Some pictures from the 180 degrees seminar at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye South West Nigeria.

(Below) :Ibikunle(M),Tolu(L) and her
Friend,Bimbo.Two final year students
with a smart blue print of how they want
to be creators of jobs after school.
Above:A cross section of Paticipants at the seminar.
Below:Second from Left, Ambassador Sesan, Prof. Utomi and Mr. Akinyemi

Last Saturday 11^th November, 180 degrees (www.my180degrees.com), an organization created to help people achieve self development and empowerment had a seminar at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State South West Nigeria.

The seminar addressed a number of issues, Key among them was entrepreneurship.

Prof. Pat Utomi gave a lecture at the seminar. He restated an idea almost synonymous with the ‘brand’ Pat Utomi. His thinking is that only wealth creation, ofcause through the creation of new social and economic ventures could help developing countries like Nigeria out of poverty.

As you would expect, during the interactive session a student raised a ‘point ‘about having enterprising ideas but not been able to actualize it because of funds constrains.

The professor advised a proper feasibility study to be made in order to be sure such ventures are truly enterprising. He said a lot of individuals and organizations are readily available to fund profitable ventures, if only a ‘strong’ feasibility study would suggest that such ventures are truly profitable.

If this thinking is a way forward, to fund profitable ventures, then it will be a smart idea for southern –developing –nations to invest in institutions and ideas that will enhance credible feasibility reports. Just like the American style.

In the United States College students in final year usually enjoy supports from a number of organizations in writing their business plans and reports.

It is unfortunate that what most students in Nigeria-the smartest ones in most cases- do is to preoccupy themselves with learning how to write good CVs for jobs that do not exist.

The students who attended the seminar, I believe would have benefited from the sessions facilitated by the other facilitators – Award wining Talent and Business Development guru, Adeolu Akinyemi and Ambassador Gbenga Sesan.

Thank God its Friday Quotes

Think and make a reflection!


“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela - Inauguration Speech May 10, 1994
Former president Rep. of South Africa



"We will have time to reach the Millennium Development Goals – worldwide and in most, or even all, individual countries – but only if we break with business as usual.
We cannot win overnight. Success will require sustained action across the entire decade between now and the deadline. It takes time to train the teachers, nurses and engineers; to build the roads, schools and hospitals; to grow the small and large businesses able to create the jobs and income needed. So we must start now. And we must more than double global development assistance over the next few years. Nothing less will help to achieve
the Goals."

United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi A. Annan

PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Private Sector Development (PSD) is a strategy for promoting economic growth and reducing poverty in developing countries by incorporating private industry and competitive markets into a country's overall development framework.
Supporters argue that PSD is an important part of poverty reduction. It is said that the private sector can go along way in developing countries toward the provision of basic services, empowering the poor by improving quality and access to health services, education and infrastructure. Strategies and best practices for ensuring that private sector development is pro-poor is a popular topic for policy makers.

However,this school of thought rightly holds that we should concern ourselves with issues of wealth creation rather than send our time to discuss poverty and it root causes.

The justification for this thinking is that for too long scholarly efforts and thinking have been directed to studying poverty without any meaningful results. Hence, there has dot to be a rethink.