‘King of Boy: The Return of the King’, the limited series released exclusively on Netflix was received with overwhelming approval.
The seven-part series reinforced the prowess of Adetiba as one of the best storytellers in Nollywood presently.
Arya Starr
Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, popularly known as Ayra Starr, has been pushing boundaries in the Nigerian music industry in recent years.
Since putting out ‘Away’, her debut EP, in early 2020, there has been little slowing down for the 19-year-old.
’19 & Dangerous’, her first full-length studio album, followed in August 2021, and it established her as a household name across the country. ‘Bloody Samaritan’, the album’s lead single, peaked atop the Top 50 chart while also sending her to number two on Billboard‘s Next Big Sound.
Tems
Temilade Openiyi, also called Tems, has had her stockpiling significantly in recent years. She attained global recognition when she beautifully delivered the chorus for ‘Essence’ a track off Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ album. The body of work has been nominated for the 2022 Grammy awards.
In September 2021, she was signed to RCA Records and released ‘If Orange Was a Place’, her second EP, which reached the top ten on the Billboard World Albums chart.
Tems also collaborated with Drake on the song ‘Fountains’ from ‘Certified Lover Boy’, the Canadian rapper’s album.
Adesua Etomi
Etomi truly broke the bias in 2022. After establishing herself as a top Nollywood actress, the mother of one showed the world her singing prowess after she released a song under the stage name Susu. The song titled ‘So Natural’ was produced by Cobhams Asuquo, and it was well-received by the audience.
A few hours before releasing the song, she took to her social media and declared, “this is the year of ‘Do’ All the things I want to do, I’m doing this year. All the Territories I want to conquer, I will conquer this year.”
Nancy Isime
Isime has successfully transformed from a TV personality into one of the most sought-after actresses in Nollywood in recent years. Her growth has been intentional and meteoric as she continues to rake in major roles in some of the biggest production in the industry.
Adesina Joy Oyinlola
Oyinlola, a niece to Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), recently emerged as the overall best graduating student in medicine at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
She had distinctions in surgery, community health, obstetrics and gynaecology; paediatrics and child health; dermatology, mental health, pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology.
Oyinlola also bagged nine other top awards, which include the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) prize for which she emerged as the student with the overall best result in the M.B.Ch.B degree examination; and the faculty prize given to the student with the overall best performance in faculty of clinical sciences.
It is understood that the feat is the best in the history of the varsity’s college of medicine.
Cynthia Okafor
Just like Oyinlola, Okafor recently emerged as the best graduating student of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan (UI).
The Pharmacy graduate scored a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 6.9 out of 7.0.
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