Blessing Agbeetan is a newscaster and on-air-personality with Splash FM, Ibadan. In this interview by IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI, she bares her mind on women and girl-child issues in Nigeria.
You are vocal when it comes to issues that pertain to the female gender. Why are you passionate about these issues?
Growing up for me was not a bed of roses. There were so many opportunities I didn’t enjoy as a girl-child. I wasn’t allowed to socialise with people. I was made to do most of the chores and even when I had a pass in my Mathematics in my O’ level examinations, I was blamed for failing. I lost a university admission to study Political Science at the University of Lagos State due to the result. Back then, I was really hoping I would be cut some slack because I was brilliant, I was among the top five in my class but Mathematics just happened to be one of the obstacles I had. I also felt that if it were to be my brother, it wouldn’t be an issue. Oh well, I passed after the third attempt.
That was exactly where it started from. My passion for the female gender stemmed from the fact that I believe the female folks deserve better. The female child should not be deprived of amazing childhood memories because we want to protect them from the boys we have refused to raise properly. Honestly, every girl-child deserves to be loved, pampered, protected,successful and allowed to make mistakes without being judged.
Working with non-governmental organisations like Stephanie Peace-building and Development Foundation (SPADEV) and Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) as far back as 2015 also fueled my passion for the female gender.
What plans do you have for this passion for the female folks in the near future?
At the moment, I am a media ambassador of the UNICEF/UNFPA joint campaign to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Oyo State and I also volunteer with non-governmental organisations that focus on the empowerment of women and protection of child rights. In the future, I hope to have a foundation that would mentor and empower the girl-child.
What has been the takeaway(s) from your experience working on these women issues in Oyo State?
Working with these organisations has to do with using the radio as a medium to bring about attitudinal change through the presentation of sensitisation and enlightenment programmes. For instance, it was after I became a part of this movement that I got to know that girls and women are still being mutilated in Oyo State, however, thanks to constant sensitisation, it is safe to say that there has been a change in the narrative. So, for every opportunity I get, I render my voice on issues relating to FGM as well as women and child rights through the programmes I present on radio and I also participate in programmes organised by non-governmental organisations. The most recent one was when I hosted the past chairperson for CPN and the founder of Best Child Club on one of my radio shows to commemorate the International Day of the African Child. It was an opportunity for us to say no to rape, child molestation, child abuse, FGM, child trafficking and many other vices.
I also joined some other NGOs on a walk to the government secretariat at Agodi, where we had the opportunity to speak with the governor’s wife and she pledged her support to this course. These are some of the things I do on and off air to ensure that the society is safe for our girls and women.
As a woman of many parts, how will you describe yourself?
I am a radio broadcaster with professional experience in content creation, news reading in English and Yoruba languages, programme presentation, voice over, event hosting, project management, podcasting and other administrative services. I am an aspiring actor and I sometimes write, if I want to. I am a child and women’s rights advocate. I am ambitious and driven. I am always looking for opportunities to achieve greatness. I love to seize every avenue to learn something new to enhance my skills and be a better person in all my endeavours.
You have been a regular voice on radio for quite some time now, what has been the drive for you?
I would like to say the motivation has been the happiness I derive whenever I connect with my listeners on radio. I mean there are instances when my mental health is troubled due to things happening around me or whatever it is that I was going through at that point, but the moment I am behind the microphone and hear from listeners who would tell me about how much they were excited to hear my voice, everything would disappear. I feel like I now have a community of listeners who I relate well with on radio as though we were friends. Honestly, it has always been the relationship I enjoy with the listeners and my passion to impact.
What are the biggest lessons you have learnt so far in the media and entertainment industry?
My biggest lesson would be that versatility and ability to take corrections with an open mind are important for survival in this industry. Making mistakes shouldn’t be seen as an obstacle but it is important to take corrections. Sometimes, when I listen to people who have been on the job for a very long time make mistakes, I just laugh and tell myself, if these people can make mistakes, who am I not to?
This job has also taught me that, to be better on the job, you have to take it upon yourself to hone your skills and be the best you can be.
As a young woman with a lot of exposure, how do you cope with pressure from male celebrities and men alike?
One of the shows I host on radio involves me hooking people up for relationships but it’s so funny that I get messages from people who would show interest in hooking up with me. There are instances when some of the listeners would offer to take me out on a date and some would even call me to ask if I am married. Most times, I just laugh and try to be nice in my responses. To be truthful, the pressure from the male folks can be overwhelming because some of them only want to get attached to you because you talk on radio and you cannot really tell who likes you for who you are but I can say self-control has thus helped me so far.
Women are still being stereotyped and maybe underrepresented in the media sector, how do you think we can bridge this gap?
Women need to be given a chance to prove the extent they can go. I feel so bad when I hear people say “oh leave her, she cannot do this because she is a woman.” I have come to realise that the ability to be on top of your game has nothing to do with your gender, instead it has more to do with your person.
I will also encourage women to support other women when they have the opportunity. Even though we say this a lot, it is just a sad reality that some women are the ones who would hinder the progress of other women because they refused to say something nice when they had the opportunity to do so.
And yes, as women, we also need to be good ambassadors. When we have the privilege to occupy a position, we need to be nice to other people and diligently execute our tasks. I believe this would pave the way for other women coming behind us.
How would you rate the progress of the Nigerian women in the country generally?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say 6. This is because gone are those days when women were laid back and thought success was meant for only the male gender, now women are taking over and I am loving it. In most cases, women work ten times harder than their male counterparts, just to prove that they are up to the task. It is really interesting to see women recording success in whatever industry they find themselves in, ranging from politics to education to sports to entertainment and even media. This is more like a wake up call to other women out there who think they cannot be the best they can be. I will say you can be the best you want to be, as long as you desire it and you are willing to walk through the process.
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