Below are some success stories from the Youth Leadership Capacity Building Project organised by PIND in collaboration with The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Center LSD). This project addressed major challenges facing youth and employability both in the Niger Delta and in the country at large. Read more about this project here
“I have learnt many practical lessons during the course of my internship experience. For practical skills, I learned best practices in documentation and book-keeping. Most notably, my computer skills, writing skills have improved.
My mentor is a uniquely gifted entrepreneur and leader. He has encouraged me to be business oriented, and this has encouraged me to start a small book-selling business. I plan to use this to gain experience in running a business, as I intend to expand into other ventures. My mentor has also taught me to be goal-oriented in my work. To this end, he sat down with me to help me outline my short, medium, and long-term goals. I thought the exercise was simple, but it really made me think and even do research. I now know that one must always align dreams and aspirations to realities for the future. I now know that hard work, good character, honesty and creativity are universal attributes that engender anyone with these traits to fortune and wealth. Finally, I have learnt that there is always something to learn even from the most unlikely source or person”.
Okputu Joseph
“Prior to the training, I wasn’t too sure of what to expect from my mentor or from the entire mentorship program. Due to the dearth of good leaders in the country, leadership has been a very abstract concept for me. But with this program, I have now seen the possibility of purposeful leadership in the Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general.
Going forward, I want to perfect my ability to listen. I have learnt that a leader should listen and should respect the idiosyncrasies of those who follow him. I also learnt that a leader should be able to engage in intelligent conversations on a wide variety of subjects. Watching my mentor listen to me attentively inspired me greatly, and seeing him effortlessly churn out information on a wide range of subjects was amazing.
Lastly, I learned that a leader should develop the art of speaking clearly and well, with good enunciation. Watching my mentor eloquently argue his case in court was a joy to behold. These lessons will help develop my ability to lead, not just in the Niger Delta, but in Nigeria as a whole.”
Ehizogie Omoijuanfo
I learned from my mentor how to be successful in life. My mentor is a result oriented person who meets any task assigned to him without any delay or excuse. He made me realise that I can be a successful person if I am dedicated and hardworking.
Thanks to my mentor, I have improved on my writing skills and note-taking. I now know that I can work independently. From attending workshops and roundtables on issues concerning national development with my mentor, I have an appreciation of the importance of consensus-making processes. My mentor also taught me the importance of keeping records of financial transactions and documentation. I have learned that a leader must be willing to listen and learn from others and that a creative mindset and self-belief are key. With my entrepreneurship training, I now know that I don’t need to depend on government for work because I have the ability to be creative and meet my communities’ needs by providing services.
I am still learning and believe that by the end of the program, I would be a change agent in the Niger Delta and that I can transform my community which the program intends to promote. Thank you for this great opportunity for us to discover ourselves!”
Ime Pius
