For many Nigerians who grew up in the UK, there was a time when saying "I'm Nigerian" did not always feel like something to say with pride. For some, it meant getting cussed out in the playground, being teased about your name, your food or the way your family spoke, and learning very early that being different could make you a target. At an age when you are still figuring out who you are, it can be difficult to know which parts of yourself to hold on to and which ones to hide.
Today, however, the story is different for Morenike Grace Olaogun aka (Renike Grace), as she is now building a life that expresses the many sides of who she is — including her Nigerian heritage.
Renike Grace is the founder of Renike Grace Events, where she coordinates weddings and is expanding into corporate and social events; she is a highly accomplished events management specialist, trusted to oversee high-profile events across financial and civil services, nonprofits and other sectors. She is also a theatre writer, passionate to see a high standard of excellence in creative Christian productions. She believes that creative expression through film and theatre is a powerful tool to spread the gospel to people from a range of backgrounds, age groups, cultures and races — with her sights set on screenwriting and the film industry.
We sat down with Renike to talk about the woman she is becoming, what she is building, the experiences that have shaped how she sees herself today, and where she hopes her creativity will take her next.
What does choosing yourself mean to you?
I think it means knowing yourself, knowing what you need in that particular moment, and going against what family, friends or society might expect you to do. So, choosing myself means choosing what I need — choosing what is right for me in that given moment.
I feel like you have to be in tune with yourself, in tune with who you are as a person, to know what is best for you.
What is something from your culture that you want to carry with you for the rest of your life?
I would say artistic expression.
As a young girl, I grew up on Nollywood, and that exposed me to Nigerian culture and also to writing and being able to express yourself creatively.
I was able to learn a lot about being Nigerian from the movies that I watched, but also just the art of storytelling — telling people's stories, learning about characters and plots and everything. I feel like that was my first point of creative and artistic expression.
So I would say that is definitely embedded in me, and that is something I will continue to take with me for the rest of my life.
What is something about yourself that you did not appreciate when you were younger?
I would go back again to being Nigerian.
When I was growing up, it was a bit of a taboo to be from Nigeria. You would get cussed out in the playground, in primary school, all of that.
Many of us who grew up in the UK with a Nigerian background were ashamed. But then, as we grew up, Afrobeats started to become a lot more popular. The movies, the culture, the food — everything became more popular, and it became more celebrated to be Nigerian.
Through that, I started to become more proud of it. Now it is something that I carry with me. I love that my name is Morenike. I love that I have that heritage, and I am proud to show it anywhere that I go. When I was younger, it is definitely not something that I appreciated because I was made to feel ashamed about it.
But now, I absolutely love it and I embrace it.
Is there another part of your identity that you have learnt to embrace?
Something about my identity that is physical, actually, is my lips.
When I was younger, having big lips was not the in thing. I remember I used to suck on my lips to try and make them smaller. But now I embrace them, and I feel like they are one of my best features.
They are part of my identity. They are part of my heritage. They show that I am an African girl, and I love it.
So I always try to show them off as much as I can, through my lipsticks, my lip liners and my makeup looks. That is a physical part of my identity that I definitely embrace a lot more now.
What are you building at the moment?
I have a business called Renike Grace Events. We specialise in coordinating weddings, but we are also starting to do more corporate and social events, so I am building that at the moment.
I am also a writer. I write for the theatre, and I am hoping to get into screenwriting eventually. So that is what I am building at the moment — the events business alongside my writing and storytelling.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I hope that Renike Grace Events grows even bigger.
I want to do major events for big companies, while continuing to do the wedding side of things as well. I am also hoping to become a renowned writer, to have theatre shows all over the country, even across the globe if possible.
And one thing I am hoping for is to get into the film industry. That is one of my heart desires. I also want to pour into the younger generation; I am very passionate about young people realising their gifts and walking in their purpose, especially creatively.
So if there was anything that I could do, whether it is a CIC or some sort of organisation that pushes young people to prosper in their creative gifts, that is definitely something that I would want to do.
We are so proud of Renike's journey and excited to see where her creativity, ambition and storytelling take her next. From the work she is already doing through Renike Grace Events to her writing, productions and aspirations for film, there is clearly much more to come and we are here for it all.
Through The Woman Behind The Look, Grass-Fields celebrates the women who wear the clothes, but also everything that exists beyond the outfit: the careers they are building, the businesses they are growing, the creative worlds they are creating, the communities they contribute to and the ambitions they continue to pursue.
Renike's story reminds us that a woman can hold many dreams at once and there is no need to choose just one.
What stood out to you most about Renike's story? Tell us in the comments.
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