Linda Enakeme Ofukeme Dominguez: The Voyage of a Change Agent

By Preye Campbell

Linda Enakeme Ofukeme Dominguez, (also known as Naijalife or Senora K) was born in November 1981 in the city of Benin, Edo State, to the family of Ofukeme from Isoko, Delta State. She was nurtured in Lagos thereafter, she relocated to the United States, New York precisely, to further her education. Before her parents moved to Lagos, Nigeria, for her secondary education, Linda attended Greater Tomorrow Secondary School in Benin, the capital city of Edo State. When she got to the USA, she earned her High School Diploma (GED) from Jamaica Learning Centre in New York. Also, she earned an Associates Degree in Digital Technology/Visual Communications from Nassau Community College in the heart of Long Island New York, and also attended Houston Community College.

While spending her time at Nassau Community College, she became a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

In a bid to improve her potentials and aptitudes, Linda ventured into the world of modelling where beauty and pulchritude were exhibited often, as she positioned herself as a promotional model for brands such as Maybelline and Naturally Skincare Mira. She did not stop there; she went on working as a shelver and a price tagger at Mace’s Closeout Store while still as a student in the college, and also editing for the Nassau Community College Newspaper as Arts Editor. Her passion for success and risk-taking as a young lady warranted her the energy to partake in the Miss Nigeria in the American pageant, which earned her the Miss Congeniality of the pageantry competition; also, she won Miss Congeniality at the Miss Africa USA Pageant. All these she could achieve at a younger age in 2005, which gave her an edge above her contemporaries in the entertainment industry. As a proof to her innovative and creative genius and dexterity, Linda officially gave birth to Naijalife Magazine in Houston, Texas in 2007, a publication she had begun when she was in New York City. Naijalife Magazine is a publication which aims to showcase Nigerian culture, entertainment, and lifestyle globally.

Linda’s impact as the founder of Naijalife Magazine—a significant impact which harnessed and annexed African culture and entertainment globally—and her growing presence in the entertainment industry led her to myriads of recognition and achievements; a result of her hard work, resilience, and consistency. She appeared on ABC Eyewitness News and Univision, sharing her insights on Nigerian culture and entertainment. Her acting skills also earned her a role in the Bollywood movie, titled Kal Ho Naa Ho, subtitled in English as: Tomorrow May Never Come, which her role in this film marked a significant milestone in her acting career. She also appeared on the two episodes of Sex and the City season 6 as an extra. Additionally, in 2014, Linda’s event planning business, Stafford Events, won the Best of Stafford Award. This recognition highlighted her expertise in event planning and coordination.

She has switched between jobs, she has worked as an entertainer, event planner. She has created a lot of events such as Founder and executive producer of the First Nigerian Entertainment awards (NEA) in Maryland and championed businesses and backed up corporation in their operational successes and collaborated with the United States Department of Commercial Services in the 2015 OTC (Offshore Technology Conference). Linda has also expanded her brand, Naijalife, to include a print magazine, website, and social media platforms.

Also, she has honed her writership skills through publication of her books: My book of ABC, Psalm 23 and You, and 7 Things You Ought To Know. Linda’s recent debut audio narrative book series titled Bunnies, Ants, and Village Shenanigans with the pen name Senora K. The series follows the adventures of a young girl named Amaka and her friends in a rural village in Southern Nigeria. Therefore, through her writing skills, she aims to shape and put the diverse Nigerian cultures on the global pedestal.

Ultimately, all these allude to the creative endeavours and genius of Linda, even beyond entertainment, as she has etched her name in gold both in Nigeria and internationally. Her journey from childhood shows evidence of hard work, resilience, and consistency, without relenting. Through her endeavours, she continues to be a trailblazer and pathfinder to others and to up-and-coming in their fields of expertise.