BOLA TINUBU, C.Dir. FCIS. FCG. FIoD.

I have spent most of my professional life advising companies and business owners, and I currently lead the Corporate Practice of a law firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. I continue to enjoy my professional career after over 25 years.

However, over the last 30 years, I have been deeply struck by the high incidence of child sexual abuse, and its impact on children particularly in Nigeria. I learned that children who have been abused suffer in silence because the systems which have been set up to help them rely on children coming forward and telling someone that they have been abused, which they rarely do. I decided to learn everything I could about the sexual abuse of children, and this led to me setting up Nigeria’s first child helpline, and Nigeria’s first Child Advocacy Centre. With these initiatives, I joined the fight against abuse along with so many men and women wanting to make a difference.

With this book, I hope to empower children (and the adults in their lives) and arm them with knowledge to ensure that all children are protected from harm.

“All proceeds from sales of the Bisi Is The Boss book would be donated to the Nigeria’s national helpline”

Q&A

What does the name Bisi mean?

I knew I wanted the main character to be a strong girl. I wanted children to see her as brave and courageous, and to see themselves in her. She also needed to be someone who could assert her rights as a human being. I am an ardent supporter of women in business, and in a moment where professional life and my child advocacy collided, I realized that a child could be a boss by exercising authority and make decisions over her body. Bisi the Boss was born.

What made you want to write a book?

I have five children, and as they grew up I spent a lot of their childhood in bookstores around the world, always looking for stimulating and engaging stories that would hold their interest. I came across many books on child safety, addressed various aspects of child sexual abuse, and I always felt there was something missing. I realized that the children in Nigeria and Africa didn’t have many of those books that had characters that looked like them and within environments they were familiar with. I felt compelled to provide them with a beautifully illustrated book with an African child as the main character.

Do you have any advice for parents?

Yes. As adults we all have a duty to protect children within our environment. Please learn about child sexual abuse. If a child you know discloses abuse, please seek the help of professionals around you without delay or reach your local Child Helpline. All international child helplines are listed in the book.

Follow me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolatinubu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bola.tinubu.1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolatinubu/