Inspirational Nigerians

Zain Ejiofor Asher, a Nigerian British news anchor at CNN International, was born 27 August 1983 to Mr Arinze Ejiofor, a doctor and Mrs Obiajulu Ejiofor, a pharmacist. She anchors CNN Newsroom on CNN International. Previously, Asher co-anchored CNN Newsroom on CNN America. In 2013, Asher joined CNN as a business correspondent based in New York City.

She was born in Balham, South London, with two siblings, an older brother named Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is now a Hollywood actor and sister Kandibe Ejiofor, a medical doctor. Zain's family Igbo originality came from Ezeagu Local Government Area, Enugu State of Nigeria. Asher graduated from Keble College, Oxford University in 2005 with a degree in Spanish and French and later graduated from Columbia's University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in 2006.

Before joining CNN in February 2013, Asher was a full-time reporter for Money Magazine, where she wrote personal finance articles. Also, Asher was a T.V. reporter at News 12 Brooklyn, reporting from Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Connecticut.

Zain currently anchors "CNN Newsroom" on Fridays and Saturdays and also fill in on the CNN's foremost business shows, "Quest Means Business" and "CNNMoney." She also hosts "Marketplace Africa," CNN International's weekly business programme about Africa and its place within global markets, for which she often interviews CEOs and world leaders. Asher has anchored several breaking news stories for the CNN, including the 2016 Christmas market attack in Berlin, the terrorist explosions in St. Petersburg, Russia, the 2015 earthquake in Nepal and the landmark Paris climate accord. Zain Asher presented a three-day special as part of CNN's Freedom Project, in 2017, stressing the predicament of human trafficking victims and international efforts to eradicate modern-day slavery. Zain has also hosted special programming in the aftermath of the deaths of Fidel Castro, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and singer George Michael. Asher has also covered many prestigious stories from the field, including the 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon and the 2014 kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria.

She served previously as a business correspondent with CNN reporting on the stock market from the New York Stock Exchange, U.S. Federal Reserve monetary policy and high-profile IPOs. Her importance at CNN enabled interviewing various notable figures across multiple industries including Arianna Huffington, Trevor Noah, Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore, Joe Montana, Naomi Campbell, Carlos Slim Jr, numerous CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and some heads of state.

Besides, she has hosted several panel discussions at the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, Make A Wish Foundation and presented TED talk on overcoming adversity, 'Trust your Struggle' that has earned more than 1.3 million views.

Not long ago, Zain found herself reporting his brother's story while reporting on Oscar Nominees, that her brother was one of those nominated for an Oscar for his role in 12 Years A Slave. She went on to explain how the nomination would be particularly 'amazing' for her mother, who grew up without running water and added: "It is a kind of sad day as well because my father isn't alive anymore, so he can't see this. "When Chiwetel was twelve years old, he was in a car accident with my father, and everybody in the car died apart from Chiwetel," she explained, fighting back the tears. "So, he has that chance he got when he survived the crash, and he has gone on to make the most of it."

Zain loves and cherishes her mother, who worked hard to bring up her children. She explained further how her mum prevented her from watching T.V. and using the telephone for sometimes to enable her to get a grade to enter Oxford.

In her TEDx talk, Asher shares how she landed her first on-air job after working for four years as a receptionist, a struggle many young people of today will not even try.

Zain Asher is based currently at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, and she has travelled the globe covering stories.

Asher is married to Steve Peoples who has been serving as a political reporter for The Associated Press for the past several years. They currently have a son.

At every opportunity, Zain always makes herself known as a Nigerian. Zain Asher has lived and worked in Mexico, France and Nigeria and is fluent in French, Spanish and Igbo.

She is an Inspirational Nigerian.