TED and TEDX talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity. The slogan ideas worth spreading rings true of every topic highlighted be TED speakers.

I have been motivated, encouraged, discouraged by the tens of TED talks I have listened to in my lifetime. I usually stream TED talks at midnight so that I can hear the distinctive sound and ideas that expand my thinking.

As a Nigerian woman, I am keen to always hunt for TED talks by Nigerian women who are doing extraordinary things in their own little or large corners of the world and here is a list of five talks that have inspired me.

Chimamanda Adichie’s The danger of a single story

Here, Adichie tells the story of how she found her true cultural voice and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

She highlighted how the western world sees Africa and how this is totally blinding the moral and political ethos of these western countries.

This TED talk made me proud of my Agege upbringing and all the Shakespearean quotes I have been memorising since I was five.

Taiye Selasi’s Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local

This TED talk made me proud of my Agege upbringing and all the Shakespearean quotes I have been memorising since I was five.
Taiye Selasi’s Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local

British-American writer and photographer of Nigerian and Ghanaian origin tries to make sense of our origin and challenges us to see our identity differently.

She aptly describes herself as multi-local instead of multinational because these experiences that occur in our lifetime is what defines our identity.

Chioma Omeruah’s Don’t be a waste


The first time I saw Chi Girl on stage I said “who is she.”

Her story of making failure a thing of beauty and finding your passion somehow makes me realise that you don’t always have to know, just don’t be a waste and that is all you ever need in the world.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s How to help Africa? Do business there

Former Finance Minister of Nigeria and former Director of World Bank talks about an Africa you should invest in. In one TED talk, she managed to reconstruct the image of Africa and ushered in an Africa where opportunity awaits.

Yvonne Orji’s The Wait is sexy

Yvonne Orji is a Nigerian-American actress best known for her role as Molly in the HBO series Insecure. As a Nigerian woman, we can all relate with the concept of keeping your virginity till marriage and taming your sexual desires.

Raised by strict Nigerian parents, Yvonne who grew up in the abroad highlights the ups of keeping yourself and encourages everyone to join the sexy wait.

The interesting part of this talk is the fact that you wouldn’t expect that standpoint from a woman who grew up in America where sexual immorality has societal approval.


https://araba.com.ng/2018/06/five-times-nigerian-women-gave-fantastic-ted-talks/