3,000 young minds to converge on Abuja for Emerging Leaders Conference
…Utomi, Omotola, Momoh, others to lead discussions
Credit: GOTNI
The Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI) is set to host 3,000 young leaders in its two-day Emerging Leaders Conference in Abuja, the country’s seat of power, to rethink the current state of the country.
GOTNI said the conference would boost the capacities of Nigeria’s emerging youth influencers to enhance the country’s economic fortunes.
It said 3, 000 celebrated young minds under 40 would be part of the conversation on Nigeria’s future in a new administration.
It noted that Nigeria is one nation whose strength is in her youth, adding that “all over the world, the impact of the Nigerian youth is felt and being harnessed for development of nations.
“It is with this awareness that the Emerging Leaders Conference was designed, especially to provide more capacity for Nigeria’s emerging youth influencers and help them multiply their influence in other youths for a more empowered economy. Over 5,000 youths has been part of this grooming and network of change makers,” GOTNI said in a statement.
According to it, the ELC 2015, which is slated to hold on November 6 and 7 in Abuja, is an expanded brand as 3000 young people would be hosted, coming from all sectors of the economy with the aim to improve their economic output afterwards.
With the theme ‘Rethinking Nigeria: Leadership for Possibilities’, the conference will spotlight discourse on enterprise and business leadership, intrapreneurship, social enterprise as well as government and political leadership.
GOTNI said, “This conference also keenly puts mentors and mentees together for a robust interaction that infuses the sectors with energy from collaboration, so that other young people can follow.
It said the conference would have headline speakers such as Tim Howard, President, Cambridge Graduate University; Prof. Pat Utomi; Eugenia Abu of NTA; Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, Nollywood actress and Human rights activist; Sam Ikoku, Chief Executive Officer, Nakachi Consulting; John Momoh, Chairman, Channels TV; Mary Akpobome of Heritage Bank Ltd; Mr. Linus Okorie, President of GOTNI.
Others include Innocent Chukwuma of Ford Foundation; Moh’d Buhari of Briclinks Africa; Tonye Cole, Chairman, Sahara Energy; Dayo Benjamins Laniyi of Doxa; Doyin Adewola of Box Office; Chichi Aniagolu of Nike Foundation; Muyiwa Afolabi, Sonye Allanah and politicians such as Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Femi Adesina, Uche Nwosu, Hon. Chike Okafor, among others.
GOTNI said it had launched a website for the conference
atwww.emergingleadersconference.com, which is open for registration to the public.
1,000 ‘champions’ poised for Emerging Leaders Conference in Nigeria
‘Femi ASU
The Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI), the organiser of the Emerging Leaders Conference, is bringing together 1,000 young people from all over the country and in the Diaspora for the two-day gathering of champions, where Andrew Pocock, British High Commissioner to Nigeria; Chinedu Nebo, minister of power; Akinwumi Adesina, minister of agriculture and Olajumoke Akinjide, minister for state for the Federal Capital Territory, others are billed to speak.
Linus Okorie
The Conference, which will hold in Abuja on August 29 and 30, is aimed at addressing the challenges of leadership and governance as it will bring together experts, business leaders, captains of industries, entertainment icons and distinguished Nigerians who will teach on the realities of today’s leadership crisis in view of a desired future.
“Young people from all over the country and in the Diaspora will gather to discuss the future of our country in ways unimaginable. It is a leadership development system that inspires young people to develop their leadership skills and not just that, to build a huge network of young people from all over the country who are doing great things,” said Linus Okorie, founder of GOTNI.
“We will adopt a peer review mechanism, where a young person from Ekiti who is doing something great, but at the conference discovers that there is someone that is doing four times better and it will inspire them to be able to think Nigeria and act Nigeria.”
He said GOTNI had been asking Nigeria, for the past 18 years, to give young people an opportunity to grow in leadership content which will enable them define and redefine the future of the country.
Leadership competence is key for national development and so I am asking young leaders in each institution, company to come together so that we can redefine this country and set this country on a path of gold, said Okorie.
“It is good for government to create policy that will can empower young people to get involved, but however if young people do not grow and stretch, learn, build, do, become and begin to make a difference like never before, what is going to happen is that when you give them leadership tomorrow, they will mess it up,” he said.
We have not really addressed the need to build leadership capital in our nation and that is why for the past 18 years, my heart’s beat has been to build leadership capital for this country, said Okorie. “I am expecting socio-change makers, those entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, who are willing to do something. Young people who are already making waves across the country. In fact corporate organisations, banks should send young people who are outstanding in their companies. I am expecting farmers, young people in the villages who are outstanding as well,” he added.
Stand.Out.And.Reign! 