Zuriel Oduwole, Nigeria’s 11-year old documentary sensation with Jamaica’s
Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller after an interview last Sunday.
Miler, who was impressed by Zuriel’s questions and poise, was so overwhelmed by her ability to focus on issues at such high level that she broke with protocol.
She hugged, kissed, prayed for, and then carried her on the lap’ for the formal photograph , after the interview.
“She is our brilliant child from Africa”, she declared!
Zuriel Oduwole, the 11-year-old Nigerian girl advocating for education for the girl child in Africa has been appointed Ambassador in Tanzania for the country’s largest foundation focused on gender issues – Wanawake na Maendeleo (WAMA) .
The ‘wonder girl’ was honoured by the country’s first lady, Madam Salma Kikwete when she attended a United Nations event in Dar Es Salaam last week.
Tanzania was Zuriel’s second country stop on her East African leg to launch the acclaimed Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up program, aimed at inspiring and encouraging Africa’s girls.
Senior officials of the Tanzanian State House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Education, welcomed her to the land of Kilimanjaro as he stepped out of the plane.
On the first official day of her arrival, the atmosphere was purely festive at the Olympio School, one of the oldest academic institutions in Dar Es Salaam, where Zuriel spoke on her project.
In the afternoon of October 11th, the day designated by the UN to celebrating the Girl Child, she attended the United Nations UNFPA event in Dar Es Salaam, which focused on reducing the incidence of child marriage in Tanzania.
She later exclusively spoke with the national ITV network, in an interview for the days evening broadcast.
The next day, she was formally invited to the State House by the office of the First lady, who commended Zuriel for her leadership at such a very young age, in bringing the issues of girls education to several African leaders.
Zuriel has interviewed no fewer than nine African leaders, including the Tanzanian head of state.
The First Lady then formally appointed her an Ambassador for Wanawake na Maendeleo Foundation [WAMA] of which she is the founding Patron.
During the ceremony, Mrs. Kikwete then presented Zuriel with the official attire of the foundation, several gifts, and an intricate three-foot statue of unity, the same type presented to the US President, to symbolize the effect of Zuriel’s programs in the lives of Africa’s young women.
Penultimate week, she was in Malawi during which she formally launched the second country destination point in her Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up program, aimed at inspiring the African Girl Child.
Her country of origin, Nigeria was the first port of call in March for the take off of the programme.
Today, as the world marks the International Day for the Girl Child, 11 year old award winning documentary film maker, conference speaker and writer Zuriel Oduwole is guest of the Tanzanian government in continuation of her campaign for the education for the African girl.
“I am hoping that the parents of girls in Africa will see me as an example, and see that their girls have a lot of potential in life, and can achieve great things in life,” she told The Nation in an interview.
Zuriel’s accomplishments at her young age make her a true model of what the IDGC is about-giving the girl child to the opportunity to maximize her full potentials.
Her rise to fame through the creation of documentaries from a school project validates the theme of this year’s IDGC which is Innovating for Girl’s Education.
“When I was nine, I entered a school competition called, “National History Day.” And I was the youngest student to enter the competition. In that competition, I had to create a presentation, an exhibit, a performance, or a documentary,” she recalls.
With her mastery of new media, Zuriel who though lives in Califonia with her parents in the United States has become a foremost African ambassador and postal girl of the African Child.
At ten, Zuriel made history as the youngest person ever to be interviewed in Forbes, the global iconic magazine title.
To her credit, she has interviewed top personalities worldwide including eight African Presidents, Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote and Tennis super stars – Venus and Serena Williams.
She also recently interviewed America Civil Rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson at the Annual Clinton Global Initiative in New York.
Having proved by her exploits that the African Girl is a bundle of talents waiting to be empowered, Zuriel’s clarion call on African leaders to should be taken more seriously and acted on.
“I like everyone to know that educating and fighting for the education of the Africa Girl Child, is an investment in Africa,” she says.
Justifying her work on documentary on promoting positive image of Africa, Zuriel once described herself as “an African Child – a Nigerian Girl Child.”
She is indeed a true child of Africa which Nigeria and the continent should be proud of and be an inspiration to every Girl Child.
Following her historic feature in the Forbes Africa magazine August 2013 edition, Zuriel Oduwole, the incredibly gifted and talented Nigerian Girl child, has just concluded a visit to Malawi, where she formally launched the second country destination point in her Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up program.
The program aimed at inspiring the African Girl Child was first launched in Nigeria in March this year.
She was welcomed to Malawi on Wednesday, October 2 by the US Ambassador, Jeanine Jackson and the Public Affairs officer, Gabriel Hons-Olivier.
Ambassador Jackson described Zuriel as a true Ambassador of Mutual Friendship, who has done an incredible job as a global citizen to bring a fresh perspective on the need to educate the African Girl Child.
Zuriel visited several schools, including the Bishop McKenzie School, Dzuka Girls High School, and the largest school in Africa for AIDS related Orphans – Jacaranda School.
She interviewed the schools founder; Marie Da Silva, a CNN Hero winner in 2008, on the challenges of delivering on the promise of the schools free education for the Orphans, in a tough environment like Malawi.
Zuriel capped off her stay with a visit to a radio station, where she spoke to students and their parents on the value of early education, and the need to keep the Girl Child in school.
She has since left Malawi for Tanzania, another East African country in the next stop of her program tour.
Zuriel has interviewed eight current African Presidents and two former African Presidents, covering a wide variety of topics from the UN Millennium Development Goals, to the Education of Africa’s children.
They include the current Presidents of Liberia, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Sudan, Mauritius, Tanzania, Malawi, and Nigeria.
She also recently interviewed a select few high power delegate in New York to the just concluded Clinton Global Initiatives, including the Rev Jesse Jackson, and the Denmark delegation to the UN, on DANIDA’s activities in Africa.
The Caribbean region is her next focus , where she is scheduled to start meeting with leaders from the region starting with Jamaica, later this month.
Nigeria’s whiz kid, Zuriel Oduwole has added American Civil Rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson to the list of world leaders she has interviewed.
Last Thursday, Oduwole, who is youngest person to be interviewed for a feature by Forbes magazine when she was 10 sat for a camera interview with Rev Jackson at the Annual Clinton Global Initiative in New York.
Jackson, who was with the reverend Martin Luther King Jr till his last seconds before he was assassinated in Memphis – Tennessee in 1968, gave a no holds barred interview to Zuriel on Thursday September 26th, discussing topics including what it meant to him when Barack Obama, a Kenyan, became the 44th President of the United States.
He also spoke on what it was like to be the first African American to mount a serious run for the White House, in 1984.
Zuriel had before now interviewed leading African personalities, including eight African Presidents, Africa’s richest person Aliko Dangote and tennis super stars – Venus and Serena Williams.
Zuriel Oduwole, 10, who lives in California in the United States last week made history as the youngest person to be interviewed by Forbes. Miss Oduwole, who was an invited guest to the African Union 50th anniversary, has interviewed leading African personalities, including eight African Presidents, Africa’s richest person Aliko Dangote and tennis super stars – Venus and Serena Williams. In this online interview with Lekan Otufodunrin, Zuriel gives an insight on her incredible feat and her Rebrand Africa project to make a case for the girl-child in the continent.
What is the origin of your interest in media and communication, especially personality interviews?
The origin of me creating documentaries started with a school project. When I was nine, I entered a school competition called, “National History Day.” And I was the youngest student to enter the competition. In that competition, I had to create a presentation, an exhibit, a performance, or a documentary.
So I chose to do a documentary, because I thought using media would be a better way to show something positive about Africa. If I did a performance or a presentation or an exhibit, no one, besides the judges, were allowed to come into the room while I was presenting it.
But with a documentary, whoever wanted to come in and watch it could. So if I did a documentary, more people would be able to see Africa in the way I see it.
And that documentary could lead on to positive and greater things for Africa. I like to show the rest of the world the positive things about Africa, through my documentaries. One of my documentaries won an award in the largest county in the United States. My documentary has also chronicled the impact of the OAU on Africa. Do you know I write my own scripts, I produce my own documentaries, I shoot my own scenes, I do my own voice over, I edit my own documentaries, and I co –direct my documentaries. I am an African Child – a Nigerian Girl Child.
How much of your Nigerian and African heritage has impacted on your life?
Oh I would say a lot. Since I want to show the world the positive side of Africa, my African heritage has helped me a lot. I know where my roots are from on the African continent because my dad’s family and my mum’s family are from two different parts of Africa, and I lived in Africa in both regions for periods of time.
I have not always lived in California. So, when I watch the news, I always see bad things being said about Africa, like the wars and famine going on. And I don’t like seeing those things being said about my home country, even though it happens. It is how they say it that is unfair.
If I was American, I would still want to help Africa. But because I am African, I feel the need more to help Africa than I if I was just American. It is like helping your own people.
There are some problems, like the power going off. But do you know that there are times the power goes off in the United States as well. The only difference is they fix it very quickly, or bring it back very quickly. So, we all need to help.
I read in the papers that General Electric is now in Nigeria doing the power. That is very good, because the children need to study at night for school.
Why are you passionate about your Dream up, Speak up and Stand up for African renaissance campaign?
I think my programme, Dream up, Speak up, and Stand up will help the new African era, by helping the girl- child. It is the best way I can help. Other people do things as well like have foundations, or do charities and raise money, but for me, my best way is to work very hard, and be an example. So that means when I say Dream up, they can see I am living the dream and so can they, when I say Speak up, they can see me speaking to World leaders, and when I say Stand up, they can see me standing up for the African Girl child. Also, I am hoping that the parents of girls in Africa will see me as an example, and see that their girls have a lot of potential in life, and can achieve great things in life. Even though they might have very little as some of them do, they can still push harder to get their girls to school, or find more ways to get them educated.
When I launched the project in Nigeria in March this year, it was very good to have the support of the Lagos Business Schools communication’s department, the US Consulate in Lagos, Protea Ikeja Hotel and Federal Palace Hotel too. They supported the project. So now, I am going to other regions of Africa to launch the project next.
What is your impression of the African leaders and others you have interviewed and what advice do you have for them?
First I have to say the whole experience was really cool. They were all very kind and very warm and friendly to me. I think some of them were surprised by my questions, because only one of the Presidents I have met asked me to send the questions before I arrived for the interviews.
The other seven did not. For example, President Ellen Johnson of Liberia by the time when I asked her the third question said to me you are a tough interviewer, and everyone laughed.
Also, when I asked President Jonathan how much Goodluck his name has brought to Nigeria, he laughed as well, and then answered. President Fonseca of Cape Verde said he was one a University Professor and has seen many questions, but none like mine, and he invited me to come to his country to inspire the girls.
President Joyce Banda of Malawi was also surprised by my question. She said when she was my age, she never dreamt of doing things like I was doing, but that she is inspired that I have the boldness to go and interview heads of states.
Some Presidents hugged me after the interviews, some called me their daughter, some kissed me on the head; they were all very kind. And when I saw some again at the AU last May, they were excited to see me again, like President Kikwete of Tanzania. He spent some time talking to me and kept his entourage waiting. I saw people asking who that girl is. It was a special time for me.
President Kufuor was also happy to see me again at the AU because I had interviewed him last year in Kumasi, and he remembered me very well. He then introduced me to his friend, President Obasanjo, and then we took pictures together. I don’t have any advice for them because they are older, but I like everyone to know that educating and fighting for the education of the Africa Girl Child, is an investment in Africa. I hope you think so too.
What is your reaction to being touted as the next Larry King?
I am just doing my best. Larry King has accomplished many great things in his life. He, like me, has also interviewed many people like sports persons, leaders of countries, leaders in business and we all do it for many reasons. He has done many great things at his age, and that is Larry King.
I have also tried to accomplish some things but because I want to show what the Girl Child can do, if they are educated, and encouraged. Just imagine all 5, or 8, or 10 or 12 year olds especially in Africa being given an opportunity to go to school and have real dreams.
It means Africa would be a more developed and have more qualified leaders 10 years from now or 15 years from now. Because it means we would be 20 years old or 25 years old or 30 years old then.
How supportive are your parents in your campaign?
My mum and dad have been very, very supportive from the beginning. They are always supportive of me and my young siblings. It doesn’t matter if its Basketball, Music class, Soccer, or Cheerleading, they are always supportive and drive us to all our classes and events.
Sometimes, I think it is a lot especially when me and one of my parents have to travel overseas for my interviews with Presidents because they have to make sacrifices like ask us to chose between something we wanted to do or me and my parent for the travel.
I had to learn the meaning of opportunity cost when I was eight years old. Dad said it means choosing between two things and which one has the more value than the other, or which one would have the more potential in the future.
Monday, August 12 is Daniel, my last child’s tenth birthday. He is indeed a special child for my family in many ways among which is the fact that he is what some people call the ‘extra or bonus’ child – the unexpected child when you think you are through with having babies.
He was born seven years after my third born. His coming-however, caused some panic as I was barely managing to survive with my family. No thanks to my failed attempts to be self, employed, I didn’t have enough to pay my bills.
I had disposed of my problematic car and the future was really bleak. However I had a revelation to name the expected child, Korede, which in Yoruba means bring fortune,.
Thankfully, the young man that turns ten tomorrow true to his name, fortune,. I miraculously bought a car shortly before he was born. I later got a top editorial job I was not expecting, moved to a better accommodation and the story of my family has been from one level of glory to glory.
So much for Korede, who is really not the focus of this piece. My real focus is another ten year-old; a Nigerian girl, Zuriel Oduwole who last week made history as the youngest person ever to be interviewed in Forbes, the global iconic magazine title, in its almost hundred years of publication.
Zuriel the award winning documentary film maker, conference speaker and writer who featured in the August 2013 edition of Forbes Africa is touted by some as the next Larry King, considering her record of interviewing leading African business, political, and sports personalities, including eight current African Presidents, Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, and Tennis super stars – Venus and Serena Williams.
Zuriel is committed to Rebrand Africa by showing the positive things about the continent, and making the case for education the girl -child in Africa and Emerging Markets.
For her age and notwithstanding that she lives in America, Zuriel’s story sounds like a fairy tale but it is true. She is not only a whizkid but a rare gem that has proved that accomplishment in life is not about how far but how well.
Her responses to my questions during an online interview I had with her which will be published on Tuesday confirms her incredible understanding of issues many of her age cannot comprehend and boldness not expected of a ten -year- old.
She recalled that during her interview with President Goodluck Jonathan, she asked him how much goodluck his name has brought to Nigeria. All the heads of states she interviewed must have been expecting some ‘childlike’ questions from her, but she shocked them with her very articulate questions.
Though as a girl-child living in the comfort of America she could have chosen not to be bothered about the plight of the African girl-child, but Zuriel’s campaign is commendable and deserves all the support she can get to get her message through to all who need to hear and do something about it.
Africa must have many other Zuriels waiting to be discovered and encouraged to fulfill their visions. The challenge is that we need to provide an enabling environment for them to thrive and accomplish their goals in record time.
Zuriel should be an inspiration to all, not only kids of her age, including my Korede, but all youths who desire to impact on the present and coming generation.