Nigerian-trained Computed Tomography Specialist, Bayode Oke, 24, speaks on recently bagging the Diana Award for Outstanding Young Heroes for his social action and humanitarian efforts. He spoke with Charles Okonji.
CONGRATULATIONS on winning the Diana Award for World Outstanding Young Heroes. What’s the feeling like?
Amazing. I actually didn’t see it coming. It came in when I launched my conversation series on the social media themed: ‘Your one step to Transformation with Oke Bayode,’ which got me so excited.
What are the objectives of your NGO, The Invasion Group?
Our objective is to create an ecosystem of vibrant youths with a changed mindset, equipped to be ethical leaders and motivated to deliver and scale positive impact through Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Environmental and Social Economic. We’re also out to harness the strength of youths to effect a change in their immediate environment by inspiring, empowering and equipping a new breed of Nigerian leaders through the acquisition of skills for personal, organisational and community transformation. Our aim is to grow to become an organisation with global standards and best practices, providing empowerment initiatives and global services, with core interest in education for a sustainable future and to achieve the sustainable development goals by the Model United Nations.
As a young man, you seem set to make a difference. What drives you?
I have always had this drive to be an outstanding individual in every sphere I find myself. Being a medical student, I was exposed to a lot of opportunities that I could leverage to make me pursue excellence at all cost, which was what made me start my first project with my friends who also shared similar values. The project was named, The Invasion Group. Later on, while achieving great milestones, it occurred to us that young persons between the ages of 13-18 are the most vulnerable and faced with the challenge of making life-defining decisions. Due to lack of direction, many have made bad decisions, which resulted in negative outcomes, such as high school dropout, substance abuse, or participation in risky behaviours. Through repeated failures in the classroom and the development of destructive habits, at-risk young people (13-18) have lost faith in the possibilities that await them if they had been successful in putting their lives together. I then co-founded Mentors in Nigeria Initiative; with the sole aim of creating a community of mentors saddled with the responsibility of promoting a positive mindset in young people and helping them make better life-defining decisions. So I would say my drive and passion is to be an influence on people, which I have been doing with all diligence in the last four years.
Who are your role models and mentor?
I have been privileged to have a lot of mentors who I look up to and who have shaped my life in diverse ways. I have a spiritual figure in the person of Rev. Alexander Faranpojo. Also my parents, Babayomi and Funmilayo Oke, were my first mentors who made me believe that I can be any thing I want to be if I put my mind to it. My role model is Dupe Akinsiun, Head, Leadership & Culture Center of Expertise at Coca-ColaHellenic Bottling Company, Nigeria.
What do you have to say to your admirers and team?
I have the best team in the whole world; all of these achievements would never have come without their efforts. I am speaking about my co-founders, Olusegun Marvellous and Ogunbela Ridwan. These are great men of influence in their respective fields. They made our projects easy and we were able to put our strengths together to achieve these milestones. To my admirers, keep out of crime and always jump out of the train of ills. Choose your friends. A friend that cannot add value to your life is not worth being around you. Most importantly, fear God and keep doing what you’re doing and do it best.
What are your high and low moments?
Receiving the Diana Awards is my highest moment. Another high point in my life was when we did the biggest campus-led campaign in Lagos, Nigeria, tagged R.A.C.I.N.G – Race Against Cancer in Nigeria. We gained a lot of traction from various influencers; television stations transmitted it and it was published in many newspapers. We had over 1500students present at the campaign which took place at the Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park. Another high would be the results of our mentorship programme. Seeing youths discover their potentials and undergo training on how to monetise their dreams is fulfilling. My low moments would occasions when we were limited by the constraint of funding. On such occasions, we had to source funds from family members because we were so young and seemed inexperienced to organisations.
Leave a Reply