Q NLI appears to have made significant progress since it was established in 2006. Could you share some of your achievements in the last 2 years with us?
A First of all, I must thank you for the compliments. I think it is fair to say that we should all be proud of what we have achieved so far but I must stress that there is still a lot to be done. To date, 47 senior fellows and about 110 outstanding future leaders have attended our Associate program. Every year, about 55 Nigerian future leaders drawn from Nigeria, the rest of Africa, Europe and the US join this unique group of leaders who are committed and passionate about playing a major role in helping to transform their country. None of these would have been possible without the financial support of First Bank of Nigeria who have sponsored our future leaders’ seminar for the past 2 years. With the help of the Associates, we have now extended the leadership program to the Universities. This year, we had a seminar for University of Lagos students and Goldman Sachs hosted our first seminar for Nigerian university students in the UK. NLI also organised a two-day Government Minister seminar in June 2008 for the Minister and Members of the Federal Capital Territory Cabinet in Abuja, Nigeria.
Our contributions have not only been recognised in Nigeria but by international organisations. For example, the World Bank sponsored one of our initiatives to set up a similar leadership program in Rwanda. And in May this year, the World Bank co-sponsored our Future Leaders program. The UK All Political Parties Group identified NLI as one of the most credible and effective Nigerian organisations in its report on Nigeria. Overall, we have made very good progress but as I mentioned at the beginning there is still a lot to do to achieve our goals.
Q In the last NLI interview you gave about 2 years ago, you were very enthusiastic about the role of NLI and the future of Nigeria. Do you still feel the same way or have you changed your views?
A It is interesting you ask that question. There is no doubt that embarking on this path has many challenges but we knew that at the outset. Yes, there have been moments when, you wonder whether it is worth the time, effort and financial resources but I think this is where your motive and how you see the world becomes important. As they say, the pessimist says everything is messed up but the optimist says there is opportunity everywhere to make the change that could transform lives and our country. We have chosen to be one of those optimists and that is what drives us.
Personally, I must say that I also draw inspiration from most of the NLI Associates who attend our Future Leaders seminars which are co-moderated by Dele Olojede, Rueben Abati and myself. At the end of the last seminar in May, Dele and I compared notes and we concluded that we are particularly privileged to run these seminars attended by these highly talented, passionate, credible Nigerians who are determined to make a difference in our country. They give us hope that they are ready for the challenge and that whether we accept it or not, the transformation has started.
One of my favourite quotes from the May 2009 class was by Nanre Nafzinger-Mayegun. She said “The task of social change is uphill and often daunting but it is ours nonetheless. She also quoted one of her heroes (Frantz Fanon): “every generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil or betray it”. We choose to fulfil that mission.
Q What are the challenges you face and how do you overcome them?
A If I had to answer the question in one word, I would say Funding. First Bank of Nigeria (our main sponsors for the last 3 years), Zenith Bank, UBA, IBTC Stanbic, KLM, Chevron and the World Bank have all provided financial support but we need more. This is where our friends, Friends of NLI (our sister organization registered in the U.S) can assist us. There are obviously other challenges but working with such a committed and passionate group of Fellows and Associates has made it easier for us to cope with them. For a start, we have an incredible Patron in Dr Christopher Kolade, who we all look up to but who in every way is one of us. As I said in my last interview, he did not only attend the residential seminar with the first class (so he is a fellow himself) but he has also led from the front. He is such an inspiration to us all.
We also have a strong and committed Advisory Board. Our recipients of the Values Based Leadership Award, Mr Akintola Williams, Prof Bolanle Awe and Chief Emeka Anyaoku have also been very helpful. The Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Dalhatu Tafida is a great supporter of NLI and our partners, the Aspen Institute in Colorado have been very helpful.
Q What are your short and medium term goals?
A Our goals are simple: to continue to grow a network of accomplished senior and emerging Nigerian leaders whose leadership styles are based on core values and who are willing, capable and committed to playing an active role in helping to transform our country where ever they are – leaders who have a vision for their country. Apart from participating actively in class projects, we expect these leaders to live those values and be effective leaders wherever they are….at home, at work and also when they are on national/public service. They are role models and ambassadors for values-based leadership. You will read about some examples in the newsletter or our quarterly news updates. We also encourage our fellows and Associates to go into public service…..it should be regarded as national service and an opportunity to make a difference and contribute to the transformation and development of our country. It is always important that everyone has something to give/offer regardless of their age, size, financial means etc.
Q I know you are involved in a number of individual and class projects but which one of these is your flagship project?
A The National Re-Orientation Project is our flagship project because it is the foundation for everything we want to achieve. The aim is to help change the current orientation of the Nigerian society by promoting the core values identified by Nigerians as fundamental to the future development and success of our country. These values include: Integrity, Industry, Compassion, Justice and Equity, Tolerance, Discipline, Family Values, Contentment, Spirituality, and Patriotism.
In the last 3 months, we have been running a national radio campaign on each of these values. We are particularly grateful to Dr Kolade, Mr Akintola Williams, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Maryam Uwais for making the time to talk about these values. None of these would have been possible without the commitment, creativity and determination of the May 2009 Class who have driven this.
As part of the National Reorientation project, we are working with other organisations and the relevant authorities to promote the inclusion of the teaching of values, national history and civil education in school curriculum. In 2010, we plan to start a National Secondary debate on the importance of values in national development.
We will continue to work with other stakeholders and credible organizations to inculcate these values in our communities, schools and work places.
There is a lot to do but I am confident that with the Fellows and Associates we have, our generation will rise up to the challenge.
Q How can others get involved?
A There are a number of ways others can get involved: our projects tend to involve everyone regardless of whether or not they are NLI Fellows or Associates. For example the National Reorientation is about every Nigerian embracing, living those values and playing whatever role they can, where ever they are in promoting those values. We will all benefit from the sovereign goodwill it will generate.
We do not intend to reinvent the wheel so we always work with other organisations who share our values. Individuals can also volunteer to work with us on some of our projects. Recently we established a new entity in the US called Friends of NLI for non-NLI fellows and Associates who want to play a more active role in helping us to achieve our goals. So there are many opportunities for others to get involved.
