Thursday 8 May 2014

#BringBackOurGirls join us on Friday the 9th May at Nigeria House, Northumberland Ave. London at 10 am.

Many of us on the TEDxEuston team went to boarding school in Nigeria. We have fond recollections of our time there, getting a good education, forging friendships, never for once doubting that we were safe.

When FGC Yobe was attacked by Boko Haram and students were killed, we were horrified beyond words. We could not imagine how that could have happened. If our children could not be safe at school, where would they be?



We hoped a tragedy like that would never happen again. We trusted our government to ensure that it did not. In March, 50 girls were abducted from a school in Borno State. As far as we know, the girls are still at large. In April, almost 300 girls writing their exams were again abducted by Boko Haram insurgents from another school in Borno State. Apart from the few who escaped , the rest are still at large. There are rumors that some  have been sold off as sex slaves for as little as $12.00. There are allegations that some have died in captivity. Some have allegedly been moved on to Cameroon and Chad. This is news that breaks our hearts. These girls are our sisters, our daughters, our nieces.

 #Bringbackourgirls has probably become the one of the world's most recognizable hashtags. We ask the government of Nigeria to ensure that our  girls are brought back. WE want to see them back at school. Forging careers. Living the life they choose for themselves.

Access to education is a basic right. In communities where girls' education is already  at risk, it is important that parents are not further discouraged from sending their daughters to school. We say to the government, Enough is enough. We demand from them a safe environment not just for our girls but for every Nigerian citizen within its borders. We deserve that much.

For those of us living in London, join us on Friday the 9th May at Nigeria House, Northumberland Ave.London at 10 am. 





Monday 5 May 2014

Introducing the TEDxEuston Salon 2014 speakers

“Ripple Effect: Education and the next generation” is the theme of TEDxEuston Salon 2014. We have put together another set of amazing speakers that will challenge you in different ways! The salon provides, as always high quality speakers, in a beautiful historical venue. In addition, it will end with small pleasures of great music, beautiful wine and and most of all, the best company you can find in London to digest ideas relating to one of the most important challenges facing our continent. 


Kunlé Adeyemi is an architect, urbanist and designer. He is currently best known for creating 'Makoko Floating School', an innovative, prototype floating structure located on the lagoon heart of Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos. This acclaimed project is part of an extensive research project - 'African Water Cities' - being developed by NLÉ, an architecture, design and urbanism practice founded by Kunlé in 2010 with a focus on developing cities. Born and raised in Nigeria, Kunlé joined Rem Koolhaas at the world renowned Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in 2002.  At OMA he led the design and execution of several large prestigious projects in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Kunlé is currently one of 5 members of the International Advisory Council for the World Design Capital 2014, a Fellow of the World Technology Network, and an international speaker, lecturer and visiting critic. He has recently presented at the 2014 Build Africa Conference, the 2013 UN Habitat 2nd International Tripartite Conference as well as lecturing at the Royal Institute of British Architects and Cornell, Harvard and MIT Universities.


Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD), the lead agency working in the UK to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM). Naana has successfully scaled up FORWARD’s work on FGM, child marriage and obstetric fistula- using participatory research; strategic partnership and engagement at policy and local level in the UK, Africa and Europe.  Naana is a social development activist and women’s rights defender with over 20 years of experience on gender and women’s human rights with a special focus on African women and girls. Naana holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Sussex.





Precious Simba is the Founder and Director of Girls Development Initiative; a girls’ empowerment organisation based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Her work through this initiative has seen her reaching to over 3500 young people through motivational talks and workshops.  Precious is the 2012 recipient of the Goldman Sachs 'Global Women Leader' award from the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit. She is also a 2011 alumni of the Fortune mentoring program were she was mentored by Shelley Diamond (Y & R) and Christa Carone (Xerox). In 2011 Precious was picked to participate in the Young African Women Leaders forum headed by Michelle Obama in South Africa.  Precious is a 2013 Mandela scholar at the Institute of Development Studies where she is currently undertaking an M.A in Gender and Development.

If you do not have your tickets yet to TEDxEuston Salon 2014, get one of the last few HERE.