Blessing Okoedion Biography
Blessing Okoedion is a human trafficking survivor turned activist. When Okoedion was 26, she headed to Spain for a job she had been offered at a computer store. In her home country of Nigeria, she had earned a degree in computer science and started her own business repairing computers.
But the job offer was a ruse. Her work visa had been faked by human traffickers. There was no computer store job. After a brief stop in Spain, her captors sent her to Naples, Italy. They told her that she owed them 65,000 euros — more than $70,000 in today's dollars. And they forced her into sex work on the streets of an Italian town.
That was five years ago. Today, Okoedion is an activist working to combat human trafficking in Italy and Nigeria. She was one of 10 people honored for these efforts in June by the U.S. State Department at the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report launch ceremony in Washington, D.C. The report is an annual assessment of foreign governments' anti-trafficking efforts.
She received the State Department award "in recognition of her extraordinary courage in using her lived experiences to ... prevent human trafficking [and] her selfless efforts to assist survivors and lend a helping hand to those still subjected to the crime," said Kari Johnstone, acting director of the State Department's Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, at the event. Okoedion selflessly devotes her time to ensure survivors feel they have a trusted champion who can advocate on their behalf as they go through the process of reintegrating into society, including through her work as a cultural mediator for trafficking victims staying in a local shelter run by a community of Ursuline sisters.
Okoedion has demonstrated exceptional courage in drawing from her own experiences as a trafficking survivor to raise awareness about human trafficking in Italy. She also partners with the Catholic Church, particularly women religious, and travels throughout her home country of Nigeria to educate vulnerable women and girls in poor and remote areas to help them detect traffickers’ fraudulent recruitment and employment tactics, including false promises of work and a better life in large cities and other countries. In 2017, she published a book, co-written with an Italian journalist, to tell her story and to shine a light on this abhorrent practice.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Blessing Okoedion and other top speakers and celebrities.
-
How to book Blessing Okoedion?
Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Blessing Okoedion for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a
booking request form for Blessing Okoedion, or call our office at
1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Blessing Okoedion or any other celebrity of your choice.
-
How much does it cost to book Blessing Okoedion?
Speaking fees for Blessing Okoedion, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that Blessing Okoedion charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Blessing Okoedion, please fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
-
Who is the agent for Blessing Okoedion?
All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Blessing Okoedion for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Blessing Okoedion for your next private or corporate function.
-
What is a full-service talent booking agency?
All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Blessing Okoedion or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Blessing Okoedion or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Blessing Okoedion is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Blessing Okoedion for your event is available upon request. Blessing Okoedion generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Angela Davis, The Sis Official, Toshia Shaw and Leena El-Ali. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Blessing Okoedion for an upcoming live or virtual event.