This revolution will produce winners and losers. Our job is to reduce the number of losers”
– Paul Kagame (President ofRwanda) speaking on the issue of digital revolution.
This is especially true today, knowing that every job or business has
an active digital component. Fresh out of school and during my National Youth Service Year, a deep reflection on how my cousin only got a job nine
years after graduation got me thinking deeply about my chances too. My response to this frightening reality was to learn new soft skills to better my chances; then it hit me – this situation isn’t peculiar with just me! (many just like me from the traditional educational institutions are not adequately prepared with the skills for today’s job or business). So, I negotiated with an expert at one of the trainings I had previously attended and organized an employability skills training for my fellow corps members, at a very subsidize price; the feedback was amazing.
At this point, I realize that I could join Paul Kagame, in doing my little bit, to reduce the number of losers by learning more and sharing my knowledge with others. This realization subtly forged my path as a trainer when I joined MindTheGap (a social enterprise) on the Google Digital Skills for Africa Project in 2017. Leveraging the platform, I have trained 5,374+ Corps members in the over 6 National Youth Service Corps orientation camp sessions in River State; 536 students of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education; 76 students of Delta State Polytechnic; 274 women in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Asaba and Benin on the #SheMeansBusiness (She Leads Africa x Facebook) project; 15 business owners in Thamesmead (SE2), London; and over 150 SMEs in Digital Skills, Social Media Strategy, Online Safety, Employability Skill, entrepreneurship and Online marketing. Beyond the numbers, my desire to achieve tangible results with my new found path, saw me taking up the Managing Partner position with Hitestroes Technologies Africa and co-founding Converge.hta to consolidate our current efforts and scale our reach for more impact through technology-based solutions and future relevant skills.
My current community work spans hosting monthly #YouthCan and #YALILearn Events; training and supporting local businesses and SMEs to create socioeconomic impact and decent jobs in their immediate community through Converge.hta; training job seekers on the future of work and employability skills through SPEED Project; and training women on Digital Skills and Entrepreneurship on the SheLeadsAfrica platform.
These has earned me a few commendations, chief among them is my promotion to the highest tier (Grow with Google Champion) on the Google Trainers Program (first time ever in Africa) and subsequent Google sponsored trainers exchange program in London, Thamesmead and Portsmouth where I had the opportunity to train business owners in the United Kingdom, visit Google headquarters in London, attend industry specific conferences and visit/participate in some futuristic projects while in the UK.
Away from teaching and all the ‘digital seriousness’, you will find me conspicuously behind the microphone effortlessly managing the thin line between my Public Speaking and Corporate MC/Comedian career (no retirement plans on this one, lol). With a 16-year on-the-job experience as an MC, I’d like to consider myself highly privileged to have anchored events through the ranks and files, both within and outside Nigeria.
My five years target (starting 2019) is to mobilize, train, motivate and coach 10,000 young people/business owners in entrepreneurial, digital and employability skills with hope of at least 10% becoming viable businesses and creating opportunities for decent work and socioeconomic growth.