GIRL, GET UP!

Hey girls, so a few days ago, the World Trade Organization appointed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its Director-General. She is the first Woman and African ever to assume this position in the history of the organization.

Dr Ngozi Onkonjo-Iweala’s win is personal because I believe she has left an indelible mark in our history. As girls, Nigerian girls, to be precise, have been told of our ability to dream. We’ve continuously taught little girls that their dreams are valid, and they need to keep having those big dreams they desire. With this win, however, we can not tell girls that they can take over the world. They do not need to stop dreaming dreams, but despite the challenges we face as girls and women, the door to achieving more significant strides has been opened.

I acknowledge the achievements of women like Oprah, Kamala Harris, and other women who have broken stereotypes and left marks on the sands of time. Whose stories have inspired girls worldwide to become leaders worldwide, they also can achieve whatever they set their minds to achieve. But here is a woman we can relate to. One of us, an Igbo woman, Nigerian, black and unapologetic, achieved her goals and made history.

Dear girl, it’s time to stop dreaming and get up. Get up and push yourselves towards your dreams, get up and actualize those fantastic plans you have for yourself. Seize every opportunity in your corridor and take control of your life, those dreams are valid, and it’s time to show the world the stuff you are made of. The world would adjust for you. All you need to do now is Get up!

I’d leave you with these fantastic words “In every position that I’ve been in, there have been naysayers who don’t believe I’m qualified or who don’t believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.” — Sonia Sotomayor