The Booming Boomer

Hadiza Isma El-Rufai
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  • Documentary
  • Biweekly

The Booming Boomer podcast features conversations with inspiring individuals across Africa, sharing stories, insights, and experiences on entrepreneurship, culture, and more. Hosted by Hadiza Isma El-Rufai.

  1. Oct 22

    Stop Trying to Change Autistic Children. Meet Them Halfway | Rahanatu Yusuf | EP:24

    What if some of the behaviours we try to correct in autistic children are actually their way of coping?Rahanatu Yusuf, Founder & Managing Director of The Brainbloom Centre, joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai for an important conversation about autism, parenting, special needs education and what meaningful inclusion actually looks like.Rahanatu explains why some autistic children avoid eye contact, why sound, light or touch can become overwhelming, and why behaviours such as stimming may actually be forms of self-regulation rather than “naughtiness.”The conversation also explores early intervention, ADHD, stigma, individual education plans, hidden talents, employment and independence for people with special needs, parent burnout, autism and vaccine misinformation, and why society may need to stop forcing autistic children to fit into our world and start meeting them halfway.Rahanatu’s journey into this work began personally. Trained as a chemical engineer, she moved into special needs education after her son experienced developmental delays, leading her to study Montessori education, special education and eventually build The Brainbloom Centre.Watch or listen on your preferred platform:https://boomingboomer.com#TheBoomingBoomer #Autism #RahanatuYusuf

  2. Oct 14

    Nigeria’s Elite Have Failed the Nigerian Project | Richard Ali | EP:23

    Richard Ali has spent his career moving between literature, publishing, law, peacebuilding and entrepreneurship.In this episode of The Booming Boomer Podcast, Richard joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai for a wide-ranging conversation about Nigerian identity, leadership, conflict, artificial intelligence, publishing and the power of storytelling.Richard explains why he believes Nigeria’s elite have failed the Nigerian project, why building a shared national identity still matters, and how stories can be used as tools for peacebuilding and countering violent extremism.They also discuss his journey as a novelist and poet, the story behind City of Memories, co-founding Parrésia Publishers, why he describes publishing as a labour of love, and why he believes books themselves were an early form of artificial intelligence.Richard also shares his views on AI and inevitable job losses, his work through Engaging Borders SRD, the role young people can play in transforming conflict, and his journey into Nigerian specialty coffee through Tigre Coffee.A conversation about words, identity, technology, culture and what it means to build something that lasts.Subscribe to The Booming Boomer Podcast:https://youtube.com/@the_booming_boomer#TheBoomingBoomer #RichardAli #Nigeria

  3. Oct 8

    How Samira Sanusi Survived the Worst of Sickle Cell | Samira Haruna Sanusi | EP:22

    Samira Haruna Sanusi lived through the extreme realities of sickle cell disease: multiple organ damage, six years in a wheelchair, years of treatment and more than 30 surgeries just to survive.Then a successful bone marrow transplant changed her life.In this episode of The Booming Boomer Podcast, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai sits down with Samira to talk about the reality behind her survival, the younger brother who became her bone marrow donor, and what life feels like now without the crises and pain that once defined it.Their conversation also goes beyond Samira’s personal story. They discuss genotype compatibility, AS + AS relationships, the impact of sickle cell on entire families, IVF and gene selection, motherhood after recovery, faith, writing through pain, and the advocacy work she now does through the Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation.Samira is an author, humanitarian and founder of the Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation. She is also the author of S Is for Survivor and I Wrote This for You.Watch the full conversation and subscribe to The Booming Boomer Podcast for more conversations with people whose experiences, ideas and work are shaping society.

  4. Sep 10

    He Left a Successful Career to Start Again | Sir Jarus | EP:21

    Suraj Oyewale did not originally plan to become an entrepreneur.His ambition was to rise through corporate Nigeria and eventually become an executive at a major oil and gas company. But an unexpected turn in his career pushed him into consulting, a side business and eventually full-time entrepreneurship.In this episode of The Booming Boomer Podcast, Suraj Oyewale, widely known as Sir Jarus, joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai to talk about the decisions, opportunities and setbacks that shaped his journey.He reflects on building a successful career in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, why he eventually walked away, and how a business he initially started simply to supplement his income grew beyond his expectations.The conversation also explores hard work, luck and timing, why equally hardworking people can end up with very different outcomes, and why young people should be careful about comparing their lives to what they see on social media.Suraj also shares how an anonymous Nairaland username became the Sir Jarus brand, how he built a reputation around career guidance, the unexpected conversation that led him into real estate, what money taught him about responsibility, and why success rarely follows one fixed path.Guest: Suraj “Sir Jarus” Oyewale, FCA Entrepreneur, Author & Career AdvisorHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiThe Booming Boomer PodcastSubscribe for more conversations with people building, creating and shaping society.

  5. Sep 9

    Why I Still Believe in Nigeria | Dike Chukwumerije | EP20

    Dike Chukwumerije has spent years using poetry and storytelling to examine what it means to be Nigerian.In this episode of The Booming Boomer Podcast, he joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai for a conversation about patriotism, Nigerian identity, Pan-Africanism, creativity, family and the power of words.Dike explains why he still believes in Nigeria despite its challenges, and why he believes the country should not be reduced to its politicians.“Nigeria is the people.”He also shares what travelling across 21 states with his Made in Nigeria production taught him about how much Nigerians actually have in common, and why he compares the Nigerian character to the River Niger itself: unconventional, communal and deeply aspirational.The conversation goes beyond the country.Dike reflects on discovering the power of poetry after being booed onto a stage in the UK before receiving a standing ovation, overcoming stage fright through relentless rehearsal, and spending nearly two decades building his poetry career alongside a regular job.He also speaks about raising four children, choosing family over career opportunities, the dangers of constant social media comparison, and why young people need enough stillness to hear their own voice.Guest: Dike ChukwumerijePerformance Poet, Author & Spoken Word Theatre PractitionerHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiThe Booming Boomer PodcastSubscribe for more conversations with people building, creating and shaping society.

  6. Sep 9

    Writing What Northern Nigeria Doesn’t Talk About | Fatima Bala | EP:19

    Why do we hide parts of ourselves, even from the people closest to us?Fatima Bala, author of Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, Hafsatu Bebi and The Lies We Tell, joins Hadiza Isma El-Rufai for a conversation about writing honestly, creating deeply human characters and telling Northern Nigerian stories without pretending difficult realities do not exist.Fatima reveals that Broken was originally written anonymously, giving her the freedom to write without constantly censoring herself. She reflects on the story behind the book, the relationships and generations explored in Hafsatu Bebi, and why secrets became central to her latest work, The Lies We Tell.They discuss love, family, faith, identity, marriage, appearances, private struggles and why some truths are easier to hide than confront.Fatima also opens up about her writing process, balancing motherhood with creativity, writing on her phone whenever she finds the time, being an introvert in an industry that requires visibility, and the responsibility she feels when representing Northern Nigerian life through fiction.And beyond her own books, she explains why she wants to see more Northern Nigerian writers telling their own stories.Guest: Fatima BalaHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiPodcast: The Booming Boomer PodcastSubscribe for more conversations across literature, business, culture and public life.

  7. Sep 9

    Nigeria Chose Me | Mira Mehta, Tomato Jos | EP:18

    “I didn’t choose Nigeria. Nigeria chose me.”After moving from the United States to Nigeria, Mira Mehta saw tomatoes being left along rural roads while much of the tomato paste sold in the country was imported. That contradiction eventually became the idea behind Tomato Jos.Mira Mehta is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tomato Jos, an agribusiness working with smallholder farmers to strengthen tomato farming, processing and local food production in Nigeria. In this conversation, she shares how a public-health career brought her to Nigeria, why she stayed, and what it took to build a business in Northern Nigeria.She speaks about earning the trust of farming communities, supporting women farmers, reducing post-harvest losses, improving yields, competing with imported tomato paste, surviving crop failures and learning that cash can matter more than profitability when running a business.The conversation also covers food security, local manufacturing, GMOs, agricultural subsidies, roads, insecurity, fertilizer costs and the realities young entrepreneurs must understand before starting a business.Watch to the end for Mira’s advice to young entrepreneurs and the three areas she believes Nigeria must address to strengthen agriculture and economic growth.Guest: Mira Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO of Tomato JosHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiPodcast: The Booming Boomer PodcastListen on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

  8. Sep 9

    From Cancer Experience to Advocacy | Gloria Chinyere Okwu | | EP17

    Gloria Chinyere Okwu joins The Booming Boomer Podcast for a conversation on cancer advocacy, public health, writing, and the lived experiences that shaped her voice.A Nigerian writer, communication specialist, and healthcare advocate, Gloria speaks about turning personal experience into public awareness, and why stories can become powerful tools for health advocacy in Nigeria.Guest: Gloria Chinyere Okwu, Writer, Communication Specialist & Healthcare AdvocateHost: Hadiza Isma El-RufaiPodcast: The Booming Boomer PodcastListen on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

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About

The Booming Boomer podcast features conversations with inspiring individuals across Africa, sharing stories, insights, and experiences on entrepreneurship, culture, and more. Hosted by Hadiza Isma El-Rufai.

Information

  • Creator
    Hadiza Isma El-Rufai
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hadiza Isma El-Rufai
  • Show Website
    The Booming Boomer

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