Blossom Ozurumba

Blossom Ozurumba (Ozurumba Roseblossom Ogechi; born 26 December 1981) is a Nigerian. She is popular across major cities in Nigeria for her social media educative start-up known as #AdoptATweep.^[1]

She is a writer, compère and public servant. She works as the Health, Safety and Environment, Planning and Evaluation Officer, in Group Health, Safety and Environment Department of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. She is passionate about forging a connection between the environment and digital communication. Her passion for social good inspired her to ideate the #AdoptATweep Events that provided opportunities for people to connect to social media and use the platform for commercial and social good. In 2014 while taking an academic leave from her day job, Blossom founded Digital Media Development Initiative, an NGO focused on advancing use of digital media for sustainable development.

Blossom is a 2012 alumna of the International Visitor Leadership Program, a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State‘s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She participated as one of the Young African Leaders selected to monitor the U.S Elections in November 2012. She has since been involved in electoral governance especially using social media and was invited to monitor the 2013 FCT Council elections as a Foreign Observer attached to the country team of the International Republican Institute.

In 2013, she was named as one of the top ten Nigerian celebrities to connect with on Twitter. In 2014, Blossom got listed in a high-powered global listing of 100 most influential black people on digital/social media.

In 2014, she took a gap year to study for a B.Sc. in Environmental Management in Coventry University, United Kingdom. This was informed by a desire to have the requisite knowledge to champion actions that will address the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

In 2015, Blossom was selected, out of over a thousand people, to participate in the 2015 Future Leaders Seminar (FLS) of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative. She joined 26 other highly motivated and high achieving peers who were uniquely qualified to influence and lead the future development of Nigeria.

She supports Chelsea and Heartland football clubs. To relax, she plays golf, hikes and takes long nature walks.^[2]

Education

She was born in Bauchi, Nigeria. She studied Science Technology at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, with bias in Biology/ Microbiology. After her mandatory NYSC, she enrolled for a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, finishing as the best graduating student with a Distinction in a class of over 2,000 students, at 24. In 2014, she took a gap year to study for a B.Sc. in Environmental Management in the United Kingdom. This was informed by her desire to have the requisite knowledge to champion actions that will address the impact of Climate Change in Nigeria. ^[3]

Career

Consequent upon graduation in 2005, she had a brief work stint with Guaranty Trust Bank, Port Harcourt, as a Customer Care officer.

Blossom Nnodim is a 2012 alumna of the International Visitor Leadership Program, a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She participated as one of the Young African Leaders selected to monitor the U.S Elections in November 2012. She has since been involved in electoral governance especially using social media and was invited to monitor the 2013 FCT Council elections as a Foreign Observer attached to the country team of the International Republican Institute.

She was one of the speakers at TedX Abuja.^[4] Her pieces have appeared on Bella Naija,^[5] The Punch .^[6]

In July 2012, she was named a ProMaCon Project Management Ambassador and committed herself to a Social Good Advocacy responsibility to use the social media and other platforms to educate young Nigerians about the ideals of project management and its indispensability to national development.^[7]

She has variously been described as an inspiration ^[8] to young people.

Blossom has become a sought after public speaker with her message of Social Media for Social Good. In August 2013, she alongside Nuhu Ribadu were the guest speakers at "Project Mentor-Me", organized by Group of Patriotic Corpers (GPC), a non-profit group in Abuja. She shared some real life experiences that have shaped her today to an audience of over 500 corp members.^[9]

In July 2014, she headlined the 4th Edition of Career Day organized by The Bridge Leadership Foundation (TBLF), held in Calabar, Nigeria. She spoke to a gathering of thousands of young Nigerians on 'Building the New Economy through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.'^[10]

Awards and Nominations

In a recent article by Breaking Times, Blossom was named as one of twelve young Nigerians who will influence and shape opinions in the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. Her views on socio-political issues are powerful and quite popular. She is pro-establishment and has used her Social Media platforms to call for free and credible elections while campaigning for a peaceful election process. Notable in the list are Ohimai Godwin Amaize and Chude Jideonwo ^[11]

References