About the Amazons

I’m in partnership with Bimbo Akintola and Aisha Falode.  I’ve known Bimbo for a while and because of the sport background that I have, I know that I should as well. When I came back to the country, they were very good people to me and they supported me in handling a lot of things that I came across in the country.

From there, we just drew close. Apart from that, I worked with  the producer and the directors were very close to me as well. So when we started discussing about the show,they told us that we had the same goal and passion for the same thing.

Tell me a little about the show

The show is called Amazons and Amazons are strong women who know what they want and the kind of society they would like to live in. And what we were trying to do isn’t about starting a revolution for women to rebel against the norms and values of the society.

*Awosika

It’s basically trying to shed a light to men appreciating women the more and not see them as that thing that can’t contribute to the society. You have a lot of women who are intelligent. But because of the way our society is, you find a woman who can do so much secluded to the background.

This is one of the reasons why we decided to go on air and shed light on these issues. Most of the times, we women think men should do everything for us, not realizing that we have roles to play too. There was one of the topics we did which had to do with parenting.

Most of the things women pointed to was that men don’t want to look after the children. And coming from where I’m coming from, I discovered that when women have children, they neglect their men. These men feel neglected and turn outside because of the children. So in as much as we’re talking about two separate issues that affect women, we’re also trying to look at how both men and women can look at things the same way and how the society can help to achieve this.

Don’t you think Nigerian men would think both of you may want to take their wives away from them because Bimbo isn’t married and I don’t know about you.

Yes, I’ve thought about that and I’m sure Bimbo did too. It’s a pity that with the kind of technology and with the way the world is going now, it’s a pity that you need to be married or not to do something to change the society. Like I said, by the time you look at the way the topics would be treated, you would realize that it’s not about starting a revolution.

You would have a good president if the mother of the president was a good woman because naturally, children are the reflection of their parents, of which it’s the woman that holds the home together.  So it’s basically to encourage the woman to go out there to do something for herself because gone are those days when a woman expects the man to bring in the money while she spends it. Women should do something about what they don’t like instead of always waiting for the men to do everything.

So what happens if this ends in something you didn’t plan for?

For me, that’s one of the things I considered before considering to do the show. I’ve gone to a lot of TV stations back in the UK, I’m comfortable in production and it’s something I want to do. But I’ve never been someone who wants to be in the fore front. I’m a little shy and I like being anonymous.

Before I started this, I lead a group, more like a church group and the kind of things that we’ve done and achieved, I just thought many more people can benefit from it. But it’s like I wanted to go on TV but this particular show is a platform to tell women that we can still be good wives but at the same time, we need to know our roles in the society.

And in anything you do, there’s always the good and the bad side. So it’s something we have to deal with.

Talking about you as a person. Where are you coming from?

My name is Dolapo Awosika. Like I said. I recently moved back into the country. I’ve been around but I’ve always liked the back stage.

Where were you coming from?

I moved back from the UK.

What were you doing in the UK?

I had a business and I was working with a lot of production companies. And also, I worked in America as a lawyer. But It wasn’t what I wanted to do. So without letting the cat out of the bag, I’m coming from somewhere.

What’s your experience like living in the UK?

Well, I’ve lived there all my life. I came back with my husband and children. As a child, I’m half Igbo, half Yoruba. My mother is Igbo.

So do you understand  and speak Igbo fluently?

I understand it a bit but don’t speak it fluently.

So what was growing up like?

Growing up was fantastic. I was very lucky because we were comfortable. But I had a very strict upbringing because I was with my grandmother for a while and she was very strict.

Did you live with your grandmother in Nigeria?

Yes.

From the beginning?

I went to live with her to make me know my root. It was hard at first.

For how long did you stay with her?

For about six years. I had my primary here and went back to the UK. I went to Nottingham College and Mischigan for a while, worked with the Ford company for a while. I was in Chicago for a while then I met Sean Wilston and did other things.

So what was your experience since you came back?

Honestly, it’s been disheartening

Why?

Because when I came back, there were things that I had to deal with but wasn’t prepared for. I came back with a free mind. I came back hoping to do something and set up things.

But I’ve faced a lot of challenges and that’s one of the things that pushed me to this show. No one prepared me for this. I was thrown into the deep and I still was thinking like I did back in the UK that Black is black and white is white. So it was really difficult for me  and my family but I give thanks to God that I overcame them all.

So where is the prospect of this programme?

For one, I’m someone that don’t quit and always take my time to check whatever I’m going into. My mum used to tell me that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. It’s something that I hold close and I know that Aisha is coming from a background that she’s done a lot of things and people know her. I think hanging with someone like her, I don’t see why we won’t be able to sustain it because she’s been able to hold her forte for a long time.