Muna Onuzo-Iyanam quit broadcasting because she wanted to dispel the notion that the profession teemed with women whose beauty surpassed their brains. She shares her new passion, youth and women empowerment with ORUKPE NELSON
What words best describe you?
You can describe me as the woman who preaches and practices self-empowerment. I believe that in every individual there is something that makes the person special. At Gazelle Academy, we focus on helping individuals to identify their talent and see that it is possible that they too can succeed. Gazelle Academy is a vocational centre. The heart of our school beats with every successful student we graduate. We currently offer training in welding, fashion design and tailoring, spa and beauty, catering and baking, carpentry among others. The courses run for a period of six months. We believe that youth empowerment is key in developing any nation.
How do you combine all these to give the best?
The truth is that once you have an idea that is supported by capital, strategy and structure, every other thing becomes secondary. The problem with most people is that they rush into implementing an idea without making adequate preparation. So, at the end of the day things get bad for them and the business.
What was the specific thing in your mind as you set out to establish Gazelle Academy?
I wanted to give back hope to the Nigerian youths and women. We have a saying in Gazelle that once you walk into our vocational centre you should not walk out the same way. Most people that come to us don’t even have an idea of what they really want to do. After a sincere conversation with them, most cases I realize that the programme students registered for is not actually what they need or can excel in. At this point, what we do is to counsel and direct them to an area they can flourish and they thank us for that.
You were once a broadcaster; why did you leave the profession?
I wouldn’t say I left the profession. I just took a sabbatical. I also wanted to break that cliché of beautiful women and no brains. People see broadcasters as just riding on their beauty, but that is not true. Deviating from broadcasting for the past 10 years has been fantastic. But I am currently working on a project that when concluded will launch my comeback into the media. The media was my first love, there is no way I would completely neglect it.
What gave you the confidence that Gazelle will be a success?
The heart and success of every business is to be a solution to a problem. Gazelle Academy is a solution to the unemployment problem in Nigeria. We help empower youths by teaching them vocational and entrepreneurial skills that allows them provide for themselves and their families. As an entrepreneur, the most important thing that has kept me grounded is optimism in my ability to make an idea work and to change processes if the current one is not working.
There is nothing constant other than change. When you hear about companies that folded up, this could be because most of these companies refused to change with the times. All the big companies today started from somewhere.
What were the start-up challenges?
This is my tenth year as an entrepreneur and in all of these years, I would say that capital is still the greatest challenge a woman faces in business. As a female entrepreneur, we face more challenges than men. For example, in most cases men have the privilege of getting collateral from their fathers to get loans. For a woman, if you don’t have a rich husband or a benevolent father that will support you, it becomes difficult to succeed. You have to work thrice as smart to be successful.
You are a prominent member of Women in Film and Television Nigeria; how has it been?
The Nigeria chapter was launched in 2011. Our focus is to educate young Nigerian women who are interested in the media. We focus more on schools, particularly, secondary schools because that is where dreams are made. By focusing on secondary school students we would have taught them professionalism early enough. People don’t know that there is so much more they can become in the media other than becoming an actress. We want to be able to catch them young and guide them through the path.
But how come the association has been quiet?
Our focus from the beginning was the north because we believe that it is an area that really needs this the most before taking it to other parts of the country. But the insurgency slowed things down. With the coming of a new government, we hope that there will be stability in the north and we would continue with our plans.
How have you been able to impact the society?
I currently mentor quite a number of people. Those that enjoy me most are the students who pass through the Gazelle Academy Vocational Centre. I tell those who come to me for mentorship that my time is not for those who do not take their destinies seriously. For me to continue with any of my mentees I must see a level of seriousness and accountability. Even if you don’t really know who you are I can help to identify, but you must be serious about what you want in life. Some people will come to you for help and they won’t be specific about what they need your help for. Knowing who you are and identifying your strength starts from the mind.
What are your other plans?
Gazelle has introduced more vocational skills to cater for the different interest areas individuals might have. We are currently processing our accreditation with the government so that we can work with government agencies and other private companies. We used to be strictly a marketing communication company, which had different arms and one of it was skill acquisition. But after 2009, we saw the need to diversify to serve a bigger purpose. You know I made reference to companies growing and changing. Our media company, Muna Media & Communications will soon launch a TV show. That is the communication arm of Gazelle. We also have Personnelty Fit Ltd, a corporate training organization. With this, we have been able to develop entrepreneurship and skill programmes. But the bedrock of all our programmes is still youth and women empowerment.
Do you think the government is doing enough for women?
The President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration actually did a lot for women. Though I have not been a beneficiary, I know one or two people who won the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin) grant. In his cabinet too, he included women. But what I desire to see more in the Buhari led administration is appointment of people for the right positions and the appointment of youths as part of his cabinet. A medical doctor should be appointed as the minister of health, not education. We should not encourage mediocrity any longer. Look at what is happening in the educational sector. There is no other way to solve this than getting the right people into the right positions. We need people with experience and who desire change because change goes beyond tribe and gender.
How have you been able to manage your many responsibilities?
It is difficult, but I have found a way to make things work. I am always having a running conversation with my children. I tell people too that I was once a child, but I am living a life without my parents now. I tell my children that they need me to grow to a certain age and they should know that I need to provide for them, but I can’t achieve that by sitting at home. I still told them this morning that if I don’t work they won’t go to school and get other good things of life. So, I try to inculcate that in them. I empower them too. My girls will be five years this July, but I have started teaching them about money, investments and savings. I would tell them to pick up one or two house chores if they want to earn a gold coin like Jake and the Neverland Pirates in their favourite TV cartoon on DSTV. They started learning how to sweep the house at age two and they can do it so well now.
Could this be a reflection of how you were brought up?
What I teach my children is a reflection of how I was trained. Then, people saw my mother as a civil servant who was trying to help her husband and the family. But she was an entrepreneur because she employed people. At the same time, she was taking care of us and she had a career too being a nurse. She was a farmer, a nurse, a trader, etc. Most of my female friends who are successful today drew strength from their mothers. My mother had seven of us. When she wasn’t there her mother was always helping her. I saw the strength she used to manage her seven children, her husband and several engagements. Even though she was always working I could still remember many things she did for us while we were growing up.
It is amazing that you still have time to write; at what point did you become a writer too?
I come from a family of writers. My cousin, Chibundu Onuzo, is a writer and was nominated for this recent Etisalat Prize for Literature. My dad has also published a book on electoral reforms. My dad was a journalist during the war before he went into television. My uncle, Dr. Okey Onuzo, has also written many books. And for me, writing is a form of expression. Since I teach a lot it is a natural progression to start writing. I wrote for Punch Newspapers for almost two years, but now I write for Business Day. I was writing business etiquette for Punch, but now I write the Entrepreneur Drumbeat for Business Day every Sunday and Pearls & Purpose which focuses on the Female Entrepreneur every Monday.
If you had the power what will you do differently to empower women?
I would put a system in place that will support women who are working. For instance, in Japan, the government has a plan to set up over 250 day care centres so that women can go to work. The main problem women face is the issue of who will take care of their children when they are at work. If a day care centre was affordable and secure, I would prefer to send my kids there so as to have some free time to concentrate on other things. Japan saw that for their economy not to be weakened, they must empower women. With the day care centres, their women can work without worrying about their children’s safety.
Do you have any regrets?
Every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. However, looking back, I would have loved that I started learning business finance earlier. Without the knowledge of money and financial literacy, no woman is going anywhere.
How many certificates do you have?
I had my first degree in Mass Communication. I have a master’s degree in media and communication from the Pan Atlantic University and I have an international certification as an International Coaching Federation recognised Start-up business coach and a Certified Corporate Etiquette and Business Protocol Consultant. I am also a fellow of the Institute of Information Management.
How do you advise the youth and women?
The fundamental thing I see in women everyday is that most of us lack financial knowledge. My mission is to preach financial literacy to women, especially Nigerian women. We must stop running away from numbers. Learning to understand, manage, love and embrace numbers which is the key to self-empowerment.