 |
| Lagos, Nigeria: Inducted Ashoka Changemakers Scholars |
July
2nd, 2016 was a happy day to remember at the NECA House, BDA
Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos-Nigeria as 32 indigenous social innovators and
entrepreneurs were inducted as Ashoka Changemakers Scholars, a Future Forward
initiative, in partnership with the Ashoka and MasterCard Foundation, after
they underwent an extensive online course and video sessions on the Future
of Work in Africa: Innovations in Youth Employment.
Future
Forward initiative Changemakers course is targeted at self-motivated leaders,
social innovators and entrepreneurs in Africa, who are using their skills to
solve social problems, with a view to broaden their horizons, with regards to
global best practices, providing them with networking opportunities and further
equip them with the requisite skills, needed to leapfrog their chosen passion
and careers.
According
to the Ashoka Changemakers Scholars Coordinator in Nigeria and CEO of Business without Boundaries (BwB), Olutope Olatilewa
Egbetokun popularly known as Topsie, “the Ashoka Changemakers are social
innovators and entrepreneurs who are working vigorously to reduce unemployment
in all sectors of the Nigerian economy. Their aim is to change the landscape of
policies, leadership, governance and youth engagement in creating a better
Nigeria project and Africa enterprise”. She further revealed “32 Nigerian Ashoka
Changemakers scholars were among a total of 175 selected for the course, from
nearly 400 applications representing over 45 countries in Africa.” With a
welcome and orientation session which began on Monday, April 25th, scholars
from across the continent regularly interacted with themselves and were
interfaced with invited guest experts during live video sessions, who shared
their experiences using innovative solutions to solve Africa’s growing
unemployment challenges.
During
a panel discussion, on the topic “Holistic and Sustainable Project for the
Nigerian Youth: Opportunities, Solutions and Tools, panelist Adekoya Rasak a
“thisabled” visually impaired web solution provider, on-air personality, writer
of an award winning book “Brand Your Blindness” and CEO of 360 Connect Communication opined
that life is not a bed of roses. People must display their ability and value proposition,
to get what they want from other people. He said “people are more likely to
listen to you based on your demonstrated ability, over your professed ability”.
Another
panelist, Belema Ogbuige, Executive Director, Centre for Information and Development
added that “life is an exchange of value, whereby to receive, you have to be
ready to give”. Other members of the panel shared their thoughts and how they
have been using their skills and social enterprises to solve social problems in
Nigeria.
Amongst
the distinguished invited guests to the Future Forward initiative Ecosystem
Nigeria, was an Ashoka Fellow Mogaji aka African Farmer, CEO of X-ray Farms who
shared his good and bad experiences as a farmer and how he was able to weather
the storm to become a profitable and inspiring farmer. He seized the
opportunity to encourage Nigerian youth, to see a future in agriculture, as it
is one of the critical means of unlocking the economic potentials of Nigeria
and its ability to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth population. He
advised the youth, to see agriculture as a business and not a dirty profession.
Although,
many of the scholars had not met prior to the induction ceremony, except for
the virtual interactions and exchange of ideas on the possible solution to
youth “waithood” and unemployment in Africa, through the Ashoka Changemakers
course online platform, scholars bonded and interacted like they have known
each other for decades. This is how people of like-minds and passion can easily
work together, regardless of race, color or socioeconomic status, to solve
common problems.
Scholars who made it to the grand style ceremony includes the CEO of Yada Inc., Oludare Akinlaja; Director of Youth Arise Network Inc (YANI), Olanrewaju O Lewis; Team Lead of Euidem I.T Solutions, Temitayo Adegoke; CEO/Psychiatrist-in-Chief of Pinnacle Medical Services Limited, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri; Olaleru Ibikunle Funso of the National Roots Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State; CEO of Stell-Row Ventures, Stella Ozemoya; the Founder of Intuivar Limited/Africa, Henry Akwubu; National Coordinator of Youth As Gender Initiative (YAGI), Alabi Moses and a host of other spectacular social innovators. Also present at the Lagos event was Gabila Franklin Neba, an Ashoka Changemakers Scholar from Cameroon.
Other
highlights of the event include but not limited to networking, partnership
development, group photograph, red carpet shoot etc.
Written by Adeniyi Philip Ayoola, an Ashoka Changemakers Scholar.
Twitter @Ayo116
No comments:
Post a Comment