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Rural Women’s Day: Its time to urbanise rural communities-AUDA-NEPAD/APRM Boss

Published

6 years ago

October 15, 2019

As the world celebrates Rural Women’s Day, development stakeholders should work together and urbanise rural communities, says Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator, Chief Executive Officer, African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development/ African Peer Review Mechanism ( AUDA-NEPAD/APRM),Nigeria.

This contained in statement signed by Abolade Ogundimu, media Assistant to Akobundu, made available to the media.

October 15 has been set aside by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate and call for better attention on rural women across the globe since 2008.

This edition has the theme ‘Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience ‘.

According to the C.E.O, entire human world used to be in rustic state but civilisation and concentration of activities have greatly transformed many places to urban communities.

“Some areas have only got little or no development hence,they remain rural communities.

“Most of the food crops being consumed by the entire nation come from rural areas, we have more women and children living there.

“Therefore, our rural areas should be preserved with their people, not to be considered as places of despondency by their inhabitants and urban dwellers alike,” she said.

Akobundu noted that global statistics showed that one out of every three women in global workforce engages in agriculture, saying advocacy for better living and farming in the rural areas needed to be improved.

“The menial ways of farming and crop processing in many rural areas prevent most women and girls that take part in them from having huge turnover but with greenhouse farming and technology, they will be able to record better harvest.

“It is high time we urbanised our rural communities, focusing on women and other vulnerable groups to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) and AU Agenda 2063.

“Governments cannot do it alone, there are investment opportunities in provision of basic infrastructures to teeming rural populace in Nigeria and beyond. Our rural areas host most of the nation’s mineral resources but lack or difficulties in getting certain infrastructures contribute gravely to high population density in the cities and urban centres,” she noted.

The National Coordinator urged all stakeholders in the chain of human community development including, technology innovators within and outside Nigeria to do more in enhancing better living for rural women and entire rural dwellers.

“Stakeholders should start coming up with solutions to daily arduous tasks of rural dwellers especially, women.

“Their inventions should focus more on how to further simplify processes like: sweeping, fetching water, cooking, accessing internet for easy learning and many more.

“Such solutions will not only help women and girls in rural communities but the nation by harnessing our landmass for greater development and reverse overpopulation in the city centres,” she said.

Akobundu reiterated the need for domestic and foreign investors to complement governments efforts in providing potable water, electricity, security roads and education to rural dwellers for the world to be a better place to live in.

“In the global context, serenity and human density indicates if an area or community is rural or urban but level of infrastructural development determines that in Africa and Asia.

“Rural community exists in every nation but availability of certain indices of development makes the difference.

“In some parts of Nigeria and other African nations, lack of basic needs like electricity, pipe borne water, motorable roads, health and educational facilities among others, prevent many populated areas from being called cities.

“In line with the mandates of AUDA-NEPAD/APRM,Nigeria, we will continue to support and accelerate empowerment of women and youths in the rural and urban parts of the country,” she concluded.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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