A Nigerian lady identified as Ruona J.
Meyer has shared her grass to grace story after landing a big job with British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which she started on Monday June 12, 2017.
Read what she shared;
God sure has a sense of humour; my first ever by-line in
journalism came in a THISDAY newspaper on 12 June 2003.
Today makes it
exactly 14 years of sweat, tears, grit, sacrifices, smiles, successes and
blessings. I have had the privilege to be mentored by great journalists
including Simon Kolawole, Paul Ibe, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, Kadaria Ahmed, Dele
Olojede, and sound professionals like Femi Adeniran, who picked me to work under
him at GTBank HQ.
I cannot thank you all enough. You have raised me to be
a go-getter; I was the girl who would walk all the way from Cele Bus-stop back
home through Ilasa to Isolo at midnight after “production;” the one who had a
small business selling kerosene by the bottle in front of my Mother’s “chemist”
shop at Ilasa, while racking up by-lines for Thisday. I was the girl who had no
degree, yet wrote speeches for Tayo Aderinokun (God rest his beautiful
soul).
These people moulded me in a way that it has become second nature
to me to see every setback was a learning curve, every challenge as an exercise
to overcome and smile back on. Thanks to you all, I have had the privilege of an
extensive professional life; Reuters, the FT, and who knew I would now be paid
to go to work, for the BBC, and be “allowed” to speak Pidgin??
I am literally in Journalism Heaven right
now! I have not stopped intermittently crying happy and sad tears, as my Dad
Godwin is not here physically to share in this joy. Then there is Micha, who has
never stood in the way of my professional progess, and has instead made
extensive emotional and financial sacrifices for me and supported me roundly to
be the best at this role since I moved bak to Lagos. My siblings have been just
THE BEST, even though the one that drives me mad of them all is Ronke.
Those who knew when the process began months back (yes this has been
from way back) often asked me: why would you move from Germany? Well, because
the BBC is pioneering a great thing for Africa, opening a Pidgin Service, and I
would NEVER turn down the privilege to be a witness and worker at the start of
what is going to be a great shift in my continent’s media landscape. I am so
excited to be back in the newsroom, I feel…alive, and…I cannot say too much, but
we hope to show you all what is possible, so help us God.
14 years since
it all started, I am back here, in Nigeria, and if anybody reads this, just know
that with hard work, EVERYTHING is possible and what is yours will be
yours.
Invest in yourself. Do things the right way. Surround yourself
with the right partners, mentors, family members and friends – quality over
quantity. Cutting corners and being ashamed of being thought of as a
nerd/efiko/mumu is not cool. Own your straight-mindedness and unique personality
aka Ibile factor. Own your degree and the opportunities it brings. Own your
career and be strategic about it. Work hard, and then…play hard. Like, laugh
HARD.
No one is guaranteed a long life, so it is better to live your best
professional and personal life.
As I take on this role, I want to ask you
all to please make sure I never walk alone o. Abeg, if there are ways I can
serve you the public better, let us know. When I make a mistake, tell me;
critique me, because we are all in this o. Na me and una waka come!
