It has never been in doubt that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an Amazon. On February 15, 2021, she was appointed as the 7th Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), based in Switzerland. By the appointment, she became the first woman and the first African to hold the exalted office. This has elicited accolades and congratulatory messages from within Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. She is being celebrated as a world class female achiever. Even the men who contested with her and lost, have been celebrating her with descriptive like achiever, role model and amazon etc. The list is endless.

Remarking on the feat, Okonjo-Iweala said: “My becoming the DG of WTO is a sign not only to women and girls in my country but to all women in the world; this is a sign that women can do it, be it from my country or otherwise.”

After the good news about the Amazon broke, former 2019 presidential candidate and ex-Central Bank of Nigeria deputy governor, Prof Kingsley Moghalu made a deep, powerful, motivational comment: “You cannot become what you are not seeing.”

This throws a big question to our young girls in secondary school who, probably, have been following the media reports about Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment: are they eager to become successful and globally distinguished like her in future? The truth is that some are seeing her while some are not. But I would like to encourage our younger generations to emulate Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s legacies.  She is worthy to be emulated.
Interestingly, many women and girls have become trailblazers in various professional endeavours.  I say kudos to all of them. Gone are the days when females were held back on gender considerations.  Today’s high-flying women now preside over the affairs of nations. Clearly, the table has turned in favour of the womenfolk.
If the patt is good, tgirls should then follow it. I commend the girls who sell bottles of groundnut on the road running after fast moving vehicles, yet find time to read as they are selling; such girls are examples of their gender who are seeing Okonjo-Iweala, their role model. The girls who strive to survive against all odds, to reach their goals. Their drive brings to my mind the story of Precious Onono, a former schoolmate. Back then, Onono looked so different from other new students with rough skin and battered knife-cut fingers. Her friends asked why her skin and thumbs had scars. She recounted: “I am an orphan, I live with my aunt, the immediate younger sister of my mother and she prepares and supplies oil bean salad (ugba) to people in different places. In our neighbourhood, we are known as hard-working busy children. We stay awake to cut the oil-bean into sharp edible slices. First, we remove the hard-shelled seeds from the pods, cook them for hours, and boiled sees cool down, we crack the shells before slicing them. It takes a long time to finish preparing the ugba, and then we go to the market to sell.”
Remarkably, are girls who are more irresponsibly concerned about being slay-queens following the news about Africa’s Amazon? Girls who dance naked with male musicians who are very well dressed, are you seeing Dr. Okonjo -Iweala? Girls who realize the importance of excellence and want to excel by admiring Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, this is the time.
Girls who allow themselves to be used as conference materials, at seminars by the age mates of their fathers and uncles, are you seeing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? Did she throw herself carelessly and stupidly to men, to get got to where she is today? Neve! Girls that dress skimpily and seat at various drinking joints and bars, making frantic moves and showing that they are available, I hope you are seeing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? Today she seats above men, industries, institutions and is being treated with great respect and deference, yet she is a woman.
The girls who serve as ushers at events attended by dignitaries, but also offer themselves to any man that winks at them should look at Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. As she continues to be talked about on mainstream and online platforms, how many girls are bothering to read her full profile, learn one or two things and begin to re-model themselves after the accomplished woman?
Slay queens who think the order of the day is to throw decency away and walk naked on the street, are you seeing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? Does she walk naked or attract unnecessary undue attention? Of course the answer is ‘No’ rather she leaves footprints in the sands of time. Girls who are easily brain- washed, and easily fall for peer pressure indoctrination, to keep up with the Joneses, are you seeing Okonjo-Iweala’s accomplishment? Most of the young generation were caught up in the excitement of celebrating Valentine’s Day but never noticed the history made by the amazon.
Are we not all impressed that she is a Nigerian lady to the core? She wears African clothes, though as a personal choice, but she stood her grounds and maintained her African fabrics, intonation, and simple head gear. She is not ashamed of her origin, tribe and tongue. Others are rather emulating her simple style of life.
Are we also going to contest her simplicity or is it worthy of emulation? Our girls who are unnecessarily recalcitrant, ungovernable and lazy, the time is now to begin to readjust for better and quality lifestyle. Girls whose parents send to schools especially higher institutions in the South East that move into their boyfriends’ rooms in school as if it is their right to be irresponsible, such attributes might not give one the opportunity to break the glass ceiling like Okonjo-Iweala. Girls who have taken to drinking, smoking, taking various drugs, engaging in cybercrime, etc corporate prostitution, should look at the Anioma lady and trailblazer.
Notwithstanding her intellectual achievements, Okonjo-Iweala is happily married and has children. Her high academic pursuits, status in life and accomplishments did not stop her from attaining marital heights. Whatever it is, she lives with a man who African tradition confirms as the head of a family that includes the trailblazer.
Her appointment should bring tears to the eyes of some mothers who have refused to understand the institution of marriage and motherhood. Mothers who share the same man with their daughters, mothers who compete with their daughters in wearing clothes that expose sensitive parts of the female body; mothers who encourage their daughters to engage in disguised prostitution, have you seen Okonjo-Iweala. Is she the kind of mother you are?
Imagine what a mother told her daughter, who was to go out with her boyfriend, in Nigerian pidgin: “…as you dey go so, make you know say your junior ones never chop oo, rice don finish for house and I go cook soup tomorrow.” What was she implying, what does she want to achieve with those demands?  She was encouraging her daughter to go into prostitution.
Nowadays, some restaurant owners now tell their salesgirls to follow their major customers as takeaway package. An incident happened recently; a salesgirl rudely spoke to her boss and walked away from the job. On inquiries it was discovered that one of the regular customers had finished his meal and was looking at her lustfully. Her boss, a man, encouraged her to follow the man home. She asked why, but the boss told her to shut up, and insisted she should follow the man to his destination. The resulting argument drew that attention of other diners and passers-by who intervened, and cautioned the restaurant owner. The girl complained that it was his stock in trade, revealing that the practice had led to a physical fight between and the previous salesgirl.
Girls who hide under the guise of hardship and poor financial situation of parents to engage in illicit affairs should learn from Okonjo-Iweala.
Our dear young ladies, a word is enough for the wise. Learn from a worthy example.