Creatives and entrepreneurs have charged students of the Ajayi Crowther University to explore the power of personal branding, storytelling, writing, and media literacy to distinguish themselves in life and in their careers.
The speakers made this charge on Saturday during the second edition of the TEDx AjayiCrowtherU event which held in Oyo town, Oyo State, on the university’s campus with the theme: ‘Forward: Innovative push towards the future’.
The founder of the TEDx AjayiCrowtherU, John Olonade, represented by Funso Alao-Babajide, told the students that the university environment is not the same with that of the labour space. He advised them to learn how to adjust and to look the path anywhere they find themselves
The curator of the event, John Ogunjide, in his remarks, stated that the essence of the event was to inspire and motivate the audience, and to share the things that would activate greatness and problem solving skills among youths.
The convener of the event, Enis Fiyinfoluwa, told the audience that “In life, we only go forward, not backward.” On that note, he enjoined the audience to maximise the tips and nuggets from the speakers to be a better version of themselves.
The first speaker, Tomiwa Owodunni, is the Group Head, Corporate Communications and Special Projects at Investment One Financial Services Limited, and a believer in the potential of African youth.
In his talk titled ‘Personal branding’, Owodunni stressed that no matter who a person is, they are their own CEO. He added that personal branding entails differentiating themselves from the crowd, and that failure to brand oneself could lead one to miss opportunities.
He stated that to build a personal brand is simple, but requires dedication, credibility, good reputation, competence, and mentorship.
He elaborated on the four ways one can build a personal brand: discovering the brand, developing the brand, communicating the brand, and maintaining the brand.
The second speaker, Timothy Ayodele, is the founder of FireSwitch Technologies Limited and the co-founder of Sheda House Limited, who have trained and mentored hundreds of youths to become software developers, photographers and managers.
In his talk titled ‘Education today and the needs of tomorrow’, Ayodele stated that the measure of success/value in an informal education setting is experimenting, and that most of the skills he uses today − such as coding, management, business, and leadership skills − were acquired outside the academic system or classroom.
He further stated that 90 per cent of the jobs in the future will require digital skills, although about 50 per cent of the Nigerian population do not have the basic digital skills, and that for every job lost by non- tech savvy persons, three more jobs are created by technology.
Consequently, Ayodele suggested the need to bridge the gap between industry and education, foster mentorship, and encourage experiments, all of which can be achieved through collaborations with alternative institutions.
The third speaker, Adebola Zoe Williams, is a brand storyteller at Moni, who helps creatives transition to working in the tech sector and building a community of storytellers.
In her talk titled ‘Everyday stories for growth’, Williams said that people love great stories and always wait for great things to happen. She further said that people focus more on the big picture, the quantum leap, but that they should also be mindful of the small things that matter.
Williams explained that experience, exposure, and expectations add to their growth, and it should not be something they should neglect.
The fourth and final speaker, Inemesit Hanson, is a publisher and an author of seven books. She is also the founder of Writing Camp and the convener of the Profitable Writers Conference.
In her talk titled ‘Becoming a money writer’, Hanson noted that it is other people’s money that makes one a money writer, and that a money writer profits from their work through fame and goodwill.
She elaborated on the five roles of becoming a money writer: treating writing like a business, not underestimating the power of a book, creating room for more, looking the path, and adding value.
As part of the event, the Centre for Applied Ethics and Political Communication in Africa (CAEPOCOM Africa) made a presentation on ‘Before you click’, which is part of their media literacy focus.
The presentation raised issues surrounding internet and social media usage and the dangers of not critically thinking before posting or engaging in online activities.
Dignitaries at the event included: Dr Sharon Omotoso, from the University of Ibadan; the Dean of Students Affairs, Ajayi Crowther University, Dr Roland Isibor; the university’s entrepreneurship development officer, Peter Oiku; the university’s students’ assembly president, Chidiebere Udumukwu, among others.
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