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Tag: empowering

  • Visibility Solutions Media sets sight on empowering brands, businesses

    Visibility Solutions Media sets sight on empowering brands, businesses

    Visibility Solutions Media, a leading media agency dedicated to enhancing brand visibility and business growth, has announced its commitment to providing comprehensive solutions for businesses across various industries. 

    With a focus on innovative strategies and cutting-edge technologies, the firm aims to help brands reach their target audience effectively and achieve measurable results.

    With a client portfolio, boasting a Forbes Africa award winner, an AMVCA-winning actor, an award-winning filmmaker, and an international AI ethics expert, among others, the firm is set to do more.

    Kehinde Ajose, the founder of Visibility Solutions Media, expressed his passion for helping businesses succeed through effective media and marketing strategies.

    “Our mission is to empower brands and businesses to achieve their goals by providing them with the tools and expertise they need to thrive in today’s competitive market. We believe that every business deserves the opportunity to be seen and heard, and we are committed to delivering results that exceed our clients’ expectations.”

    Read Also: Aiyedatiwa pledges commitment to empowering Amotekun

    Visibility Solutions Media has already achieved significant success in helping clients increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales. 

    By combining creativity, data-driven insights, and exceptional customer service, the firm has established itself as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to make a lasting impact.

  • Strategic agility unleashed: Empowering teams to navigate and lead change

    Strategic agility unleashed: Empowering teams to navigate and lead change

    Professor Rodria Laline , the inventor of the first chip used on the first ATM card, Former Senior Vice President of Oracle in Asia Pacific and Harvard, INSEAD and IESE Professor. She has been CEO of global research and development collaborations with IBM, ING, Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment Corporation, Honeywell Bull, Elsevier Science, Oracle Corporation, Siemens and Philips. She was co-founder of the Global Chipcard Alliance and board member of the Open Software Foundation. She will be among the four faculty members delivering the TEXEM, UK programme Strategic Agility and Inspiring Change.

    Other faculty members include Ambassador Charles Crawford, an Oxford and Harvard-trained British Diplomat. He is the winner of the equivalent of two Oscars and a former British Ambassador to Bosnia and Poland.  Oxford-trained Professor Roger Delves, Board Member at Global Firm at the age of 30 and Dr Alim Abubakre, Advisory Board Member of London Business School Africa Society and Founder of TEXEM, UK.

    In this interview, Professor Rodria Laline shares insights on how to inspire change and fuel Sustainable Success as part of this TEXEM, UK programme Strategic Agility and Inspiring Change: Fuelling Sustainable Success taking place between 26th and 29th of August at Hilton Liverpool.

    Given your extensive experience with global giants like IBM, Oracle, and Siemens, how can executives effectively navigate the complexities of strategic agility in their organisations today?

    Strategic agility is about balancing the need for flexibility with the discipline of execution. Companies like IBM and Oracle have thrived by constantly evolving their strategies to align with market changes while maintaining a solid operational backbone. For example, the shift from hardware to services and cloud-centric open-source models at IBM exemplified strategic agility. The transformation from a profit-maximising system into a purpose-driven IBM. Kyndryl is another example of how IBM has created a purposeful business in an agile way. Executives must foster an organisational culture that is both adaptive and resilient. This involves not just reacting to changes but anticipating them. The forthcoming TEXEM programme in Liverpool will delve into these dynamics, helping leaders master the art of strategic foresight and lead their organisations through uncertainty with confidence and clarity.

    Can you provide an example of a company that successfully implemented radical change, and what lessons can executives learn from this?

    A notable example is ING Bank, which transformed significantly to embrace a more customer-centric and digitally driven approach. This involved overhauling their operational models and flattening their organisational structure. The lesson here is the importance of a clear vision and the courage to dismantle existing paradigms. Leaders must understand that radical change often requires learning and letting go of legacy systems and mindsets that no longer serve the organisation’s future. Running the banking business and changing it requires agile leadership. It involves a hyper-awareness of the foreseeable strategic business changes with the current and desired business portfolios and IT risk profiles. During the TEXEM programme, we will explore such case studies, equipping executives with the insights needed to initiate and sustain transformative changes within their organisations.

    Why is mastering change management critical for today’s leaders, and how does TEXEM’s methodology support this?

    In today’s challenging environment, the ability to manage change is no longer optional; it is a critical leadership competency. Effective change management involves not only planning and execution but also managing the human dimension of change, such as resistance and morale. About half of the work in leadership is transformative, institutional transformation, creating leader-follower relations, renewing institutional vision, societal engagement, effective communication, and performance. A quarter of the work is building bridges, providing salvation in hopeless situations, and gaining the trust of stakeholders through humility and authenticity to realise the interest of those they serve. The remainder of agile leadership is an agency that leads advocacy for ethical and social advancement for the well-being of wider society. It is transformational, empowering individuals to make meaningful contributions by exploring and questioning current reality. TEXEM’s methodology is unique in that it combines rigorous academic insights with practical, real-world applications. This approach makes learning engaging and memorable, ensuring that participants are passive recipients of knowledge and active contributors to their development. The interactive sessions, such as panel discussions and Kahoot games, reinforce learning, making it easier for leaders to apply these lessons in their own contexts.

    Read Also: Aiyedatiwa pledges commitment to empowering Amotekun

    Could you elaborate on the role of leadership in fostering strategic agility and provide an example of this in practice?

    Leadership is pivotal in fostering an environment where strategic agility can flourish. This involves setting a sharp vision, empowering teams, and creating a culture that embraces continuous learning and adaptation.

    Good examples are Oracle Corporation and Philips International, which navigated several product-market shifts by empowering its product management leaders to make decisions aligned with the company’s broader strategic innovation and change objectives. At the end of the last century, both companies had an adaptation strategy that pushed more decision-making authority out to countries and regions. National sales representatives were deciding each year next year’s sales product portfolios. Their selection of products was mainly a listing of current cash cows. Innovative products from the headquarters product groups were hardly selected.

    At the end of the last century, both companies completed a 90-degree transformative change by empowering their product management at headquarters with P&L control over sales, changing the strategy from adaptive to aggregation. The boards of Oracle and Philips were instrumental in pivoting towards more profitable business segments when traditional markets declined. The TEXEM programme will examine how leadership behaviours influence organisational agility, providing executives with actionable strategies to enhance their leadership impact.

    What challenges have you seen executives face when implementing systemic change, and how can they overcome them?

    One of the most significant challenges is overcoming internal resistance and breaking down silos that hinder communication and collaboration. For example, Royal KPN faced these issues when it moved from a traditional telecommunications company to a bank and digital service provider in the banking sector. Overcoming these challenges required strong leadership, clear communication, and a relentless focus on strategic agility objectives. Executives attending the TEXEM programme will benefit from discussions on managing these challenges, learning from the successes and failures of others, and acquiring the tools needed to drive systemic change effectively.

    How does your global experience across multiple cultures and industries inform your teaching, particularly in programmes like TEXEM?

    My global experience has taught me that while the principles of leadership and strategy may be universal, their application is often context-specific. This is particularly true in multinational settings where cultural nuances can significantly impact decision-making and implementation. Working across diverse industries and geographies, from the industrial sector with Philips to financial services with ING Bank and autonomous navigation systems at the Port of Rotterdam, has shown me the importance of adaptability and cultural intelligence. At TEXEM, we incorporate these insights into the curriculum, ensuring that participants can apply the principles of strategic agility and change management in ways relevant to their unique environments.

    Why should executives invest their time in the forthcoming TEXEM programme in Liverpool, and what can they expect to gain?

    Executives should consider the TEXEM programme because it offers a rare blend of academic rigour, practical insights, and interactive learning. The programme is designed to inform and transform, equipping leaders with the tools and frameworks they need to navigate today’s complex business environment. Through a carefully crafted agenda that includes strategic discussions, real-world case studies, and engaging activities, participants will leave with actionable strategies to drive sustainable success in their organisations. Furthermore, the opportunity to network with peers and learn from experienced leaders like me adds immense value, making this programme a must-attend for any executive committed to mastering the challenges of change. For more information, please visit here.

  • Empowering women bankers to lead

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has joined the global community to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. The event provided a platform not only to reflect on the progress made, but also raise awareness and renew commitment to advance gender parity and women empowerment. COLLINS NWEZE writes that the global theme: “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change” was a wakeup call on the CBN and banks to give more women bankers the opportunity to lead in the industry.

    That women control a large portion of global wealth is no longer in doubt. From oil and gas, banking and fashion to agriculture and education, women have proven their mettle in both public and private enterprises.

    Notwithstanding that women-led businesses constitute a large part of banks’ balance sheets and stream of income, big corporations in banking, telecom and even insurance sectors are not giving women their rightful place in board positions.

    This runs contrary to the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP), which require firms to promote gender equality in workplace. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to review banks’ compliance with its regulatory directive that lenders give 40 per cent of top management positions to women in line with the NSBP guidelines.

    At this year’s International Women’s Day, which the CBN marked in Abuja, the apex bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, reiterated the bank’s commitment to gender parity in banking.

    The global theme for the International Women’s Day, which was “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change” focused on innovative ways of advancing gender equality and women empowerment.

    However, the CBN adopted “Investing for Equality” as its local theme. This theme, Emefiele said, was apt and timely, as it allowed “us to strengthen our commitment to empowering women, which we believe is an economic and social imperative”.

    He said despite that gender equality is a driver for growth and a prerequisite for achieving the 2030 global development agenda (The Sustainable Development Goals), progress in gender parity has been slow. “Permit me to talk on some of the findings of research highlighting the significance of gender equality in economic development.

    For instance, McKinsey showed that if women’s economic participation were at the same level as men, $28 trillion could be added to the world’s economic growth by 2025.

    According to World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report (2018), there is an average of 32 per cent gender gap that needs to be closed and going by the trend, the overall global gender gap will close in 108 years.

    A 2018 study by the IMF showed that greater inclusion of women as users, providers, and regulators of financial services have benefits beyond addressing gender inequality. Narrowing the gender gap would foster greater stability in the banking system and enhance economic growth. It could also contribute to more effective monetary and fiscal policy.

    The study also found that the gender gap in leadership does make a difference when it comes to bank stability. Banks with higher proportion of women board members had higher capital buffers, a lower ratio of non performing loans, and greater resistance to stress.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that one more woman in a firm’s senior management or corporate board—while keeping the size of the board unchanged—is associated with an eight to 13 basis point higher return on assets. If banks and financial supervisors increased the share of women in senior positions, the banking sector would be more stable too.

    Emefiele reminded stakeholders that although gender diversity in central banks has improved over the years a lot more still need to be done to achieve parity. “We are celebrating a milestone today because of the progress made to address gender disparities in CBN. Actions taken by the bank to advance equality in the workplace include training and skills development, increased employment and leadership positions for women, diversity and inclusion initiatives, supporting female employees to balance work and family life (through child care support, extended maternity leave among others), coaching and mentoring programme to increase knowledge and skills that are necessary for achieving our organisational goals and objectives,” he said.

    Emefiele said the efforts have led to the remarkable progress made in closing the gender gap in the Bank. “It is heartening that today women represent 29 per cent of CBN staff and 29 per cent of directors are women, (eight Departmental Directors and one Director-General of WAMZ) as against 26.0 percent of staff and 25,0 percent of Directors in 2014. Similarly three out of 11 board members are women (27 per cent),” he highlighted.

    Emefiele said women make enormous contributions to economic growth either as business owners, entrepreneurs, farmers or employees of businesses. Despite this, women entrepreneurs face numerous challenges to financing, owning, and growing a business.

    “It is in recognition of these overwhelming challenges that the bank has developed various gender-responsive interventions that prioritise investments for women thereby improving access to diverse sources of finances, such as the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Fund (60 per cent of which is earmarked for women owned businesses) the Anchor Borrowers Programme, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending and the National Collateral Registry to mention but a few,” he said.

    To support the NSBP project, Access Bank Plc recently hosted the NSBP gender empowerment session in Lagos. Speaking at the event, the bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Herbert Wigwe said the NSBP has come a long way, but regretted that many institutions are not implementing it.

    He said women remain one of the best work-forces and always make great impact in establishments. Wigwe said: “I have worked with both men and women, but women bosses do better than men. For instance, the chairman of Access Bank has helped drive transformation in the bank. The NSBP is about giving women their rightful place in the workplace.

    “We need to place women where they should be. Women have more responsibility than men. We want other sectors like manufacturing, telecom among others to embrace gender equality in work-place.”

    According to the Access Bank chief, women must be economically empowered.

    He said without first addressing social concerns such as gender disparity and women empowerment, economic and environmental goals and overall sustainable development will be difficult to achieve.

    Wigwe explained that just like in every part of the country, there are qualified people to fill any position, it also follows that for companies also, there are qualified women to fill any kind of position.

    “The NSBP has come a long way but there are many institutions that have not adhered to the level of compliance desired. It is about giving women their rightful place. We need to place women where they should be,” he said.

    The CBN said since the launch of the sustainability banking principles and accompanying guidelines, it has developed, exposed and approved a reporting template to enable it measure performance on sustainability issues by the industry to show commitment and be transparent.

    Emefiele  reiterated the apex bank’s commitment to building on the achievements made so far to advance women economic empowerment and gender equality.

    He said: “Although I recognise the efforts that have resulted in this remarkable progress, I want to remind us that there is still more to be done and I am confident that management will continue to expand the frontiers of gender programme. Finally, I would like to remind us of the statement of UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres in 2018 that achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time and the greatest human rights challenge in our world.”

  • Ambode: empowering all groups will end extreme poverty

    •Governor delivers Island Club’s 75th anniversary lecture

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said Nigeria needs to empower every group in the society for the country to get out of the woods.

    He said the country must listen to the views and aspirations of various groups for the country to end extreme poverty.

    Ambode spoke yesterday while delivering a paper to commemorate the 75th anniversary business lecture of Island Club in Lagos.

    According to him, Nigeria must aggressively pursue strong social inclusion policies in order to build a virile nation where every member of the society, regardless of their status or creed, is catered for.

    He spoke on a topic, titled: Nation Building: Communities, Inclusion and Prosperity.

    Ambode said there are various indices that present a worrying picture, adding that the country must take actions that would change the narrative and engender prosperity.

    He said: “A sustainable path towards ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity also involves creating an inclusive society, not only in terms of economic welfare but also in terms of the voice and empowerment of all groups.

    “We must begin to realise that every stratum of the society counts; we must listen and accommodate all views, whether they are poor, whether they are the Igbo, the Hausa, or whether they are Muslims or Christians. An inclusive society must have the institutions, structures and processes that empower local communities, professional associations, artisans, community development associations (CDAs) so they can hold government accountable.

    “It also requires the participation of all groups in society, including traditionally marginalised groups, such as ethnic minorities and indigenous populations, in decision-making processes.”

    Highlighting the Lagos example of inclusion and prosperity, the governor said despite the population and migration challenges as well as the pressure on physical and social infrastructure, his administration continued to carry out massive upgrade of infrastructure.

    This, he stressed, would improve the lives of all residents and, ultimately, the economy.

    Ambode said: “We believe that every Lagosian must have the opportunity to grow, develop their own skills and contribute to their families and communities in a meaningful way.

    “If they are healthy, well-educated and trained to enter the workforce and are able to make a decent wage, they are better equipped to meet their basic needs and be successful. Their families will also do well and the society will benefit. The aggregate sum of family well-being is the meat for nation-building.”

    The governor said his administration concentrated on creating an environment for investments to thrive, adding that it took deliberate steps to encourage the private sector to take the front seat and grow the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    He said: “In terms of inclusion and prosperity, our vision to make Lagos safer and more prosperous is driven by the need to foster and build an inclusive society, a Lagos that works for all of us. This has been our primary focus in the last three and a half years.”

  • Empowering artisans to spur economic growth

    The Lagos State government is retraining artisans to enable employers find tradesmen with advanced skills. With this, certified artisans are now listed in a compendium as well as online market place to sell their services. The state believes that given a level playing field, artisans and tradesmen can help grow the economy and build a better future. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    More than half of jobs and business opportunities in Lagos are said to be for skilled artisans. However, very few of the artisans have the required skills to fill those job vacancies.

    To address the imbalance,  the Lagos State government has commenced the training and re-training of 1500 artisans every year.

    The state government is empowering the artisans under a three- month training programme aimed at boosting their capacity to contribute to economic growth and development.

    One of the beneficiaries of the traing programme, Mr. Akindele Akinlola, a carpenter and furniture designer, told The Nation that  the programme was critical if artisans must step up their  game in their chosen vocation. Akinola spoke on the sideline  of  the 8th Tradesmen and Artisans Week and Graduation Ceremony for 1,500 re-trained artisans and traders organised by the state’s Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, at Ikeja.

    He said apart from helping artisans scale up, it was also  important that artisans are listed  on the virtual market place, which he described as “The future of the industry.”

    Alhaji Olowoopejo Sule, a member of Sand Dealers Association, Apapa, expressed optimism that the the retraining will open doors of opportinities for his career as a  sand dealer, adding that the government is supporting tradesmen to get all the training  needed to do their job and make a living.

    He said on the strength of the training  he can now evacuate sand while also using his hands to  tap his  phone  keyboard to upload pictures and information on the virtual market that lists more than 18,000 artisans in Lagos.

    Another benefiary of the training, Obamuyi Durojaiye,  from Okota, said vocational training in Lagos has taken a different shape. He said he worked his way up by earning certificates and later becoming computer literate to operate on the virtual market, courtesy of the Lagos State government.

    Durojaiye said based on the training, he  now sees his future as an artisan brighter than ever. He said his career is one that  doesn’t require a degree but requires specialised training.

    Beyomd the training, the Lagos State government launched a compendium of 20,000 registered tradesmen and artisans with unique identification numbers to improve the sector’s contribution to the state’s  socio-economic development.

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said the compendium would help to differentiate the authentic artisans from those operating illegally in the state.

    The governor said that henceforth, the state government will officially patronise the services of registered tradesmen and artisans in the areas needed.

    He said the state government had also opened an online portal designed to facilitate interaction amongst artisans, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), customers/end-users and other relevant stakeholders.

    Ambode said tthe primary goal of the portal was to make it easy and convenient for people in need of high quality services to meet reliable, trusted and verified service providers.”It is also aimed at enhancing the productivity, competitiveness, creativity and vitality of the sector,” he said.

    Ambode said the theme: “Technology and Innovation: A Catalyst for the Development of the Artisans and Tradesmen” was apt, as it would sensitise the artisans to the reality of global trends.

    “In this modern time, successful businesses are driven by technology and innovative ideas. It will be difficult for you to survive and stay ahead of your competitors if you continue to do things the old way and fail to key into the current reality.

    “There is no aspect of your trade or vocation that you cannot apply technology to improve on quality, efficiency and productivity,” the governor said.

    He said that his administration will  continue to implement policies and incentives aimed at improving the productive capacity of artisans and tradesmen. According to him, the growth and profitability of the sector remained a top priority.

    Ambode advised the retrained artisans to leverage on the endless opportunities the state had offered them.”Our state is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and it presents great opportunities that are waiting to be tapped and challenges which you are the solution provider.

    “Your training has been designed to address the skills mismatch and provide the right mix of skills needed to service the industrial needs of the state.

    “This administration has a clear focus on all our initiatives and beliefs  in the potential and innovative capacity of Lagos artisans,” he said.

    Ambode assured that his administration would continue to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

    He recalled various initiatives designed to scale up the informal sector such as the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF), among others, and assured traders and artisans in the state that government would continue to implement strategies and programmes to promote their businesses and create conducive environment for their operations.

    While expressing excitement over the fact that it was the tailors from the state that produced the academic gowns used for the graduation, the governor said moving forward, the state government will officially engage traders and artisans on jobs that would improve their livelihood.

    Speaking on specific requests made  by LACOSTA, the governor said: “As a start, we instruct the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment to see the capabilities and the opportunities that we can spread out from state jobs and contracts and give to our artisans.

    “I am very happy to note that we have graduates among you and also graduates who are also your children. So, we hereby create an immediate opportunity through your associations to be able to recruit into key areas in the public service where we can need your services. These are not political promises, we keep our promises and we will fulfil all our promises.”

    While congratulating the artisans and traders for successfully undergoing the training, the governor urged them to put all they have learnt to effective practice and leverage on the endless opportunities in  the state’s strategic position  as one of the fastest growing economies in the world to be solution providers.

    He assured that the state government would continue to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

    Earlier, in his opening remarks, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said since the last edition of the event, Ambode, as requested by LACOSTA, had already approved N12million annual subvention to the association and increased the number of beneficiaries in 2017 to 1500 from the 500 that were trained last year.

    Durosinmi-Etti had earlier said the graduands underwent an eight-week intensive training programme in their areas of trade.

    He said the awards presented to them were expected to serve as morale booster and increase the drive in others to create a competitive business environment.

  • Fed Govt, GEMS partner on empowering women

    Fed Govt, GEMS partner on empowering women

    The ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in partnership with Growth and Employment in States, GEMS 3 is set to empower women across the country by developing and supporting thousands of women especially in rural areas with access to market and finance.

    The GEMS 3 is planned to be implemented in seven states of the federation. They are Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ebonyi, Abia, Niger and Kaduna states. They will serve as the launching platform for the pilot scheme.

    The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar said it is imperative for women to reach their potential and be critical elements for the attainment of inclusive growth and sustainable development.

    The minister who spoke at the launch of the Women in Investment and Enterprise (WINIE) project in Abuja, added that this is to provide a platform for the aspiration of next generation of women and girls.

    She said: “Women own about 30 per cent of the registered small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria and the average growth rate of these businesses is far lower than businesses run by men. Female entrepreneurs account for 43.22per cent in the ownership structure of microenterprises as against 22.76 per cent in SMEs and only about 10 per cent havecaccess to the finance needed.

    “This 10 per cent is to assist them launch a new venture or grow their existing businesses, most women obtain their initial startup investment and working capital from internal sources such as savings and contributions from family and friends.

    “This restricts them from being ambitious about their enterprise and seeking advice from business support providers for proper legal and corporate structures. The government is consciously making effort to diversify the economy from being majorly dependent on oil.

    “Government’s policy direction is strategically being geared towards creating wealth and employment through the facilitation of an enabling environment for SMEs to thrive in Nigeria.

  • Remembering and empowering youth

    Let us think and act INTERGENERATIONALLY.

    Always. Planning always to include the youth. We shall digress this week from our planned discourse on nation and nationhood, to engage Professor Wole Soyinka’s positive and needed call for an economic conference of experts, consumers, as well as qualified and concerned citizens. Many have rightly pointed out that this was a necessary move that I also support if it will take our country out of our seeming economic and perhaps political quagmire. It is heartening that in this new political dispensation, voices of relevant and concerned people are noted and given a response. My contribution is to remind us to include the youth: invite their representatives and consult the youth widely as we also listen to them without condescension or bullying. We hope that in this new democracy of change, we shall avoid the culture of bullying our citizens as they are not subjects of their ruling class. The political class should always remember that they are servants of the citizens who have been put in place to do what is best for the citizenry as well as recognize that they are not a master class but a servant one if we are following the tenets of democracy that we claim to be practicing. This caveat applies also to the adult citizens, not only youth. No bullying of citizens.

    Whom do we consider the youth? I would think we mean young people of 40 years and under. It would not be a new event in our experience as Africans to include such ages in our social and public organizations of our society if we look back into our past and our indigenous traditions. Including youth would not be only an idea from the West or the United Nations for African societies always had a place for youth in many ways. Not only in war but in life-supporting human activities such as farming, building and clearing roads, helping to administer justice, organizing in social events and celebrations that help to define the community and provide sheer pleasure. They often had their own chieftaincies too conferred by and respected in the larger society. In my father’s town, they were called the Gbara, as I learned. My belief in the recognition of our youth caused me to be quite pleased when I noticed the involvement in many ways of the Egba youth in the celebration of the life of Lisabi, the founder of the Egba (the people of Abeokuta) people.

    We could make more of a practice of looking back into our indigenous past not only for carnivals but for constructive organizations that will help our present and our future, give us our identities and keep the youth busy. I have always been concerned with the social impact of our newly adopted ways of raising and educating children and youth that does not keep them occupied meaningfully with and usefully to the larger society between the ages of five and 18 for instance or give them leadership for instance in organizing the beautiful and highly creative Atilogwu Dance. Instead of engaging in socially organized and recognized social activities, they are left to wander around society trying to find their own amusements and running into trouble with crime and physically abusive activities. Lacking guidance or attention from adults and the larger society, they obsess with the imitation of foreign societies that they do not know or understand, the world of cell phones and television and new modes of crime as they suffer from sheer confusion and boredom.

    It was never so in the past and it is being suggested here that the energy and creativity of youth be harnessed in our new national dispensation. I have often wondered to myself if the rage of cults and cultism in the society do not derive from the neglect and boredom of youths. By neglect is meant the fact of not being educated culturally by adults who are confused between modernity and their own culture, who themselves mimic what they think is modernity as they pursue the new ideal of money by any means necessary and neglect the cultural raising and development of their offspring. Since the larger society does not guide them or innovate modern patterns of activities of their own, the young make up their own consisting of gruesome notions of what they think is African and traditional: initiation ceremonies of murder, mayhem and the abuse of women (the girls who are fought over and shared by them, dominated in a mixture of bad Hollywood and what they think is African culture as no parent or adult taught them or helped to find what is African. Perhaps such energies can be taken over by governance, absorbed into organizational and public structures and used to give youth a sense of usefulness and respect from adults. Perhaps it would help if the youth are given recognized positions of leadership in the modern dispensations in their villages, towns and governmental organizations.  I was at a conference in Senegal where students who were members of parliament came to represent their country, Mali.

    Such absorption of youth into social and governmental life, finding useful and relevant patterns from our traditional cultures can only happen if we still respect our various cultures and do not despise them as seems to be the condition now for many religious organizations teach youth and the whole country that everything African is demonic. This rage of internalized racism and self-despisal needs to be engaged and stopped in the new educational curricula and the development of children and citizenry that we are thinking of now and are also necessary. Self-respecting nations like Japan and others do take from their past and their own cultures as they love and respect them unlike us… They are reputed for instance also adapt those cultures to meet modern needs as is reported that Japanese social patterns of authority are adopted in their factory system and other businesses. The Japanese studied, mastered and dominated electronic technology without considering themselves therefore inferior to the Westerners from whom they learnt.

    We seem to think that worship, adoration and self-despisal must go with learning from a culture perhaps because we think culture is biological, but culture is not biological. Anything created by human beings anywhere is the heritage of all humanity as interculturality, learning from and borrowing are habits of all humanity. And that is why we must study our history, world history and the histories of other peoples to understand how achievements are made in those societies.  The British are reputed to have studied the Romans to build their own empire of Britannia as other peoples did before them. We often say we no longer know the African cultures; yes, maybe but we can read about them; study them for all sources in museums and libraries from all over the world. That is what was and is done by other peoples to learn their own cultures and know what to choose for modernity. The average Britisher or French person does not necessarily know his or her history but those who build nations and institutions read, study for the important work of nation building in which they are engaged. Our Nigerian political and ruling classes travel a great deal; they could find the time to visit places and study.

  • Empowering women entrepreneurs

    With a large number of women becoming entrepreneurs,  industrial organisations are being made to see that women are taking up more positive roles in developing the economy. They have, however, realised that women do not  have the funds and they lack the technical know-how to run a business. This is why the Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE) and Uplift Development Foundation are organising the 6th edition of Nigeria Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition, tagged: NIWEX 2015 in Abeokuta, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    NO time or age is too late to start a business venture and no qualification is required for a woman to be in  business. This  is one message NACCIMA    Business Women Group in collaboration with ECOWAS  Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE)  and wife of the governor of Ogun State, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, are drumming into women ears trying to ensure opportunities for women entrepreneurs. To them, fostering entrepreneurship is a key policy goal for a government, which share the expectation that high rates of entrepreneurial activity will bring sustained job creation.

    According to them, there is a clear need to provide  better information about entrepreneurship as an attractive option  for young women in school and for women outside the labour force.

    To NACCIMA Business Women Group, it is time to empower women to make an income; accumulate assets; increase their economic security; improve industrial capacity and spur economic growth by creating new jobs, and expanding the pool of human resources and talents available in a country.

    The  entrepreneurs programme  is designed to empower women around the country  to end poverty by liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good. One  of the leading  lights  of the movement  is  the deputy national president of the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief Alaba Oluwaseun Lawson, a successful businesswoman. She  is  determined  to  help more  women  to become entrepreneurs .

    According to the chairperson, Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition, Mrs Cynthnia Saka,   Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration has launched the state on the path of industrial base, adding that the state is rich in natural resources to make it competitive nationally, but needed the government’s efforts to develop into an industrial giant.

    To achieve the developmental strides, she said, the government was providing incentives, building up business skills and encouraging firms to look beyond the borders. In addition, she said the government is boosting its services to meet the needs of small and medium-sized export firms.

    One strategy which she maintained would help the government achieve its goal is the partnership with the chamber of commerce as evidenced in the  increased business activities.

    According to her, investors believe in the state, and that is why it is having  the largest concentration of industries.

    Besides, Mrs Saka said the state’s investment is not only in infrastructure, but also in designing and implementing projects. These according to her, would secure lives and properties and protect future legacies.

    She said women entrepreneurs need a little help along their entrepreneurial journey.

    “The need of the hour is for a mentor, a hand holder to walk beside them on their path to success,” she said.

    Being a fledgling entrepreneur herself, Mrs  Saka  CEO, T. Cynthia Nigeria Ltd,    found her self needing guidance and advice on various aspects. For her, the experience of starting her own business had its own share of roadblocks. She  said women entrepreneurs find banks as the most difficult source for obtaining funds.  While women find it easier to start up, they find it equally difficult to grow and access capital as a result of which most of their businesses do not grow.

    For  her, Ogun State  has emerged as the best place for women entrepreneurs to start business with high level of optimism on various factors that are important to judge business growth. To address women challenges, she  said  the  Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE) and Uplift Development Foundation of Mrs  Amosun, is organising the 6th edition of Nigeria Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition tagged: (NIWEX 2015). The event, which will last seven days, has been scheduled to take place from December 7 to 16 at  the MKO Abiola Trade Fair,

    She  said the fair is the dream of like minded women entrepreneurs, who wanted to train, guide, support and enhance the lives of ladies. “The Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE) is a branch of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) dedicated to promoting economic development for women entrepreneurs in Africa,” she said.

    FEBWE Nigeria , according to her, is  a national organisation  with members spread throughout the country.

    The organisation, she  said,  provides women wishing to start their own ventures, business counselling, networking opportunities and bring businesswomen on a common forum to ensure that their visions are collectively and effectively taken up with policy makers and other agencies. The  goal, she said, remains to ensure development of opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

    “Uplift Development Foundation is  already working  to  empower  police officers’ wives, market men and women, community leaders, hunters, artisans, religious bodies, farmers, widows and others have benefited from the state community empowerment programme,” she said.

    The programme, which was initiated by  Mrs. Amosun, creates opportunities for the less privileged to participate in the economy and improve their earning potentials in order to assist their families fight their way out of poverty.

     

     

    Mrs. Amosun explained that the programme was aimed at maximising growth opportunities among the less privileged in Ogun State and support them to reach their full potentials.

    She noted that the Community Empowerment Programme was borne out of the needs assessment carried out before embarking on the programme where various community leaders and associations were consulted to ensure that the needs of these communities were met to enable them to be self-employed and self-sufficient.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Empowering victims of human trafficking

    Empowering victims of human trafficking

    There have been so many campaigns against human trafficking all over the world. Unfortunately, the act continues with over 80 per cent of victims being women. This trade in humans is usually for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labour, as well as commercial sex exploitation. In spite of the campaigns and international conventions, this violation of the victims’ rights is one of the fastest growing activities. A few years back, it represented an estimated $31.6 billion of international trade.

    It is therefore important for all hands to be on deck to curtail the trend. A former reporter, Bukola Oriola, is joining forces with the National Agency for The Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) to educate Nigerians at home about the ordeal of human trafficking in the United States. In her 2015 Lagos upcoming week-long tour of public and private colleges, tagged, Bringing The Story Back Home, Oriola hopes to enlighten higher institution students as they are the armour bearers in the community. The event is planned to help them understand travelling abroad does not necessarily mean a better life or greener pasture, but that they should be aware of the challenges they or their loved ones may face in search of a better life.

    “The reason I have chosen this audience is because they are the youth and they are armour bearers in the community. They form the perfect niche to spread the message to the younger generation and also leverage it to the older folks in the community. More so, they are passionate and are talented, always looking for opportunities within and outside the country. It will be of immense help to this sub-group to understand the fact that going abroad by visa lottery, marriage, further education, or other means can be a potential trafficking trap,” Oriola stated.

    Oriola, who is a survivor of labour trafficking, has chronicled her experiences in form of a book entitled, Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim to both expose one of the ways that a person can become a victim and how victims can reach out for help. This tour, scheduled for September 2015, is not set to discourage the Nigerian youths from pursuing their dreams of finding opportunities abroad, but to equip them with adequate knowledge that will prevent them from becoming victims or finding help if they become victims of human trafficking.

    Oriola is also the founder and producer of the Enitan Story: Imprisoned Show. The Enitan Story is a local non-profit organisation in Minnesota, United States, with a mission to advocate for victims and empower survivors of human trafficking. Imprisoned Show is one of the organisation’s programmes dedicated to educating the public about human trafficking around the world. Since the launch of Imprisoned Show at one of the local TV stations in Minnesota, she has produced over 20 episodes featuring expert opinions, events, public presentations, students, members of the local law enforcement, non-profit organisations, attorneys and advocates to help victims reach out for help. “I believe that education is the greatest tool for preventing this heinous crime in our communities. One of the episodes on Imprisoned Show featured the Hubert Humphreys fellows at the University of Minnesota from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Nepal. Evaluating and discussing various forms of providing services, in addition to advocacy, will further help both government and nongovernmental efforts to effectively combat the crime. It was also documented as President Barak Obama’s accomplishments in fighting human trafficking in the United States in 2013.

    Oriola is a consultant for the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and was among the 20 survivors’ forum at the White House in January 2014, which was the National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the United States. The event, which was put together by the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Centre (OVCTTAC) was the first of its kind event by the federal government to effectively engage the voices of survivors in its programme to provide a better life for victims and survivors of human trafficking in the United States. The government has rolled out a five-year strategic plan which was made public on January 14, 2014 at the Forum and Listening Session.

  • Senator praised for empowering residents

    Senator praised for empowering residents

    The Chairman of Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Ibrahim Daniel has expressed gratitude to Senator Philip Aduda for his empowerment programme in all the area councils.

    Hon. Daniel gave this commendation during the flag-off of the distribution of cars and motorcycles as part of his empowerment programmes for PDP stakeholders in the six area councils and wards.

    According to Daniel, Aduda has done what no Senator had done in the areas of infrastructure, provision of social amenities, effective representation in the Senate and empowerment programme for the FCT residents.

    However, the Commissioner representing the FCT in the Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Hassan Sokodobo has affirmed the FCT endorsement of President Good-luck Jonatham as well as Senator Aduda because of their uncommon transformation they have exhibited. He called on residents of the FCT to support them in their second term bid because of their performance.

    “We as a people in the FCT have looked around and discovered that there is no body that has ever met our aspirations as Aduda since the inception of democracy. I can tell you authoritatively that there is no ward in all the area councils that has no one of Aduda’s project or the other,” Hassan said.

    Six jeeps and 62 motorcycles were distributed to the six area councils and 60 wards of the FCT respectively. Alhaji Musa Yahaya, one of the beneficiaries from Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) praised Aduda for his gesture.