THEWILL DOWNTOWN MAR 13, 2022 EDITION

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

On Overcoming Bias Through Grit And Tenacity

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

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THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Desire Onyema @desire_makeover

EDITOR’S NOTE

T

he story of bias in the workplace is unending. Almost every woman in the workplace has experienced it one way or another.

For this week’s cover personality, Temi Marcella Awogboro, it started at the very early stages of her career. Then with Goldman Sachs, the young woman was treated quite disrespectfully by male colleagues, and then when she moved back to Nigeria several years later, it continued with male colleagues passing comments like, ‘do you have a twin sister? Bring her along to the next meeting.’

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

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CONTENTS

COVER TEMI MARCELLA AWOGBORO ON OVERCOMING BIAS THROUGH GRIT AND TENACITY

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04-05

REVIEW THE BATMAN

FASHION

CLOTHES YOU SHOULD NEVER WEAR: DO'S AND DON’TS

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WEBSIGHTS DOWNTOWN THERE'S A LOT GOING ON

To be taken seriously, Awogboro started wearing colours that would make her look the part. Black became a favourite simply because she didn’t want to be a ‘distraction’ as one male colleague put it.

She soon got over that and became comfortable wearing whatever colour she wanted to wear, including one that she feared would make her look like an airhead… pink. Read her reverting story about disrespect in the workplace and how she got people to see her beyond beauty, and trust her for the exceptional professional that she is.

Everyday is women's day this month of March and so we mention five of Nollywood’s leading ladies.

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ODDBOD & THE DOWNTOWN CITY CONFIDENTIAL 8TH MARCH, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S SHE REINS SUPREME DAY: #BREAKTHEBIAS

Oddbod tries an African female-owned hair product, and Downtown confidential lets the woman take charge in the bedroom, while the fashion pages tell you what to and what not to wear to different events.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

CAREER

BEAUTY

GET THE LOOK: SMOKEY EYES

Our beauty pages show you how to achieve the perfect Smokey eye makeup. It’s really quite easy to recreate, just follow the steps, and we promise you will ditch previous looks for this one.

Websights is back with juicy details of social media buzz, while this week’s movie review is on the latest installment of the Batman series, The Batman. I wasn’t very impressed by the trailer I saw for the movie, but reading this review has me eager to see the movie.

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12-13

Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity

- Contributing Editor Odunayo Ogunbiyi is an ex pharmacist with a passion for food and pampering. Writing about her exploits wherever in the world she may find herself is just her way of staying sane in this zany world.

Boluwatife Adesina @bolugramm - Contributing Writer Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.

5 NOLLYWOOD LEADING LADIES

WHAT YOU SAID INSTAGRAM

@official_emmanueluzoamaka

Nice

Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa

AUSTYN OGANNAH

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Writers: Kehindé Fagbule, Tilewa Kazeem Interns: Sophia Edisi, Abdul Auwal Graphics/Layout: Olaniyan John ‘Blake’ Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’ www.thewilldowntown.com thewilldowntown thewilldowntown

Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs

- Contributing Writer Uzo Orimalade has a background in Law and Business and spent over a decade working in Corporate America and Nigeria in the management consulting and investment banking sectors. She switched careers to pursue her passion for baking, cooking and home entertaining. She is content creator and host of shows in various media platforms. She has been recognised by local and international media outlets including a feature on CNN’s African Voices.

Efua Oyofo @efuastar

@shollycutie

@2stuntish

- Contributing Writer Efua has always enjoyed telling stories.

A writer and cultural storyteller, Efua Oyofo helps clients tell their most compelling story. She focuses on social impact storytelling, and hosts a podcast: This African Love, exploring the culture of dating - and helping people develop more effective ways to navigate relationships in today’s world.

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

FASHION

Clothes you should never wear:

I

DO'S AND DON’TS

t is not necessary to have social obligations to feel good about your appearance. You can dress up for the mere fact that it makes you feel some kind of joy. The cases when we put a lot of thought into our outfits are, however, more

often than not, large events with explicit dress standards. In the best outcome, we're dressing for both of these reasons: to raise our selfesteem and to appear situationally suitable.

Even yet, determining what is appropriate

BY ABDUL AUWAL

might be difficult. The dress code may be implicit, and even when it is stated, the vocabulary can be difficult to comprehend. That's why we've laid it all out for you below.

Casual

Dressy Casual

Where:

Where:

BBQs and housewarming celebrations are examples of friendly gatherings. Dinner outings that aren't formal.

The very first date or nights out spent with friends (unless the dress code is explicit).

Do's:

Do's:

T-shirt with jeans, Khakis, modest shorts, day dresses, and skirts are all good options.

Dress, buttoned down shirt, blouse, dark denim, blue denim (lol yes they’re very different things), and jumpsuit.

It is not necessary for you to dress up. Sneakers, jeans, and T-shirts are all permitted, if not encouraged.

Dressy casual suggests that you don't have to dress professionally, but that genuine casual isn't acceptable for the situation.

Don’t: Graphic Tees, anything stained, uncomfortable clothing. [someone above sixteen shouldn’t be wearing this].

Don’t:

Sneakers (the type you’d wear to the gym), shorts.

Regina Daniel Eniola Awujo

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

FASHION

Formal

Cocktails

You are trying to look sharp, don’t forget you may be meeting really important people.

Anything semi-formal usually resides here, you can be a little more expressive too.

Where:

Where: Workplace and related events. Mixers for networking, interviews for jobs, Conferences.

Do's:

Weddings, fundraisers, and dinners.

Do’s:

Dresses, blazers, dressy shirts and of course Heels.

Sheath dress, pencil skirt, black suit, formal shoes and heels (very important).

Saskay

Don’t:

Sneakers, jeans, flashy clothes.

Ini Edo

Don’t:

Mini skirts, tight clothes (it’s for your good, be comfortable), jeans, plain attires (you need to stand out girl, be expressive!)

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

ODUN OGUNBIYI

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

ODDBOD & THE CITY

8th March,

International Women’s Day: #BreakTheBias

A

s a child, I remember submitting an essay where we were to pretend to be Emily Pankhurst, an English political activist best known for organising the UK suffragette movement. At the time, I remember ending the essay optimistically; Emily, who died in 1928, could never have imagined that her country would have a woman prime minister—the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher. I took it for granted that I would see women’s rights rise in leaps and bounds in my lifetime.

Unfortunately, we seem to be losing our hard-fought-for ground on women’s rights over bodily autonomy and equality. I am sad to report that at the beginning of women’s month, our national assembly voted to remind us that women are considered just above property in Nigeria.

So, while I endeavour not to throw myself into a pit of despair, I urge us all to take individual responsibility for our thoughts and actions, not to give up, and do our part to break the bias.

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Owo Mimo: Our Hands Tell Stories Ticking all the boxes that please me—aka ‘buy Nigerian’, aka ‘support women in business’, aka ‘support small businesses (I really must come up with some catchy clever slogan that covers all that)—comes a brand that specialises in hand and body products. And, it comes with a home fragrance range, Epiphany, thrown in for good measure.

I noticed Owo Mimo products in the bathroom of many of my friends over Christmas and discovered most had received their items as gifts. Everything about the packaging is minimalist luxe (which I love), bringing the perfect amount of pampering aesthetic to any bathroom.

I decided to do a bit of sleuthing to find out the who, where, and what of the matter, and I could not have been more delighted when I discovered the company was Nigerian-owned by two women.

The brand origin story has all the makings of a Hallmark movie. In 2020, one of the co-founders, Olamide Fetuga, had a fire accident and suffered painful third-degree burns to her body. It was while in recovery in unbearably itchy bandages and asking God “what next” that Owo Mimo came to mind.

The “epiphany” (forgive the pun, it was too good to pass up) was followed by months of research, product testing, reviews, and feedback from friends and family before the birth of the Owo Mimo x Ephiphany product range.

The brand evokes luxury with wonderfully scented soaps, lotions, and room fragrances that promote well-being, mindfulness, and self-love.

Just as important? All the packaging is recyclable, eco-friendly, and the products were ethically made from natural oils and ingredients. The brand’s long-term goal is to donate a percentage of profits to give back to the community, especially by supporting burn survivors in Nigeria.

A worthy goal, I wish them all the luck and watch this space with interest.

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

DOWNTOWN CONFIDENTIAL

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BY TILEWA KAZEEM

f you ask me, there are very few things I find sexier than a lady who knows what she wants…in the bedroom.

Yes, it's nice to be dominant you know; be that alpha male exhibiting that raw and sweaty macho side. But have you had your female partner relieve you of that stress and take control? I mean, she instigates the whole thing from make-out to climax, all her. For some men, this is their reality. Their skin glistens, it feels like a weight has been lifted off their shoulder and they just resonate pure mental comfort. As for other men and women who are foreign to giving or receiving this kind of energy, I say, ‘Welcome to a New Frontier.’

This has nothing to do with whips, sticks, and stones but your female partner hitting acceleration on her sexual desires, following them through, and then, proceeding to ‘have sex’ with the man— with consent. I’d say that energy is reinvigorating, to say the least. And for a woman, being the first to instigate the next quickie on the kitchen tabletop or making your man a little late for work with fellatio, gives you some emotional grip in the relationship. Sometimes, you need to let go of your inhibitions, show him how fun you can be! It might not be your cup of coffee but do it anyway.

Men are always horny and that's a fact. Some just have a better way of hiding it and conveying it when necessary. It’s in our innate nature to sniff out such scenarios and approach accordingly and with consent. Back in the day, I was seen as a shy, innocent and timid kid. A ajebutter in every sense of the word. While I was a few of those things, one thing I was not was innocent. I had just met this girl and our initial conversation went swimmingly.

It had blossomed and grown into beautiful conversations that led to us being close. She was with someone and if I had any other feelings other than platonic, I was too reticent to say anything about it. And she was smitten and too in love to want anything more or so it thought.

“Where are you? Please come over, I need to see you” were all the words I could decipher.

The noisy chaos that was tired university students and her incoherence made it hard to hear her. I had just finished a class on a hot Monday afternoon and that was Kiki's umpteenth call. Her boyfriend had called it quits with her some weeks ago and I was her shoulder to cry on.

SHE REINS

SUPREME

It was my job to cheer her up and keep a smile on her face. I enjoyed her company so spending time with her wasn't a bore. Over the phone, she sounded distraught, short of breath, and out of sorts. All the signs of heartache and emotional hurt. I knew I had to be there for her.

Chugging on a glass of water after what turned out to be a draining long walk to hers, she tells me she saw him with the ex he told her not to fuss over— it’s always the exes ladies. Two hours later, I want to leave. I would have pulled my hair out if I heard Soji one more time. “You need someone to bang him out of your senses my dear” I finally responded after a series of monosyllabic replies. “I’m going home, I have things to do. Let's talk tomorrow.” I added, just as I got up to gather my things. She didn't say anything so I said my goodbyes and left. Not less than 30 seconds after I left, I got a shocking text from her that read “would u?”

Somehow, my two legs, plus the third found their way back to her room. My brain, on the other hand, was still striving to make sense of it all; Is this right? this can't be, right? Questions darted around in my head as she pulled down my shorts and slotted my member into her mouth. As much as I wanted Kiki, I didn't want her like this; vulnerable, unguarded, and imprudent. But she didn't see things that way hastily and impetuously she pulled her gown to her abdomen and begged me to “bang her out of her senses.” She got creative with my phallus, her soft

hand curled around its trunk and she slightly pleased her sensitive clitoris with it. As I stuttered and shuddered each upshot, she used my penis to blissfully delight her insides. She had given it a thought countless times and everyone already assumed we were sleeping together so, why not.

I didn't end up going home that night and we had sex like clockwork till the next morning. Of course, we took breaks to hydrate and clean up, but it never disrupted the frequency of each round.

We were at it like jackrabbits in mating season. Because she came with her I-know-what-I-want-sexually energy, each round was better than the last one.

She suggested sex positions to try out and she always arched her back all the whole way when she needed to. Her show of dominance was getting on top. Either in regular cowgirl or the reverse style, she was the star of the show, and her overeager breasts cheered her on.

Breaking the monotony of sex is necessary for spicing up a relationship. Not all lovemaking should be instigated by the man, done on a bed, or with the lights turned off. Grab your partner and get him off in his car today and break the yoke of routine today!

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

COVER

T

he notion that a man can have it all has never been a theme because when you are a man, there are fewer questions asked as you climb through the ladder of life.

For women, it's a completely different ballgame. For so long, it was unclear to society that women could have a successful career as leaders of their respective fields, and—emphasis on ‘and’—be excellent caregivers. Someone who checks all boxes is a leading investment professional and mother of two beautiful girls, Temi Marcella Awogboro.

Temi Awogboro’s illustrious career which started at Goldman Sachs International—where she was selected as a GS Global Leaders Scholar and received the GS Global Leaders Award, spans a range of industries including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and information technology. Nowadays, she serves as the Executive Director (Finance, Admin, Strategy) at Evercare Hospital, Lekki.

As we celebrate the women renowned for breaking the bias this month, DOWNTOWN’s writer, Kehindé Fagbule had a conversation with Temi Marcella Awogboro to talk about life as a woman in the corporate world, rising through the ranks amidst the gender-specific barriers, and raising girls that are audacious in their pursuit of a better life.

Temi Marcella Awogboro's obvious wit, which has been evident through her over 10 years of experience, is matched by her stunning beauty. This is quite expected of the daughter of a

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former beauty queen. Her mother Rita Martins Olatunde, who won the Miss Nigeria pageantry in 1982 is also a tech system engineer at a time when there weren't many women in engineering.

When asked how important it is to break the biases that dictate that women can't or shouldn't aspire to have it all, she replied, “People often ask me and I say, ‘you can have it all but not at the same time.’ I think women put themselves under undue pressure trying to be everything to everyone; you want to be the best wife, mother, employer, employee, and the reality is you have the same 24 hours in the day. So what I have realised is that life is constantly about what you're prioritising at any given point in time. Where I've sort of learnt to juggle it all is to be very intentional about the way that I allocate my time. And to be very clear on what my priorities are at any point in time.

So when I had my children, I was very intentional about taking the time out to have the kids, to make sure that I was set and that was sort of my primary focus; everything else sort of had to take a backseat. At different points in time once they are more independent and once you've put the right support system around them, then you've created the capacity to then be able to focus on other things. It makes me sad when I see a lot of women of the older generation who clearly had so much potential, but for one reason or the other, due to society's expectations of them due to cultural limitations, they haven't been freed from realising their full potential. To me there's nothing more sad than that because ultimately, your kids grow up, they leave you and go on to live their own lives, everyone is moving on with their lives. So for me, it's very important that as a woman, you define your identity beyond just raising kids and you create a world where you feel like you are achieving your full potential and it's the responsibility of your partner, or family, to put together an enabling environment and a support system to enable you to do that.”

Awogboro who had stated in the past that she didn't have any role models, tells what inspires her. She said, “the way I live my life, I try to find inspiration in the form of every

interaction I come across.

I've always been passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation, and also always seen myself as a stakeholder in them.”

Raised in the UK, Awogboro is of German and Scottish descent; she is also well-travelled. She shares her views on the major differences between being a woman in developed countries and back home here in Nigeria.

She explains, “the first thing I would say is that Nigerian women are some of the most powerful, strong and enterprising women that I've come across.

And now on the surface, it feels like Nigeria continues to be what is a patriarchal society, but we have women breaking through the bias from the public sector to the banking sector where you have a number of women who are now banking CEOs on the boards of large corporations. I would say Nigeria is making a lot of progress on that front, in terms of recognising the importance of diversity and the role that women have to play beyond the home. That being said, because of our cultural leanings and religion, there is still a strong underlying patriarchal overtone that needs to be addressed through institutions that address the gender disparity at the fundamental levels which include access to education for girls. I think there's a lot of work to be done in terms of addressing those inherent biases that still exist in society, and start from when girls are very young.

There are a number of initiatives focused on this—women’s empowerment, of course, we are in International Women's Month and my rule is to continue to be an advocate for gender equality, gender inclusion, and to see the country progress on that front.”

Temi started her career overseas, before she was 20 years old, at the multinational investment bank and financial services company, Goldman Sachs.

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

COVER Needless to say, it is a predominantly maledominated organisation, so she experienced her fair share of bias. When asked what the experience was like for her as a young woman in her first-ever job, and how she handled such situations, she narrated, “Yes, trust me, you don't forget certain experiences. At the time, it was a male-dominated firm and banking was maledominated, but the training school was especially dominated by men. There were less than a handful of females on the training team and so it became very clear very quickly that I was in a different world. Things were said, I remember.

Someone had shouted in my direction and one of the training ladies came and took me aside saying, “every time I wear my makeup, I'm wearing my camouflage. Every time you come here, you're going to war, you have to come prepared. Don't let them see any emotions.” And I thought ‘Oh goodness me, where am I?’ Because growing up, the things that I think my parents did extremely well is they never really put labels on us, I never really identified myself as a black woman or any other group be it gender, ethnicity, nationality or religion, I always saw myself as just the person, so I was taken aback when I went into the real world and suddenly you're a woman and there are all these expectations that come with me being a woman. So it was an adjustment for me; I would say that it made me tougher. You see it a lot when you start to overcompensate because you're very aware now you're a woman, so I started wearing dark colours only, I was wearing trousers only, I wouldn't wear dresses, and then I was tough, I was hard as nails, I never showed anyone any emotions. And in a way, that helps you rise up the ranks and succeed. But there's a certain level of introspection you have when you become a leader and realise that ruling by fear is one way but ultimately, it is probably not the most receptive or sustainable leadership model.

The typical strong man model, you know. What is happening in Russia and Ukraine is an example of

what the strong man model of leadership does. When you are driven and blinded by ego, and you live in a world it's zero-sum, that is ‘if I'm going to win, that means you must lose.’ That is not an effective or sustainable leadership model. While I was at Stanford in the Silicon Valley, US, I did a lot of personal work in terms of looking at other leadership styles and I realised that as a woman, there's so much that you bring to the table that is different, and rather than trying to be like the men in the room, why don't you embrace the fact that you're a woman, you stand out, and embrace the things that are unique to you, and you can make them your competitive advantage.

So whether it is not being driven by ego, or being able to manage or be in control of one's ego, and a natural predisposition to be collaborative, to see life as a win-win as opposed to a zero-sum game, a side that looks to create rather than exploit. There are all these things about the nurturing side of being a woman, and it took me a few years in my career to realise that actually these things are strengths and in terms of where the world is going, we need more of that kind of leadership. So it doesn't stop at me trying to beat the men at the game that they created, it is about reinventing the game and changing its rules. One that encourages and promotes healthy leadership, one that I believe is more sustainable and better for the world that we live in today. And better for the world I want to create for my children, my girls.”

For Temi, investments come easy — as chronicled in her résumé. The seasoned investor has committed over half a billion dollars in private partnership capital across strategic sectors globally. When asked what it takes to be able to get these investors and how difficult it is as a woman, she replied, “I mean it's naturally more difficult. When you look at the stats globally, women are vastly underrepresented in the boardroom.

According to stats, women do two-thirds of the world's work and only receive ten per cent of the income and own just one per cent of its means of production. One of the pieces of advice my mentor gave me was to ‘stay close to the money.’ The person who controls the money is ultimately determining how that capital is allocated and influencing the outcome. For me, I've always wanted to be in the business of allocating capital. Why? Because if you're not, you are at the mercy of the decisions of those who have the capital.

In terms of women accessing capital, it is harder because there are very real biases that exist in the world and from an investment perspective, the whole essence of it comes down to trust. ‘Do I trust the person that is going to be the custodian of this money?’ And it is scientifically proven that people tend to trust people who look exactly like them more than they do people who don't. Even if they are not trying to do it consciously, it's a subconscious bias.

So in order to be able to address that, I've always felt that we need more women capital in business because they will be in a position to ensure that they allocate, deploy and mobilise capital behind women and issues that affect women disproportionately. That was actually the whole reason why I decided that I wanted to go down the role of being an investor.

Gender is something that I'm focused on in

my career and my leadership journey.

So yes, I will say it is harder for a number of reasons. Subconscious biases, societal expectations of women, investors will look at you and think ‘if I give her my money, will she be able to hustle and get returns or will she take a break and go and have kids? These are all sorts of things that come into people's minds and fairly put women on the back foot.”

To give us a sneak peek into how she managed to gain their trust, she narrated, “for me, what has kept me going over the years is a very clear sense of purpose, an unrelenting tenacity and unwavering belief in myself. So even when you walk into a room and it's clear that you are the only woman in the room and feel they don't trust you or they're not really your allies and they're questioning why you're in the room, that self-belief in terms of ‘I deserve to be here, I demand my seat at the table’ has always been very important to me. The second thing is I've always been focused on delivering results.

For me it's always been ‘my track record will ultimately speak for itself,’ so you'll have no choice but to trust and want to align. You know they say sometimes you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself. I remember when I was in a private firm and the guy looked at me and said, “look, you are going to be a distraction in our office. Have you ever considered a career in fashion, this is a really hard job?” This is someone who came out with a first-class from Cambridge, worked in Goldman Sachs, went to Stanford University, has done more than half of the people that walk through this door and you're telling me it's a hard job and I should go to fashion. I just thought I'm not going to internalise this and allow it to cause doubts in myself, this is clearly your own issue, and so I laughed it off. I could do that because I put in the

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

COVER

...you can have it all but not at the same time.

I think women put themselves under undue pressure trying to be everything to everyone"

time and the work to get the result. So honestly it's a combination of self-belief, staying true to purpose. For me, I have my three P's that I follow; purpose, passion and performance. You need those three. The purpose is asking the question “why am I even doing this? Why does it matter?” Then the passion, “am I passionate about this? Is my heart in it?” and finally the performance, “what are the results?” You need all three to be successful. When one is out of balance, it's a red flag for me, so I have to think

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about it and address it.”

Because of how gorgeous she is, one would reckon that there are instances when people would profile her as notso-smart, as men often do. When asked if there are times that she wasn't taken seriously just because of her beauty, she replied, “Hundred per cent, a lot of times.

I experienced it more in Nigeria than I did in other parts of the world, which was surprising to me. There are times that I would go for board meetings and they would be commenting on my looks. ‘Do I have a twin? Can I bring her to the next board meeting? The chairman of one of the boards asked me to come and sit on his lap while we were taking pictures for the annual review. For me, that was very traumatic, I mean this was within my first year of moving to Nigeria. So I stopped wearing makeup and dresses, I only wore black, I still predominantly wear black, because I wanted to walk in a room and be taken seriously, so I did that for a couple of years because it was clear that I was a distraction in certain ways and it was highly frustrating because I wanted to be taken seriously. I had to do a lot of staff work to realise that the issue wasn't me, it wasn't anything I was doing that was causing this. It was that people have been conditioned to believe that you can't be beautiful and take care of yourself and be smart and successful. The world wants to put you in a box and when you don't fit in that box, it causes agitation for people.

But I've lived my life not wanting to fit in a box, not wanting to live up to anyone's expectations or labels of me. My nickname growing up was ‘small but mighty’ and that was really the one identity that came with me because yes, you can be small and do all these amazing and impactful things in the world and there's nothing like ‘too small’.

The first thing I did was develop a sense of humour. I found the ability to not internalise it but to laugh about these things. And to realise again that it wasn't my issue, it was their issue. Also, I doubled down my efforts on grooming myself.

I always say that success in business doesn't come from the smartest person in the room, it actually comes from grit and tenacity. Can you keep getting up no matter how many times you get knocked down? I've been at the centre in terms of my career. I started my career less than one month before Leemans dropped and we went into a global financial crisis. I had to commission a hospital in the middle of a global healthcare pandemic. For me, it's not been easy but the one thing I'll say is that I persisted and I have grit and tenacity, and so I will keep fighting through. That fighting spirit and that focus on being result-oriented helped in terms of my career in Nigeria because I was able to build a reputation that was based not on my physical appearance but the impact that I've had in people's lives and the results I have achieved.”

This wouldn't stop Awogboro however.

Seven years ago, she committed as a private equity investor that would bring a world-class hospital to Nigeria. March 11th last year, a 165-bed, purpose-built, multispecialty tertiary care hospital, Evercare was commissioned in Lekki, Nigeria. Awogboro was at the forefront of that. When asked why she chose healthcare

and more so in Nigeria, she said, “My father is a doctor although he stopped practising a long time ago. My siblings and I spent our entire lives running away from medicine. So when they asked me to head the deployment of a health facility, I resisted because I don't like hospitals [laughs]. So the thought of running a hospital wasn't something that was at the forefront of my mind. But when I came to Nigeria and I started visiting hospitals, I heard stories of avoidable deaths that were a result of lack of equipment, consumables or poor infrastructure. It just became clear that I couldn't turn a blind eye to the need. I had always said I'm an impact investor, but what is the biggest impact you can make on people? I couldn't see any bigger impact I could make on people and the country than at least playing some part in solving the healthcare issue. For me, access to care is a fundamental human right and I don't think you can call yourself a country if the majority of your citizens don't have access to healthcare. So it became a mission for me actually. I didn't expect it, nor was it planned, but it became a personal mission that I was privileged and blessed to be working as a part of an organisation where we were able to pull a group of investors together who also had the same vision and we collectively said we were going to do this at all cost even when we ran into challenges, even when the global pandemic hit, the focus was just that we need to open those doors. There's nothing like failed projects, failure is not an option. Fast-forward, it's been the most important impactful thing that I've done in my professional career. As you know building or running anything in Nigeria is hard work and it comes with its challenges but when you get it right, there's nothing more rewarding than saving lives or even just allowing someone to move on in dignity and peace. Evercare is off to the races and it's doing what it's set out to do, which was to transform healthcare. It comes with its challenges, but with every challenge, it forces us to be better, do better, find solutions, so we can actually live up to that desire to bring quality care to as many people as we can.”

Her tremendous job at her role as the Executive Director of the hospital would then earn her a seat on the Nigerian Health Sector Reform Committee within the same year. When asked to explain her roles as a member of the committee, she narrated, “I've always been a big believer in private sectors and private sector-led initiatives.

What also became very clear to me is that the private sector doesn't operate within a vacuum and cannot innovate its way out of bad policies, and the public sector has a real role to play in creating an enabling environment. So that led me down the path of ‘how do we ensure collaboration between the private and public sector?’ and that's why this role on the health reform committee was so important for me because at least I wanted to be able to provide my insights and learnings from the private sector to be able to influence and inquire the public sector agenda on healthcare in the country.

And it's a great initiative of the government to actually take it seriously and put it at the top of the agenda because they've also recognised as a result of the pandemic that healthcare is of strategic importance to a nation. The populace is very vulnerable if you don't have a proper healthcare system. You can't rely on importing talent, grants, consumables and equipment because when the global pandemic hit, everyone started focusing on their own.”

As aforementioned, Awogboro isn't just into healthcare. The serial entrepreneur is also a co-founder at Kairos Angels and a partner at

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

COVER Magic Fund. She talked about her other projects, “I have always been passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation.

My parents are both entrepreneurs actually, so it's all I know quite frankly.

And then there was being in Silicon Valley in what was the pioneering tech echo system. I've always wanted to be in a position where I can support the innovation and contribute, and so that led me to co-found Kairos and also join Magic.”

Her leadership skill, as she discussed earlier, is one of her strongest traits.

Awogboro has been an Archbishop Desmond Tutu fellow since 2018. When asked to shed more light on what the fellowship entails, she replied, “the essence of the fellowship really is about leadership on the continent.

Tutu’s fellowship is about responsible leadership that recognises the importance of taking decisions that are ultimately sustainable, of taking into account stakeholders and decision-making. I think it's been a great programme, it's been an opportunity to bring leaders from countries around the continent because all too often we operate in silence. I see the Tutu fellowship as a great springboard for that and we are very close as a collective.

Obviously the passing of Desmond Tutu last year was a big loss, not just for Africa but for the world because, in some way, he was an example of that responsible leadership that we talked about. But at the same time, his legacy lives on and we continue to strive to keep Africa on the agenda, move the continent forward, and enable us to live up to its full potential.”

In a world that is not exactly designed for women to thrive, leadership is not an easy task. When asked what fuels her drive, she replied, “at different points in my life, it was different things. I would say today, I'm a mother of two girls and I'm very conscious of creating a world where they don't have to go through certain things that I went through, and where they can walk into a room and be judged not just by their physical attributes but by the content of their character, their results, their mind and all sorts of things. A world where they are not fighting against stereotypes.

Also, I've always been an advocate of the underdog, I've always seen myself as someone who is fighting for the underrepresented, those who don't have a voice, to make sure that they are given a voice and they are heard, and their needs and desires are taken into account in leadership and decision-making. I think we're at a unique point in history where technology is changing the world we live in so quickly and is forming the way everything is done and works. We have an opportunity to be stakeholders in that and to shape technology in a way that is beneficial for the majority and not just the minority. Those are the things that drive me today.”

Built for a movie screen, the question of if Awogboro would ever consider being in front of a camera came up, just like another seasoned businesswoman, former First Bank of Nigeria Chairman, Ibukun Awosika, who made a cameo appearance in Kunle Afolayan's critically acclaimed film, Citation. It could be seen on Instagram that actress Omoni Oboli

I feel like I've spent my life being a rebel and rebelling against those biases and that status quo and I've had to pay for it in many ways, but also I've been liberated from it."

once joked about casting her in a movie. So naturally, the question of whether she would consider being in a movie came up, and this is what she had to say, “I never say no to things, especially when there's an opportunity to reach an audience with an important message. It's just another potential platform, so yeah, maybe. Watch this space [laughs].”

Awogboro's style is very aesthetically appealing. She can be very formal and also quite casual but one thing stays the same; very stylish. When asked how

she balances her formal and casual style, she replied, “prior to being a mum, I would say my style is a lot more formal and businessready and maybe this is because I was trying to project the image of someone serious. And I think one of the things I took from becoming a mum is you watch kids play, the way they live and embrace life, how they don't take themselves too seriously. Because of these situations that I found myself in with my life and my career, I have become very serious, I had lost that thirst for life, that enjoyment and just being free. So that sort of changed the mindset along with developing a sense of humour, and I guess fused into my passion.

More recently I'm daring with colours. For example, before I'd choose either black or neutral, whereas now I can wear greens and pinks. I wear a lot of pinks. I used to stay away from pink because I used to think people would think I was a real airhead if I came in a pink suit. But now I do, I love it. For me, it's just embracing all parts of your personality and one thing doesn't take from the other.

You can be professional and successful and ambitious and audacious, but also be fashionable and fun-loving and free, and my goal in life is to live the best version of me and embrace all aspects of me. And showcase that to liberate other people to do the same. And you don't have to live someone else's version of you, you can be free to be you and there's beauty in that.”

Awogboro currently raises two beautiful girls. When asked to share some parenting tips she might have for women especially looking to raise girls who break the bias just like her mum did with her, she closed the interview saying, “One of the things that were said pretty recently that struck me was when Kamala Harris was elected as the Vice President of the US and in her victory speech, she essentially said, “dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourself in a way that others might not see you simply because they've never seen it before.” And that really struck a chord with me because that was essentially my life. I've always dreamt with ambition, I've always had this sense of conviction, but people hadn't seen it before so they didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't know what to do with it. But you get to a point in your life where you're like “this is me” and I'm comfortable with who I am, I am comfortable in my skin and in my ambition and I'm not going to be a lesser version of myself to make others comfortable. So for me, that's really the key piece of advice for raising children, especially girls. It's really about encouraging them to be bold and audacious in the dreams that they have. To have a sense of self-belief, conviction and audacity to go out and demand what they want in the world, and to go for it and not be afraid of failure because failure is a part of the process and journey.

Also to embrace who they are and the world will ultimately accept them.

I love the theme, breaking the bias, because there are so many biases that exist at home, in the workplace, in society, in relation to how women are seen and the expectations of women. And I feel like I've spent my life being a rebel and rebelling against those biases and that status quo and I've had to pay for it in many ways, but also I've been liberated from it. I just want to be able to inspire girls and women out there to really go for their dreams and be unapologetic about it. You deserve it, it's yours.”

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

BEAUTY

Grab Your Shade Grab your brush set and use your foundation brush to apply a thin layer of your BrownSkin Foundation and powder (build up to preferred coverage). This duo is an excellent combo to give your skin a skin-like finish (No makeup, makeup!). Follow this up by applying some liquid concealer to cover any dark circles and brighten up your eyes and whole face. You can even go a few shades lighter than normal to add a little extra life to your skin and make your face appear even brighter.

D'luxe Brush Set

BrownSkin Powder

BrownSkin Foundation

Mary-Jane Ohobu

GET THE LOOK: SMOKEY EYES I n celebration of International Women’s History Month, here is a quick how-to on one of our favourite smokey looks perfect for every woman out there continuously breaking the bias.

Bang Brows Are In

BY MODUPE ADENIYA

Achieve natural-looking brows with the Matte Eyebrow Pencil, draw thin but visible strokes, mimicking your brow shape.

Brush and set in place with the Brow Bang.

Start With A Good Skin Prep A good skincare routine builds the perfect canvas on which to apply your makeup. The key to flawless makeup is having healthy skin. If you want your skin to be a moisturized glowing canvas, opt for the Skin by Zaron’s Skin Regenerating and Hydrating Serum and Sun Protection Day Cream SPF 50+++ which not only hydrates and moisturizes the skin, the Day Cream also doubles as a sunscreen.

Next up, smoothen your skin and blur out any imperfections with the Zaron Face Primer. Apply with a brush or clean fingers to your face.

Sun Protection Day Cream

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Skin Regenerating Hydrating Serum

Face Primer

Brow Bang

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

BEAUTY

The Eyes Don’t Lie The eyes chico, they never lie! Add some smokey hue to your look with the Smudged Eye Shadow Palette. Using the Eye Shadow Brush, blend in 'Blackish' as your undertone, then top it off with 'Burlesque'. Add some drama and depth to your eyes by smudging 'Burlesque' under your eye with an angle brush.

For more smokey depth, line your waterline with the Black Velvet black eyeliner. 'Wing it' with the Gel eyeliner in shade 'Jazz' to create a sharp and precise wing liner, starting from the corner of your eyes and extend upwards.

Smack It Add some glossy action to your pout with the Luxurious Lip Gloss in shade 'Sugar Plum'. First, you line your lips with the Lip Pencil in shade 'Cappucino'.

Smudged Eyeshadow

Angle Brush Gel Eyeliner - Jazz

Luxurious Lip Gloss

Lip Pencil

Turn Up The Volume For an extra dose of drama and glam, give your lash a lift with the 'Flare Lashes' from their 3D Lash Pack and the Volumizing Mascara.

Seal The Deal To make sure your makeup sits in place and doesn’t fade, set your look with the Perfect Finish Setting Spray!

Volumizing Mascara

3D Lash Pack

Perfect Finish Spray

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VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

CAREER

5

NOLLYWOOD

LEADING LADIES

BY IDOWU LAMI

G

Nancy Isime

radually, we are seeing the Nollywood industry experience a shift from who we're used to seeing and who we can't get enough of.

Hugging and making every movie role their own, these female actors are the ones everyone anticipates to be in front of the camera putting on flawless roles every time. Seeing as we will be celebrating women the entire month of March, here are some of Nollywood's leading ladies.

Bimbo Ademoye In either case, Nollywood is lucky to have Bimbo Ademoye on its team because of her ability to embody every role she plays or her relatable personality.

What started as an unorthodox occupation for Nancy has grown and blossomed into a radiant career. The 33-year-old actor is also a TV host and presenter.

Zainab Balogun

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Ini Dima-Okojie

Osas Ighodaro

The Namaste Wahala movie star quit her job as an investment banker to chase the big screen. Her reward for that was becoming one of the leading faces in Nigerian film.

The host, entrepreneur, presenter, and actor is a leading Nollywood talent and a star to the entire Nigerian entertainment ecosystem.

She is an eloquent TV host and actress.

Her performance in movies like The Purple Hibiscus Hotel, God Calling and more recently, Chief Daddy 2: Going For Broke makes her one we love seeing on our screens.

THEWILL DOWNTOWN • www.thewilldowntown.com

VOL 2 NO.11 • MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2022

websights DOWNTOWN

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

There's A Lot Going On the rules and finished his concert at 11:34 pm and was allegedly fined 340,000 Pounds, equivalent to 190 million Naira.

Here are some of the reactions:

DAVIDO2: Afrobeats Superstar Sells Out The O2 Arena AGAIN!

Messy Aigbe: Inside The Actress' Controversial Marriage

In a recent interview, ace Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe cleared the air on her relationship and secret marriage with movie marketer, Kazim Adeoti. In the interview, she confirmed that she had made the choice to be a second wife to her lover and was extremely happy about it. The actress warned critics to leave her alone so that she could enjoy her marriage in peace.

Pleading, she said, “Please, I just want to tell Nigerians. Please, I’m not the first person to be a second wife. It is my choice to be a second wife. And I’m happy with it. Please, everybody should just leave me alone. Let me just be happy.

“If you can be happy for me, be happy for me. If you’re not happy for me, go and get busy. On a much more serious note, it is my choice. I’m happy. So just leave me to enjoy my marriage, please.”

In an interesting turn of events, Kazim Adeoti’s estranged wife, Oluwafunso Asiwaju, alleged that her husband had

On Saturday, March 5, 2022, Davido, again, sold out the 20,000-capacity The O2 Arena in London, UK. The show which generated a lot of buzz online turned out to be a success with the host, Davido, performing most of his hit songs with fellow artists like Patoranking, Popcaan, Skiibii, Ckay, Adekunle Gold, Teni, Pheelz, DJ Ecool, Victony, Focalistic, Mayorkun, and many more. This didn't impress everyone though. As a section of Twitter (read: 30BG) celebrated the great feat, another section (read: Wizkid FC) couldn't hide their dislike.

The O2 Arena has a strict 11 pm curfew, and for every minute a person goes past 11 pm, they are obligated to pay a fine of ten thousand pounds. To which Davido said he didn’t care about

Maraji’s Emotional Boomerang: From Breakfast To “I Do” Popular skit maker, Gloria Olorunto, fondly referred to as Maraji, revealed that her recently wedded husband was the same man who served her 'breakfast' just two years ago.

The soon-to-be mum made this known via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, March 5, 2022, while answering questions from her fans.

"Aunty Gloria remember that time you were heartbroken, was it your current hubby," a fan asked.

The popular skit maker was affirmative in her response.

"This same guy, this same housemate of mine, na em break my heart. I would have given you guys the full story but let's just move past it," she said.

It would be recalled that in September

been having sexual relations with the actress who is now his second wife.

In a statement on her Instagram page on Friday night, the mother-offour stated that she was friends with Aigbe but the actress “repaid” their friendship by sleeping with her “soonto-be ex-husband.”

This comes as a shock to fans online who didn't see the messy boomerang coming. Remember that just two years ago on Valentine's day, the actress admonished single ladies in a relationship with married men to play smart and “cash out.” Well, that was certainly prophetic. Here are some reactions.

2020, Maraji broke down on social media as she recounted how her partner dumped her.

"Recently I was dumped by my ex for no reason. Apparently, he likes someone else. It has been a tough month because it happened just last month. It has been a tough month," she said.

Of course, Nigerians reacted. Here are some of the most hilarious ones.

Maternity Grief: Women's Protection Is A National Concern Last week, a Twitter user by the name of Lolo Cynthia, shared a story of how her friend, a new mum, dropped off her 3-month old child at the crèche as she went to work. She would return later that day to pick up her child's dead body.

This sparked a lengthy debate online as some people criticised the grieving mother for entrusting her infant with a daycare, others pointed out that the unfortunate occurrence was just one of the many ways that society is unkind to women.

As we observe this year's International Women's Month this March, Nigeria's mere three months maternity leave law is something worth discussing. But nobody was doing that on social media as the majority's fixation was neither on the crèche nor the kid's father, whose existence was never brought up, but on the grieving mother.

Here are some reactions to the tragedy.

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VOL 22 NO.11 NO.11 •• MARCH MARCH 13 13 -- MARCH MARCH 19, 19, 2022 2022 VOL

FASHION

BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA

Movie Review:

THE BATMAN

M

att Reeves’ The Batman is the latest revamp of the classic DC Comics superhero who is best known for his cowl and scowl. Like other incarnations of The Dark Knight, this Batman (Robert Pattinson) is ominous and brooding, bringing fury and vengeance to the villains of Gotham.

In this three-hour epic, audiences stand witness to what happens when anger goes unchecked and rage runs rampant in a city where vast swathes of the population are left to fend for themselves.

Unfolding as a Noir-style crime thriller, the story follows Batman as he attempts to capture a demented serial killer with a penchant for puzzles and an agenda that includes exposing corruption in the city government. Though the film will draw inevitable comparisons to David Fincher’s Se7en and Zodiac, the story mostly pulls inspiration from several grim Batman comics, including The Long Halloween, Year One, and Ego. More Zodiac than Zorro, we’re presented with Batman two years into his self-appointed stint as the saviour of

PAGE 16

Gotham City. He’s still green behind the ears at this point. He has nifty gadgets and the Batmobile has that new car smell, but he’s still working on his skill set as he walks on wobbly baby Bat legs. The confidence and potential are there, but the precision and skill has a way to go.

Potential is a key element that guides most of Reeves’ films. We have seen early versions of the Caped Crusader before, but rarely have audiences ever seen anything less than a perfectly polished Batman (unless it was due to injury). And that is the gift of The Batman – he’s a messier Batman just on the brink of glory.

Pattinson as an inexperienced hero who is still in mourning for his parents gives a surprisingly nuanced performance and a version of Batman most audiences haven’t seen before. Usually, when taking on the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, there’s an understanding that an actor is actually taking on three distinct roles: the vigilante Batman, the millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, and finally, the Batcave dweller who is usually only seen by Alfred. But here, Pattinson is none of these things. Bruce has been a recluse since the death of his parents, and as Batman, he is mostly either feared or mocked. He has few allies and almost no friends. Pattinson conveys his vulnerability as he makes (and learns) from his many mistakes.

He is not the Batman with which most folks are familiar, nor is he Bruce Wayne. At least, not quite yet.

Supporting Pattinson is Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman, though never spoken or named in the movie), Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred. For the most part, Kravitz and Wright do a majority of the heavy lifting, helping Pattinson along the way like a somber Scooby Gang, collecting clues and evidence against the city’s Big Bads.

And though he is given a lot of credit for raising the boy, Serkis’s Alfred is given very little to do in terms of story.

Exceptional turns here go to the scoundrels, which is always the case with any decent Batman movie. The franchise is renowned for having the best Rogue’s Gallery of any comic book hero, and The Batman is no exception.

Colin Farrell plays Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (a.k.a The Penguin), a sleazy nightclub owner with mob ties who is practically unrecognizable thanks to unbelievable makeup and characterization. Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton/ The Riddler is phenomenal in his portrait of a madman who masquerades as a martyr as he displays shades of both Heath Ledger’s Joker and Se7en’s John Doe. But the true supporting character in The Batman is Gotham itself, which is above and beyond any bad neighborhood we’ve seen in the past on film. Reeves creates a city that seems set on destroying its own denizens.

Set mostly at night, it always appears cold, damp, and uninviting, a place where no person should live, yet millions seem to have settled. In this film, Gotham is a sinister place

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Apple Music)

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Spotify)

Playlist for the week

Bluestaeb ft Mick Jenkins & Aréna - MOVIN'

Freddie Gibbs ft Madlib - Gat Damn

Nas ft Eminem & EPMD - EPMD 2

Asa ft. WizKid - IDG

The Alchemist ft ScHoolboy Q W.Y.G.D.T.N.S.

Pheelz ft Buju - Finesse

Asake ft. Olamide - Omo Ope

Omah Lay & Justin Bieber Attention

Tim Lyre- Real

and every creature in it is a hellspawn due to its fractured system. From the Riddler who grew up in its under-funded orphanages to Cobblepot, whose mob ties make him more powerful than most government officials, Gotham’s own are a dysfunctional bunch of deviants born from systematic abuse and neglect.

So what does that say of Batman, who himself is a son of Gotham?

The distinction between Batman and those he battles is his ability to grow and learn from

his pain. Though his need to become the Batman was initially sparked by his quest for vengeance, his ability to understand and embrace his pain and anger and use it to help others is what makes him a hero, a fact that is really hammered home in the final act. During a point in the film’s climax, Batman is outnumbered by a mob who uses his own words to justify their bad acts.

They view their actions as a hero’s journey, while

Zinoleesky - Rocking

in truth, it is an insurrection of unnecessary violence and destruction. It’s a chilling moment given recent events.

In The Batman, Pattinson, and Reeves create a superhero spectacle for audiences that goes above and beyond the norm. In lieu of a fatigued origin story, we get an evolution. Though the story goes back to the beginning, it is a start that allows the audience to understand the hero through his journey thanks to his flaws and faults.

This is a whole new direction for the hero, one that most audiences will and should be eager to follow.

9/10