Africa speaks
Mentoring Is The New Goldmine Towards Youth Empowerment | Gbenga Adebambo
Image: Chick-fil-A Foundation
‘’We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.’’ –Franklin D. Roosevelt
Benjamin Disraeli, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” The greatest problem of youths is not money but mentoring. Mentoring is the new goldmine for youths. Youths should stop looking for money and look for mentorship. You will need people that believe in you; people that invest in your dreams and goals. People that will bring the best and not the stress out of you in life. People that will help you make informed decisions and choices towards your destination in life. Mark Twain once said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate.”
Any concrete talk on youth empowerment is not complete until mentoring is fully integrated. That is why any youth empowerment programme that do not design mentoring into its process has already failed before take off! When youths don’t have models and mentors to look up to, they tend to go in different destructive directions. Mentoring is the most monitored, measurable and sustainable way of ensuring youth empowerment. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary defined a mentor as “an experienced person who advises and helps somebody with less experience over a period of time.” The pertinent question to ask is this: What is the older generation doing to model the youth?
Zig Ziglar said, “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” The youths of a nation are a deep reflection of the values passed down from the older generation. The mistake of the youth is actually a result of the failure of the older generation.
Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.” Behind every successful person, there’s a mentor who helped them along the way. Some of the most influential people in history were encouraged to succeed by some of the most well-known people of their time. Socrates mentored Plato; Plato mentored Aristotle, and Aristotle mentored Alexander the great. Alexander the great actually broke the loop because when he was supposed to be mentoring youths and building people, he was busy building empires! He died without investing into others, and his legacies also died with him.
A mentor is an embodiment of six notable qualities derived from the word “MENTOR”. He or she Motivates, Encourages, Nurtures, Trains, Organizes, and help youths Reach their potentials.
1. Motivates: Norman Ralph Augustine said, “Motivation will almost always beat mere talent”. You can be motivated and have no talent and get far, but without motivation, the talented won’t get off their couch to show the world what they’ve got. There are many youths out there that are talented but lack motivation.
2. Encourages: Plato once said, “Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow”. Your words of encouragement could be the spark that pushes a person forward. Encouragement energizes and empowers. Shawn Hitchcock said, “A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future, and believe it can be obtained”.
3. Nurtures: A real mentor helps in discovering and nurturing the gift and potentials in others. Choosing a mentor is the most critical step to success in life, be it in business, career, relationship and politics. A mentor challenges and stimulates you to be the best at all times.
4. Trains: A mentor will train you and not drain you. The people around you will either fuel you or drain you. So choose them wisely. I repeat, choose them wisely! When people have encounters with you, do you leave them drained or blessed, exhausted or fuelled? I made up my mind long time ago to always leave people more inspired than I met them.
5. Organises: A mentor reduces the degree of disorderliness in the mentee. Youths that refuse to get organized will eventually agonize! The first step to getting organized is to get your priorities right. A mentor will help you prioritize your priorities.
6. Reach your potentials: Mentors stretch their mentees beyond their comfort zone to reach their potentials and achieve great things. A mentor helps you look within yourself to fire up your hidden potentials.
Mentoring is not about making everybody else the same as you. Any man that encourages you to be someone else has already despised your purpose of existence. A real mentor understands the fact that you can never be at your best when you try to be someone else. The greatest platform that a mentor can ever give to you is to help you be yourself and express yourself. Don’t make people the best version of yourself, make them the best version of themselves. If you are not inspiring youths, then you are helping them to expire! Mentor someone, instead of casting people down and finding faults in others. Kenneth H. Blanchard in his best-selling book, ‘The one Minute Manager’ said, “People who feel good about themselves produce good results.” How you make others feel about themselves is very important. Do you make people feel better or bitter? Mentees actually need models and not critics! Mentees most times need their efforts to be acknowledged.
If all the entrepreneurs, business moguls, celebrities, politicians, artistes, philanthropists, technocrats, and professionals can reach out to mentor the youths in their circle of influence, then the world will change for the better. Successful people should go back to their communities to mentor youths. I have often said it over times that if you are not a mentor, then you are a tormentor!
A mentor is someone who builds you up, has your best interest at heart. Even in the midst of your own personal doubt, they will never give-up on you. They inspire you through their deep and tenacious belief in you. Positivity fuels productivity. Don’t expect to see positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people. Try spending more time around people that infuse positivity into you and affirm your worth. As a youth, reach out to someone that is already where you want to get to in life. Book an appointment with them; buy their books and listen to their messages. Someone already has the experience you desire, locate them and glean from their wealth of experience. Mike Murdock once said, “Pay any price to stay in the presence of extraordinary people.”
Quote Of The Week From The Author: ‘’If you want to go further, get a father’’- Gbenga Adebambo
Unstoppable Africa 2023 has concluded, leaving a profound mark on the African continent. The two-day Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) event aims to boost Africa’s standing in the global economy and establish the continent as the foremost destination for business, trade, and investment. This transformative gathering on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly has not only chartered the course for economic growth but has also solidified GABI’s pivotal role as a catalyst for change and progress.
On the second day of the event, Caroline Wanga, CEO of Essence Ventures, emphasized the importance of authentically portraying African narratives. She highlighted that the continent’s rich heritage has traditionally been expressed through its unique storytelling methods. Wanga stated, “In discussing Africa, it’s vital to engage in genuine dialogue. We’ve celebrated our heritage through our distinct method of storytelling, which the world is longing for now more than ever. As the overseer of Essence Ventures and other platforms, I am committed to ensuring our tales are told from a position of strength and authenticity.”
The final day of the Unstoppable Africa 2023 featured a chorus of leading private sector voices. Notably, leaders from the business and media world such as Jeff Wong, EY Global Chief Innovation Officer; Niraj Varia, CEO of iProcure Ventures; Lakeshia Ford, Founder of Ford Communications; Claudia Kwarteng–Lumor, Founder of Kollage Media, producers of GLITZ AFRICA Magazine and Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF).
Complementing these luminaries were esteemed figures from government and international organizations, including President Masisi, H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Adebayo Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy for Nigeria, Joy Basu, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs at the US Department of State.
Unstoppable Africa Conference: Dr. Akinwuni Adesina and H.E. William Ruto (Image: Supplied)
Leaders from global business, investment, government, sports, and the arts gathered in New York on Thursday, 21st September to mark the commencement of “Unstoppable Africa”. The event by the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) seeks to elevate Africa’s prominence in the global economy and position the continent as the premier destination for business, trade, and investment.
The two-day event is co-convened by the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohamed and the Chairperson of the African Union H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. GABI, coordinated by the UN Global Compact, serves as a pivotal forum for Heads of State and Government, CEOs, investors, policymakers, industry experts, and U.N. leaders to discuss and strategize the way forward for Africa’s dynamic business landscape. “Unstoppable Africa” is a powerful affirmation of GABI’s unwavering commitment to redefining Africa’s economic narrative.
On day one, the flagship event attracted an impressive array of speakers and participants, including the Presidents of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kenya, H.E. William Samoe Ruto, Senegal, H.E Macky Sall Poland H.E Andrzej Duda and H.E Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. In addition to government ministers, “Unstoppable Africa” welcomed a who’s who of renowned business titans such as Mo Ibrahim, the Sudanese-British businessman and philanthropist, Phumzile Langeni, Deputy Chairman of Imperial Logistics; Non-Executive Director of DP World Group, James Manyika, Senior Vice-President of Research, Technology and Society at Google-Alphabet, and Brad Smith, President of Microsoft among others. Senegalese artist Baaba Maal set the tone for the event with a captivating performance calling for peace and prosperity in Africa while actor Arsema Thomas engaged in an insightful interview conducted by the event’s host Folly Bah Thibault from Al Jazeera English.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the two-day forum making a compelling call for the “delivery of justice” – a theme central to the continent’s sustainable development. The UN Secretary-General stated that “justice means reforming outdated, unfair and dysfunctional global financial systems and ensuring African representation at every multilateral table”.
H.E. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados emphasized the difference between ambition and meaningful action, in the context of Africa. Recognizing the emerging unity and collaborative efforts across the continent, she highlighted the imperative for accelerated progress in Africa. Her message underscored the urgency for nations to move from plans to concrete actions that catalyze transformative change on the continent.
During a major event announcement, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), announced a transformative partnership with Google, creating a Centre of Excellence for coding in Africa.
Other announcements on the day included The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) commitment to positioning the country high-up in the batteries and electric vehicles value chains, unveiling a new 1,000-hectare space in Kolwezi, with special economic zone status. DRC’s Minister of Industry, H.E. Julien Paluku, appealed to global investors to join these initiatives in addressing climate change while advancing economic growth. the launch of Ghana’s Energy Blue Zone Initiative, heralding a major stride in the country’s energy transition and investment plans.
The “Unstoppable Africa” event promises to continue its momentum into the second day, where further thought-provoking discussions, innovative solutions, and collaborative endeavors are set to shape Africa’s role in the global economy. Leaders from various sectors, including business, government, and civil society, will come together to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and chart a course toward a more prosperous and sustainable future for Africa and the world.
Ayomide Idogun is the co-founder at the New African Movement, an initiative aimed at ensuring Africa is conducive for Africans. Ayomide is a development strategist, policy analyst, and military historian with a major flair for transformative change through strategic thought, leadership, and empowerment.
Recently, he had the opportunity to be a delegate at the Arab Youth International Model United Nations Conference, now known as the Best Diplomats Conference, held in Dubai. Beyond the piquancy that came with meeting over 150 people from about 80 countries, and the experience of learning different cultures, the delegates were largely charged with proffering solutions to solving the global food crisis. Ayomide represented the great people of Guatemala, who sadly are no strangers to this phenomenon, with 4.6 million people at the least, facing the hunger crisis, and suffering hugely from food insecurity.
This led him to come up with prospective solutions, to ensure farmer empowerment, and the mitigation of factors hindering food supply minimized to the barest minimum, so as to ensure Guatemala does not just become self-sustaining, but grows to the point of exporting food produce to other Nations. His efforts did not go unrewarded as he bagged the Outstanding Diplomat Award, in recognition of his outstanding negotiation, leadership, and overall performance during the course of the conference.
He is a trainer and speaker with core area in leadership, capacity building and development. Some of his engagements amongst others, includes, training members of the African community in the United Arab Emirates, on capacity building and maximizing potentials, to ensure their time and resources are utilized to maximal effect. And at the maiden edition of DisruptHR Lagos, organized by OutsideinHR, where he spoke on the role COVID-19 played on priorities for humanity, and the ever-changing landscape of work.
Ayomide Idogun holds a degree in Policy and Strategic Studies from Covenant University, a second degree in History and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos, and he is currently enrolled in the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, where he is undergoing the Public Leadership and Policy Programme.
