A non-governmental organization (NGO), TEA-PRIME Leadership Academy, recently engaged approximately 2000 undergraduate students from four Nigerian universities in leadership and entrepreneurial training.
Seizing the opportunity, the organization urged the federal government to invest in youth for national development.
The four universities that benefited from the organization’s annual leadership summit, facilitated by industry experts, were Ambrose Ali University, Nasarawa State University, the University of Abuja, and the University of Port Harcourt.
According to the organizers, the theme of the 2023 leadership summit was ‘Purpose, Profit, and Power Leadership Summit.’
Esther Adelana, the founder of the NGO, stated that TEA-PRIME Leadership Academy promotes leadership development in all sectors through human capacity building. She added that she started hosting the summit in 2017 when she was in 200 level at Ambrose Ali University because she saw the need to develop the capacity of youths in terms of self-leadership.
“The leadership summit aims at helping youths discover, harness, and maximize their capacity and leverage it for profit and influence, and for becoming transformational leaders, responsible entrepreneurs, and social innovators,” she said.
During the summit, the NGO offered opportunities to students to gain leadership skills and knowledge, learn from experienced professionals, build networks, and explore opportunities with agencies, associations, and influential individuals.
The keynote speeches, fireside chats, and panel sessions covered topics like emotional intelligence, self-leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. Facilitators included veteran broadcaster Eugene Abu, Dr. Chiemela Onyekwere, leadership coach based in Atlanta, USA, Victoria Burse, Reigner Davies of Mouldbreak Institute of Change, winner of the NLNG Prize for Literature Dr. Obari Gomba, Sunday Chibuzo, Uche Juan Augustine, among others.
Adelana mentioned that although the summit was self-sponsored, they received some material support − in terms of souvenirs and books − from the government, especially from the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development. She urged the government to invest in youth empowerment and promote entrepreneurship for social and economic development in the country.
Some of the students who participated in the program said it was an eye-opener to many things they did not know about leadership and entrepreneurship.
Evidence Umoru, one of the participants, stated that being part of the summit was the best decision she made this year. “It was a period of learning, unlearning, and relearning things that have shaped me on the path to becoming a better leader,” Umoru said.
Favour Amarachi Nwachukwu from the University of Port Harcourt admitted that the program made her realize the importance of quality relationships, marketing, and sales. “I will act and practice what I have learned from the program. I have been able to unlock and discover my potential,” she said.
Anakan Marvellous from the University of Port Harcourt said the program was educative, that he learned to take charge of his life and make a change in his environment. “My mind should be transformed first. And I have begun. I am a writer, and I am intentional about monetizing my content. I am happy that I attended this conference,” he said.
Emmanuella Joseph Diri from the University of Port Harcourt said every session was amazing, with the speakers expressing their different ideologies and experiences. “The conference was an opportunity to learn, connect, and network with great leaders and like minds,” she said.
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