Several weeks ago, Forbes Magazine released its
ranking of the world’s most wealthy individuals.
These are the men and women who have
arguably been a source of wealth creation and
employment in various parts of the world.
Recurring familiar faces are Bill Gates, Larry
Ellison, and more recently, Nigeria’s own Aliko
Dangote and South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe.
A few months ago, TIME magazine released its
list of the 100 most influential people in the
world. While these rankings are always
seemingly subjective, with possibly the
exception being those related to wealth, they
always nevertheless create an exciting snapshot
into the lives of those who make the list.
Then there is the World Economic Forum’s
various listings. The most captivating group is
usually the “future leader category”. Some term
this group the “Twenty-Five under 25” to watch.
These are mostly young leaders in their very
early 20’s, who are carving out a remarkable
streak for themselves in fields such as e-
commerce, social entrepreneurship, leadership,
or government. The power of youth!
It is always hoped someday, they would become
an integral part in lifting up their countries, or in
the case of Africa [their continent] out of its
challenged state, into a fast lane to
commonwealth, and into prosperity.
Arguably Africa’s Most Powerful & Influential
Girl
However, away from these pre-designated
profiles and rankings, is what was until a year
and half ago a relatively quiet and unknown
young ‘pre-teen’ Girl. Proudly Nigerian, but a
true Pan-African child with parents from both
Nigeria and Mauritius, her quest began with a
simple mission – to show the rest of the world
that African leaders are capable of solving their
own problems, such as managing a successful
economic and social turnaround.
She was 9 years old back then, when she
embarked on this mission, first to interview the
enigmatic President Jerry [John] Rawlings of
Ghana for her school assignment on
documenting a successful revolution anywhere in
the world, on film format. In the process of her
research, she found out about the challenges of
Girl education and the obstacles to girl child
development, in Africa. She then followed this
trend on global news program, specifically on
BBC.
Her mission immediately changed. She made it a
cause to learn more about the challenges of the
Girl Child in Africa, but also try to find a simple
solution, one as understood by a 9 year old.
By age 10, she had focused more on meeting
with and talking to African political and business
leaders about the need to fight for educating the
African Girl child, which she saw as an
investment in Africa. She asked them for a
commitment in their respective countries to
doing more to change the perception of Girls
education,in some cases from an afterthought,
to a primary focus.
She was subsequently interviewed for a full
feature by Forbes Magazine making her the
youngest person in the world to be accorded
this privilege, in recognition of her
accomplishments. By age 11, she had been
received in formal audience with [9 ] African
Presidents and heads of state, all of whom are
still in office today. This is an amazing feat by
any measure, considering the work and effort it
takes to schedule such meetings across Africa’s
multi-lingual international language barriers of
English, Portuguese, and French. She has also
unfortunately fallen into the category of those
who miss high profile meetings, in this instance
apre-arrangedinterview with a current African
President, but for good reason; – because of
conflicting schedules with her school work.
Zuriel’s many interviews in front of her camera
covers varying subjects and issues of education,
health, and even the Millennium Development
goals, on which she made the subject of a
documentary. Her interviewees have included
the Presidents of key African economies such as
Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania , as well as those of
South Sudan, Liberia, Cape Verde and Malawi.
Recently in October this year, she was invited to
Tanzania, and bestowed with an honorary
Ambassador title for the largest foundation in
East Africa by the First Lady, Mrs. Salma
Kikwete. This was in recognition of her advocacy
work for the Girl child. A new computer Lab in
the country’s oldest school was also
dedicated,opened, and named after Zuriel during
her visit.
In between, she stopped by the annual Clinton
Global Initiative in New York last September, and
also had a one-on-one interview with America’s
most celebrated civil rights leader – Reverend
Jesse Jackson. On the side of the September
2013 UN General Assembly, she met with and
interviewed the head of the Danish Delegation,
to find out how DANIDA [Denmark’s overseas
development unit] impacts and helps women and
girls, across Africa.
Despite all these great strides, Zuriel
Oduwole,who has been featured in international
news broadcasts, graced the cover of national
magazines, andmade several international and
regional publication features, has kept her sights
firmly on continuing to do [2] simple things that
seem to define her immediate goal. These are
making the case for educating and inspiring the
African Girl child through her Dream Up, Speak
Up, Stand Up program, now launched in Nigeria,
Malawi and Tanzania. The second isshowing the
world the positive things about Africa, through
her compelling ‘world class and award winning
documentaries’, [some featuring her interviews
with Africa’s leaders], which she writes, directs,
and co-produces. Essentially, she is Rebranding
Africa.
The Caribbean Region – Her Next Stop
She has now turned her focus away from African
leaders towards the America’s, at least
momentarily, while keeping Girls
Inspirationissues central in subject. Zuriel has
just met with the leader of the largest island
country in the Caribbean and the only female
head of governmentin the CARICOM region,
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica.
The Prime Ministerin an intimate and detailed
interview was dazzled by Zuriel’s questions,
impressed by her poise, and so overwhelmed by
her ability to focus on issuesat such high level
that she herself broke with protocol. ‘She
hugged, kissed, prayed for, and then carried her
on the lap’ for the formal photograph before the
press, after the interview.
“She is our brilliant child from Africa”, she
declared!
Issues discussed during the interview covered
the emerging dominance of Jamaica in World
athletics, including the phenomenon known as
“Lightning Bolt” [Usain Bolt], the Girl Child in
Jamaica, Tourism in the country, and the Prime
Minsters role in encouraging Girls within the
fifteen country Caribbean Community [CARICOM]
region to aim for higher leadership positions.
While she plans to meet with Usain Bolt in a
future interview schedule, there are already
confirmed meetings and interviews, with other
Prime Ministers, in the Caribbean region.
They want to tell their stories of growth &
development intimately and exclusively, through
Zuriel.
It all makes this remarkable young Nigerian
arguably the most powerful and influential 11
year old in the world today, and sheis African.
She just might be building her way to
accomplishing her long term dream of becoming
the President of the greatest union in the world –
the United States of America, just as another
African has done currently. So perhaps, she can
help Africa and the Caribbean region even
further, as she has so eloquently puts it in her
many interviews.
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