Powerful Nigerian Women

Powerful Nigerian Women: Cheluchi Onyemelukwe

I just saw a LinkedIn post from Cheluchi, my cousin-in-law, a health law and policy consultant, who had a recent challenge.

She said, “I speak at all kinds of events, but I recently got a different sort of invitation from the usual – to speak at a theological school, the West African Theological Seminary, to pastors and pastors in training on health law and ethics.”

She said, “It was a little nerve-wracking, thinking of what to say.” But as she writes in her post, there were so many issues that were relevant. She chose as her title, “Leading by Example: the Church’s Role in Health Promotion.”

They talked about domestic violence and abuse. Other concerns that came up were the stigma about mental health, end of life concerns and universal health coverage.

“We spoke about legal provisions but also about the primary motivation for many of Jesus’ miracles – compassion,” she said. They discussed how central faith is to many people in their daily lives.

“I got great questions,” she said. “What, for instance, is the legal liability of pastors when they persuade their congregants to not seek healthcare, and there are bad outcomes? Where do.we draw the line between spiritual revelation, faith, and medical care, between expecting a miracle and getting medical help?”

I suspect Cheluchi and I would have differing opinions about the role of faith in making medical decisions. But I’m so glad she had this opportunity to help pastors reflect on the issues.

PhD in Aerospace Engineering: Wendy Okolo

Wendy Okolo is the first black woman to get a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, according to the online publication Blavity. She earned her PhD at age 26, according to Today News Africa.

https://todaynewsafrica.com/nigerian-wendy-okolo-first-black-woman-to-obtain-phd-in-aerospace-engineering-who-works-at-nasa-wins-big-award-in-u-s/

Her achievement is highlighted in other publications too; some call her the first Nigerian to earn the degree. Whichever it is, it is impressive. She works at NASA.

She was given the 2019 Black Engineer’s “Most Promising Engineer in Government” award.

The description of her work on the NASA website is challenging for this non-physicist to understand. It includes “systems health monitoring and control systems design with applications to air and space components, vehicles, and systems [that will]. . . enable the safe and seamless integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the U.S. national airspace.”

She leads a team to “advance the guidance, navigation, and control capabilities that will make precision landing for deployable entry vehicles a reality for planetary exploration.” Wow!

Igbo Women Should Desist from Dependence on Men: Joy and Uche

The President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, “has charged Nigerian women to rediscover their talents and desist from dependence on men.”

He was speaking last week in Enugu, eastern Nigeria, where “the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom recognised Professors Uche Azikiwe and Joy Ezeilo for their contributions to the cause of women in Nigeria.”

Uche Azikiwe

Professor Azikiwe has a PhD in Sociology of Education/Gender Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she teaches. She is the widow of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. Her commitment to women is evident in her many professional society memberships, including the National Women Studies Association (NWSA).

She is also part of the Brain Trust of The Future Project. The Future Project believes that “Africa’s growth needs a generation of young people who are gainfully employed and able to demand better leadership.” They have a notable list of supporters and rave reviews from participants in their workshops.

Joy Ezeilo

Professor Joy Ezeilo was appointed in February by the United Nations to serve on the newly established

Civil Society Advisory Board on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. She served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons from 2008 to 2011, and has served in other UN roles.

She earned her post graduate degree in law (LLM) from Queen Mary College, University of London, and a BL from the Nigerian Law School. At Nsukka where she teaches, she introduced a course, “Women, Children and the Law.”

In encouraging women to become more active in political life Nwodo said, “It must be uncomfortable to see things go bad when you know you can do them better.”

I wonder if he has considered how he could help the process!

Easter Celebration

I was in the choir at the Unitarian Church this morning. We sang hymns with music familiar to Christians. But Unitarians do not sing, “Jesus Christ is risen today.” The words are changed to suit us. My husband, a life-long Anglican, thinks this is blasphemous!

I offered to go with him to the Episcopal Church, the closest to Anglican, in Westport and give up my choir this morning. But he refused.

Now we’ve asked Alexa to play Easter hymns. She is obliging with Anglican favorites and Clem is in heaven. Alleluia!

I hope you had a good Easter or Passover if you celebrated. Or a pleasant weekend.