BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
AUGUSTINE AVWODE
Nigerian youths have been charged to get involved in the country’s system so as to change it for the better. Linda Anukwuem, publisher of ‘Who’s Who in Diaspora: The Nigerian Story’, gave the charge in a virtual interview with The Point from her base in Houston, Texas, US.
She insisted that it was not enough to stand on the sideline and complain about what was wrong with the system without getting involved, noting that given the huge population of the youth and given the creative and productive potential inherent in them, they could effect meaningful changes in the system for the good of all instead of engaging in endless lamentation.
“I will advice Nigerian youths to push hard and get involved in the system; the government, the policy making organs, get involved if you can because change wouldn’t happen with you staying on the side line. So you have to get into the system, work to change it for the very best you want it to be for the good of all. I tell you, all those Cinderalla stories coming out of the United States can also come out Nigeria and they have all it takes to get them out.”
Linda equally advised entrepreneurs to get started without waiting any longer. “People think you have to wait for lots and lots of money but not so, get it going. Don’t just sit and wait, go out meet people and don’t wait to get all the money. I am waiting to read or hear of the next big tech company and who is making what happen. To me, back home in Nigeria is the best place to find a solution to all they need. It is the people on ground that will create the solution they need. So I definitely encourage them to start.”
The African-American, popular for her commitment to changing the narrative about Nigerians in the Diaspora, is the brain behind promoting individuals who are making Nigeria proud in their various endeavours through her research and publications.
She told The Point that her motivation is simply a desire to change the narrative. She lamented that as a result of the activities of just one percent of the population of the Nigerian Diaspora, the community tend to carry a negative stigma and she is determined to change the narrative by focusing on the record breaking activities of individuals in their profession and other endeavours of life.
“I will advice Nigerian youths to push hard and get involved in the system; the government, the policy making organs, get involved if you can because change wouldn’t happen with you staying on the side line. So you have to get into the system, work to change it for the very best you want it to be for the good of all
“
She said, “I am determined to change the narrative. Nigerians in the community or in the Diaspora are known or tend to carry a negative stigma just because one percent of the people do something bad and it dominates the media. But then, we are also aware, and many people agree, that Nigerians are smart, they are driven and intelligent and are breaking barriers in their professions; they are trail blazers and are generally known for their tenacity. So, what we do, indeed allows us to tell our own story while we are waiting for other media to help us tell it. It also helps us to document the feats that Nigerians in the Diaspora are making around the world.”
Linda revealed in the course of the interaction that negatives stories cause embarrassment to her but also strengthen her resolve to showcase the positive things Nigerians are doing.
“For me, two things happen. One is the embarrassment because at the end of the day, we are all Nigerians and if one person in the family has fallen down or done something bad, we all feel embarrassed. But then, when one person does something good, we all feel proud and there is that patriotic mood that makes you want to hug anyone that has a connection to Nigeria.
“But on the other side it does motivate me to keep going because every little bit helps. Here, there are others who though have their one percent, but they are seen as a thriving community and I am referring to such communities as the Indian community, the Chinese community, they are seen as very thriving communities. So it does motivate me to propel not only the Nigerian story but also the culture and tradition as it relates to Nigeria despite what is happening because people think that just because some bad things are happening even back home so you should just stop doing what you are doing, but I rather get a little bit motivated,” she said.
Pressed to relate any particular story she found unique in the course of her project, Linda confessed that the request was a tough one as all the stories she had worked on were worthy of mention.
“That is a tough one because everyone loves a Cinderella story, but I will say that I will mention two. First is Mr Anthony Ifeanyi. His story portrayed tenacity and the entrepreneurial spirit of the average Nigerian. And it almost sounds like a Cinderella story.
“His dad dropped him off in the US, bought him a car and left him $5,000 with an Uncle and left him till he graduated from high school. And from there, within 30 days, Anthony registered in school of Architecture but he also secured three jobs working for three newspapers, delivering for them. Over time, he transitioned from delivering papers. Note that wasn’t his pathway. His pathway was construction. All he was doing was aside his studies as student of Architecture. So by the time he graduated his business has really boomed and he used that money to fund what he has today, which is Matrix Construction. He started almost immediately he stepped into the US. So his story just portrays that tenacity, the Nigerian spirit of oh yeah, we would get through it, that is what we always say.
“And the second story is Chioma. People told her she couldn’t do it but she did it. She is not a doctor, or an engineer or any stuff like that. She’s an event planner, particularly, the wedding events. Her specialty is in Nigerian weddings where she has been featured on CNN and lots more and people now reach out to her.
“But as at the time she was starting people told her nobody would pay 2500 dollars for you to plan their wedding but now she’s quite global. She plans weddings in Nigeria, Dubai, Paris and even here in the United States.”
Linda explained that her focus was not dictated by class. “Not a class thing, but some of the seasoned professionals you would see in the book are people who have done well in their journey but the focus was really to be able to capture those considered quiet giants because you may not know they are out there, because they don’t make any noise, they are not on Google and don’t have the Dangote kind of resume but the thing is they are breaking barriers in their field. They are Nigerian, like Wendy Okolo, she’s an aerospace engineer, I think she’s the first female to do that, first Nigerian, she is well known but not a millionaire, but well known because of the career choice.
“And then, we do recognize the creative and culinary fields, too. The culinary field is very important in the Diaspora, especially, those who are propelling Nigeria foods because they are introducing West Africa to the Western world. So it is good you help them push their agenda, especially, in culinary because even in 2021, Nigerian food is not as familiar as Chinese food. Chinese food is familiar all over the world. In the US, you can always go to a Chinese Town where you can eat all their cuisines. So, ‘The Who Is Who in Nigeria story’ wants to follow these people who are putting us out there positively and if you see an artist in the book it is because he is also trail blazing,” she expalined.
She believes that the Nigerian community can produce the Mayor of Houston, if members would work at it. She said members of the Nigeria Diaspora in Houston, however, don’t show much interest in being involved in community projects.
“We have not been showing our presence in many of the organizations about Nigeria and Africa here as a community like the others. I mean most of the things that I am involve with are to propel the Nigerian and African communities because as a Diasporian, we have the largest community here in Houston outside the country, yet we don’t use it. If we work together and unite together as a community, we can easily elect the Mayor of Houston, if we get involved just like the Jewish community gets heavily involved in politics, the Chinese community gets involved in politics, but we who are greater in number, we don’t use our presence. For me, when I get involved in these things, both cultural and literarily or whether it for business and economic development for the community, it’s really to propel us to be able to show our presence. To me, everything is politics. And to make it, you have to be involved.”
