In this interview with Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme, the Executive Director, Junior Achievements Nigeria (JAN), Mrs. Simi Nwogugu, speaks on the group’s mission, vision and challenges at 20.
Can you recall how the journey to the founding of the Junior Achievements Nigeria started?
While working with Goldman Sachs, Junior Achievements (JA USA) engaged us for a JA in a day volunteering programme in a school in the Bronx, and that was where I got the opportunity to volunteer and fell in love with it. I felt if I had access to such programme while growing up, I would have known directly that I wasn’t geared for the medical or legal industry but the world of business. After that experience, I reached out to the organisation for an opportunity to take it to Nigeria. Plans were already ongoing to kick-start JA in Africa with primary focus on South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nigeria. The Executive Director of JA Houston came to Nigeria with me and we met with representative companies of his Board members, who took the mantle to support and thereafter JA Nigeria was birthed in 1999.
How were you able to adapt the mission and vision of JA New York to the Nigerian society?
The global mission and vision are the same for all member-nations. However, all programmes of JA Worldwide were reviewed to select those which address specific needs of the Nigerian society.
How do you feel with JAN at 20.?
It has been an exciting journey so far, looking at how far we have come since 1999. We have grown in reach and impact and this would not have been possible without the support of Board members like Citibank Nigeria, Schlumberger who have been on the JA Nigeria Board since inception, corporate bodies like United Bank of Africa who embraced the volunteering culture and bought into our vision and mission to inspire, educate and equip young people with essential financial, entrepreneurial and work readiness skills.
What were the teething challenges at the early stage of its founding?
JA Nigeria thrives on volunteering because programmes in schools are consistently run by the volunteers. However, at the time I got to Nigeria there wasn’t a volunteering culture unlike what is exhibited in the western world. So, it was difficult to run the programmes solely on volunteers. Over time, things gradually changed and people became more aware of the need to be socially responsible and embraced the “giving back” culture, which is carried out by individuals and organisations in various capacities.
What endears the various partners and volunteers to the organisation?
For Partners, I believe highlighting the effect/impact relative to the amount of money pumped into a project, including deliverables achieved, products and services beneficiaries create and deliver to solve needs and problems within their community; all of these and more encourage partners/donors to keep funding our programmes and projects. Furthermore, the strength of the Board members like Aliko Dangote Foundation, Citibank Nigeria, FirstBank and Stanbic IBTC also increases our chances of working with potential donors and volunteers.
For volunteers, partnering JAN is a way to give back to the society, change the mind-set of the growing population by teaching, encouraging and mentoring them to be better and live their dreams as regards their personal and professional development.
How well has JAN impacted positively on the youths, especially the students?
From various success stories recorded since our inception – like that of Ink Eze who participated in JA Company Programme and LEAD Camp in 2005 – and through her participation was able to emerge a digital entrepreneur, or Bright Dikko from Caro Favored College in Ajegunle whose participation in JA Company Programme opened scholarship opportunities for him (He is a scholar at the African Leadership Academy on scholarship). So, our programmes have a great impact on our youths and we will continue to work with them to achieve more.
At 20, can you say that JAN has realised its objectives?
Yes, we have! But, there is always room for more, which is why we are seeking partnerships with more credible socially-responsible organisations to do more thereby deepening our impact.
Which of JAN projects do you find very fulfilling and memorable?
All of JAN programmes are fulfilling, but of all, especially in terms of level of impact, we will refer to the Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement and Development (LEAD) Camp for senior secondary school girls, JA Company Programme for senior secondary school students, and Venture in Management Programme for NYSC members. From our impact stories gathered since inception, these three have remained the most memorable.
Lead camp, in partnership with Union Bank, is one of your flagship programmes. How do you select the 50 young girls for the event?
First of all, girls who participate in the LEAD Camp are drawn from the JA Company Programme, which is run in JAN partner schools across the country. The girls are asked to write essays and those with outstanding essays, including a recommendation from their teachers, are shortlisted and brought into Lagos to attend the Camp.
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