A LADY WITH A DIFFERENCE: LOVE IDOKO-ULOKO

Some cultures in Nigeria do not value female children, they discriminate and snatches every single property from a widow once she is said to have only female children. Let’s speak up against such practices as it dehumanizes some children thereby leading them wayward. But reverse is the case of Mrs. Love Idoko as she stood up from the scratch and made a name for herself, and made sure her family legacy lives on. Her story is an inspiring one and one that showcase a woman helped by God.

 Mrs Love Idoko  hails from kogi state but was born in Benue on the 1 Feb,1982 into the family of late Chief justice Al-Hassan and Lydia Idoko, a one time longest serving chief justice of Benue state.

She lost her dad 5 days to her SSCE Examination, and then the government fixed his funeral on the same day she was supposed to sit for her JAMB/UME Exams.

She had to choose amongst the two which to attend, of course you guessed Right, She attended her father’s funeral to pay him his last respect and honour him for a life well spent on Earth. After the funeral, they were evicted from the official house they lived in. They were also banned from accessing their father’s house and property because they were all girls and according to the societal belief, they are useless, so sad. The case went to court and they had only God. It didn’t end there, they had to move to a one room apartment in a guest house called “lamb and word guest house”.  She bought an umbrella, and a table where she started selling airtime and making phone calls in the same town her dad was a chief judge for 15 years.

 Life took a different turn, and someone who once had a driver to herself started hoping on bike as she couldn’t afford taxi in Makurdi. In fact, the first time she took a bike, she fell down and still has a scar from that incident. At 17, she wrote her first book ” Celebrating change” and also started public speaking that same year. She eventually graduated from school, and luck was on her side as she was retained at FMC where she did her youth service. After working there for few years, she resigned to pursue her dream. Still in her early twenties, she started Motivation magazine and the event planning company.  Her experience was her greatest motivation, and she was determined to inspire people come what may. The fact that they were given up on because they were female was her number one inspiration and she was determined not to fail in life.

Magazine and the Event center which is named ” THE DREAM CENTRE” are thriving today.  Shortly later, she started  Activating success on radio Benue and two years later, it was aired on television(AIT, DSTV channel 253, GO TV channel 93) it is a show where she interviews a lot of inspirational persons, and to the glory of God, it is making giant strides. So far, She has interviewed Chief Executives, state Governors, celebrities, religious leaders including, The founder of coscharis motors, Dr cosmas Maduka, the Founder of Airpeace , Dr Allen Onyema, International speaker and founder of the wisdom center , Dr Mike Murdock, The M.D Unity Bank, Mrs Tomi Some fun, The founder of streams of Joy International , Pastor Jerry Eze. The Ooni of Ife, the Emir of Kano, celebrities include Richard Mofe Damoji, Ramsey Noauh, Omotola Jalade, 2face idibia amongst others. She has consistently gotten corporate organizations like Nestle Nigeria, Interswitch, Airtel Nigeria among others to partner with her Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) were she has been in. Partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) since 2017. She has been at the forefront of Youth Empowerment and development. Her foundation has given out millions of Naira to hundreds of young people to start their business and also support already existing businesses. Very recently in April 2023. She gave out half a million Naira each to 6 NYSC members.

She is married to Mr Fred Uloko and the union is blessed with a son. She has won several awards and she  is going places.

Just like Mrs. Love Idoko-Uloko, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Never you allow the world belittle you, you are special and wonderfully made. And have it at the back of your mind that No gender is better than the other. Most girl child are not given opportunities to achieve their dreams but dare to be a lady with a difference. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Peace.