Unique skill acquisitions: Lalaa boss to train more Nigerians - ITREALMS

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The founding Chief Disruption Officer, Lalaa Consulting Company, Mr. Demola Aderibigbe, has pledged to train more Nigerians on unique skill acquisitions, reports ITREALMS

Aderibigbe who works as a strategic humourist, disclosed to ITREALMS that his work entails learning and developments for cooperate organisations and individuals.

Bakers are unique entities to reckon with says Hamidat of Purple Rose - ITREALMS

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An Abuja-based Creative Director of Purple Rose Cake Studio, Hamidat Adeyosola Adelakun-Adetunji, told ITREALMS’ GBEMI OMOTOSO that  baking industry has come of age, and it’s a unique entity to reckon with nowadays.

Excerpts:

Let’s meet you?

My name is Hamidat Adeyosola Adelakun-Adetunji, Creative Director of Purple Rose Cake Studio, Abuja.

Unique perks of dating older woman

Commentary@ITRealms:

I knew I was studying the right course in the university when our lecturer at the time, Dr. Ekeanyanwu Nnamdi (probably the best teacher I’ll ever have) mentioned that a journalist had to have a “nose for news” and “an eye for detail”. I certainly have all of that, including an ear for the most silent whispers. 

I notice and hear EVERYTHING. Matter of fact, I once narrated an event to my mother – an event that happened when I was just about a year old- with so much detail that she was shocked and was like: “How could you possibly know this? You were a baby” and I was like: “Yeah, it is what it is”

One of the places I like to visit and observe the people as well as surroundings is the grocery store. It’s amazing the kind of people you see and the conversations you overhear.

To be honest, I didn’t imagine I would find anything interesting last Sunday when I traveled to Novare Mall to do some grocery shopping, though. It was meant to be a pop in, really. I wouldn’t even have gone, had I not been a little partial to the Game store… they always have the freshest of veggies and fruits.

As was routine, I was garbed in a worn out tee, PJ bottoms, and bathroom slippers, my signature resting bitch face…earphones plugged. I didn’t really expect to see anything interesting until I joined the queue to pay. On the line opposite to me was a white woman, possibly in her early 40s; her husband, certainly in his mid-20s and their son (the cutest little munchkin I’ve seen in ages). It was a difficult situation for me: I was torn between smiling at their very beautiful child and judging the older white woman who obviously lured the younger man to marry her.

I stared at her so much, that she feels probably uncomfortable. I mean, other people were also staring at her.

Why would she come and deprive us of such a handsome young man? She was not fashionable either; she was two times his size and she seemed to be a little slow. Just as I wanted, her eyes met mine and I could see the embarrassment in her eyes. Clearly, she was battling some insecurity. Who wouldn’t… if you have to deal with judging eyes everywhere you go with your younger husband?

Maybe it was the sad look in her eyes or how uncomfortable she seemed, but instantly I felt really bad. Who was I to judge? Am I any better? Since after the guy I dated when I was 24, the rest have been younger than I am actually…I mean nothing extreme like less than 4 or 5 years …still. I know firsthand why a younger man would sincerely opt for a woman older than him. It doesn’t always have to be for some kind of gain or the woman is not always in the relationship out of desperation either.

The thing is, tradition and religion have programmed us to expect the man to be the older one in the relationship. In Nigeria especially, most couples are about the same age and when they’re not, it’s the man that’s older.

Perhaps it is set that way as there is the belief that an older man will be in a better position to care for and protect a younger woman. Truth be told, it’s not always so. Most guys would actually go for older women.

From Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo, Gabrielle Union, and Dwayne Wade, to Kaffy Shafau and Joseph Ameh. There are so many perks to being with an older woman!

An older woman most usually has got her own life: her own apartment, her own money, her own career. She does not depend on any man for survival in life really. When she is interested in a man, it is because she wants him. Her affections or love are genuine as well. The woman has been through enough ups and downs already and can handle just about anything. She is not desperate either. She knows what she wants and not afraid to go after it.

She may not have the same body she had 10 years ago, but she is not one to feel threatened by younger girls or get bitchy-jealous about exes. And why would she? She is comfortable in her own skin. She does not blow her own trumpet, even though she knows time has allowed her to acquire skills far superior to her younger counterparts. She is hardly dramatic and is less likely to play games.

Quite refreshing is the fact that she does not move in a herd. She can make decisions for herself and she has good judgment too. She does not need the approval of a ‘larger governing body’; her man will never be in a position where he has to apologize to not just her, but every single member of her herd when they fight.

Most importantly, she has a wealth of experience and connection that informs her actions and decisions, and this is what will help her make him a better man.

Dating an older woman is by no means for everyone. It can sometimes come with unique challenges, but with all the perks that come with it, Nigerian men may want to consider changing their preferences and broadening their bracket when searching for love.

Also, onlookers may want to judge less when they meet a woman dating or married to a younger man…no matter the age gap.

*Vivienne Nkem Ndem is a Writer, editor, proofreader. She contributed this from Lagos and could be reached on Instagram: @kem_dem | Twitter: @ndemv 

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Linda Ikeji to make unique appearance @Yudala Zero Gravity

ITRealms:

Acclaimed Africa’s foremost blogger, Linda Ikeji would on Sunday, October 2, 2016 herald a unique appearance at the inaugural Yudala Zero Gravity, reports ITRealms.

Linda’s appearance, ITRealms gathered is one of the many surprises on queue for attendees of this inaugural edition, holding at the Landmark Event Centre by 3pm and featuring a host of superstar artistes and tonnes of side attractions.

ITRealms recollects that Yudala Zero Gravity is a multi-city digital entertainment concert powered by pioneer composite e-commerce outfit, Yudala in partnership with New Concept Media Group (NCMG), which embodies nationwide concerts as a contemporary music blast is anticipated to rant the auditorium.

Noteworthy is that Linda’s rise to stardom as a blogger-celebrity underscores a classic grass-to grace tale.

Linda, ITRealms reports was born and raised in a Catholic family from Nkwerre in Imo State, and began to express her hobby in writing at the age of 10. But determined to make it in life, she put herself out at the age of 17 at the same time she finished secondary school. At 18, she enrolled at the University of Lagos, where she studied English Language. To assist her family and support herself through school, she had part-time jobs as a waitress, model and writer. Ikeji graduated from the University in 2004.

By 2006, she started blogging as a hobby. At that time, the internet was not as pronounced in Nigeria and she had to make her posts at a cyber-cafe. And soon became an active blogger using a blogger sub-domain and later obtained her custom domain www.lindaikejisblog.com.

From there, she never looked back and her blog began to grow in views and popularity. In August 2012, Forbes Africa dedicated itself to celebrating African women in that month's issue. In that issue, Forbes profiled Africa's 20 Most Prominent Women and the issue featured profiles on two young Nigerian women: Linda Ikeji, as well as Chibundu Onuzo.

In 2014, Linda Ikeji was the biggest Google Search trend in Nigeria while the name Linda Ikeji was the most searched item by users of Google in Nigeria.

Yudala Zero Gravity is a three-city dual entertainment event which will feature a Contemporary Music Blast as well as a Rock Gospel Concert in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu.

Already, a number of superstar artistes have been confirmed for the Contemporary Music Blast concerts in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu. The list includes Olamide, Iyanya, Phyno, Zoro, Sound Sultan, Flavour, Humble Smith, Naeto C, Cynthia Morgan, David Grey, Ali Baba, Akpororo and many more. Also, a number of premium corporate organizations such as Access Bank, Airtel, Stanbic Bank, HP, Lenovo, InnJoo Mobile, Uber and a host of media organizations including MTV Base, Trace TV, Urban FM, Classic FM, among others are on board as partners.

Yudala Zero Gravity will witness pure acoustics and live performances from the best Nigerian artistes in both genres of music, many of whom will use the platform to launch new tracks. It is a platform to see and hear it first.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE 

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