Bukky Shonibare is the Group CEO for the 555 Group; which includes the 555 consulting firm that caters to HR solutions and consultancy. 555 Consulting Limited was established with the aim of providing SMEs with the adequate tools and strategy that will enable them increase their productivity and maximize their outreach. She has years of experience in the HR consulting field, and possesses a certificate in Journalism and Creative Writing from the London School of Journalism, as well as certificates in Entrepreneurial Management, and Social Sector Management from the Pan African University in Nigeria.
Part of what makes Bukky Shonibare an incredible and exceptional woman, is her love for others. In 2014, over 200 school girls from the Chibok community in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria were abducted by Boko Haram members. This single attack on a secondary school prompted a worldwide outcry for the end of terrorism, and the recovery of the missing girls. The movement that emerged from this was the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign. Dozens of people gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to demand that the Federal Government rescue the girls.
Since the beginning of this movement, Bukky Shonibare has advocated for the return of the missing school girls
EVERY SINGLE DAY. She has attended sit-ins at the Fountain, carried a placard marking the number of days that the girls have been missing for, written articles and called on the government to take action. She, along with other advocates, have also visited the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps in Yola. This, right there, is unbelievable. That someone would devote their time, money and resources to lend a voice to the plight of the victims of terrorism for that long, is exceptional.
The girls have been missing for 297 days, and for 297 days, Bukky Shonibare has been one of their constant voices to the rest of the world; to remind us that we as a nation owe the girls a duty to rescue them. It is a common joke that the Nigerian spirit is unnecessarily enduring. We have been known to face tragedies with little resistance, followed by making jokes at ourselves, then ending up resigning to fate and moving on.
Nigerians have always been guilty of moving on from a tragedy too quickly, and I dare say that if not for the unwavering determination of Bukky Shonibare and people like her, the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement, as well as any efforts to find the missing girls would have been forgotten. What the campaigners have done, and what they are still doing, has ensured that Nigerians, and people all over the world, do not forget the missing school girls.
My heart aches whenever I see Bukky Shonibare with the now very familiar placard on Twitter, calling for the rescue of the girls. I wonder how they are faring wherever they are, and I wonder if they will ever come back home. But then, I also feel proud of women like Bukky. I admire her tenacity, selflessness, and love for other people. I deeply respect her for waking up every day and putting the Chibok girls at the top of her mind.
I admire her for being a Nigerian that didn’t “move on”, and we hope that through her, the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement, and every single advocate, the spirit of brotherhood, unity and selflessness can become a Nigerian trait.
About the author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at
www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)
