Founder, The Rose of Sharon Foundation has charged Nigerian youths to look inwards, identify their innate abilities and harness them for long-term gain.
Alakija gave this advice recently at the 8th edition of the foundation’s Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), held at the Rose of Sharon Centre, Surulere, Lagos.
The programme, which had participants onsite and online, provided the youths opportunity to learn the process of becoming the best they can be by harnessing their individual specifics and innate abilities.
The meeting was hosted by the foundation’s founder, Apostle Folorunsho Alakija and anchored by its country manager, Dr Ndudi Bowei, while CEO of Verbatim Communications Limited, Bidemi Mark-Mordi, a former IT consultant and Resident Pastor of KICC, Nigeria, Pastor Femi Faseru and renowned administrator and human resources professional and MD of Tom Associates, Temitope Jegede facilitated.
Drawing from Abraham Maslow and Kim Egel’s definition of self-actualisation, Apostle Alakija regaled the participants on the process of becoming the best version of themselves and encouraged them to harness their innate abilities to reach their full potentials.
While underlying the current trend that some youths are in a hurry and are thereby seeking shortcuts to luxuries, Alakija told the youths that “Rome was not built in a day and there is always time for everything under the sun.”
Amongst other things, she told them to look inwards to identify their innate abilities, harness them for long-term gain, fulfillment of purpose, relevance, and survival. She also encouraged them to get educated, learn a trade, discover what they are wired for, and improve their skills.
Speaking to the undergraduates, fresh graduates and job seekers, on “Identifying and connecting the dots for youth survival,” Mrs Mark-Mordi described self-actualisation as knowing who you are and becoming who you are destined to be, while stating emphatically that youth is society’s greatest resource and advantage.
She also told them that, “knowing who you are will help you stand up for your dreams.”