Bloom Initiative, Access Bank partner to drive leadership values in students
Bloom Initiative for Empowering Youth, an NGO as part of its drive to address the need for leadership development as a means of increasing the global competitiveness of youths has partnered Access bank to train 30 students from 14 participating schools in Nigeria at a one week Bloom week training.
Bloom Week targeted at talented youth, some of who may already exhibit leadership potential featured interplay use of case studies, texts and group exercises to provide participants with knowledge and wisdom at the end expose young minds to the science, challenges and context for effective leadership for the aspiring Nigerian in the 21st century.
Owa Osa- Oboh, co-ordinator of the initiative speaking to BusinessDay at the graduation ceremony in Lagos said one of the challenges face in going through a programme is in starting a concept that you know is rich and impactful but people don’t know about it.
“Getting school to partner on something that really has not got history is also a challenge”. She said Osa- Oboh however observe that as parents and schools begin to understand what Bloom leadership week is all about and the impact it has on their children, they will be keen to send the very best of their students to the programme.
She commended the effort of Access Bank towards making the programme a success.
Femi Edun, managing director Frontier Limited observed that with the level of training the students were exposed in the course of the week, they are ready to take on the world.
According to him, “They have had an excellent preparation. The bloom initiative is great, listening to the children speak and the presentation made, it is clear to me that there is something transformational that have happened to them in one week”.
On her part, Folasade Adefisayo, principal consultant, Leading Learning Limited said the initiative is transformational and from the testimonies of the children it has had a great impact on them.
She called for more organisations in Nigeria to embrace initiative like this in order to give more youths a new set of orientation about life so they can contribute to national and economic development.
Adefisayo urged the participating students to understand that they are leaders, stressing that they should not wait to get a position, “Leadership is not about position, it is about an attitude, they should accept that they are leaders today and start to be leaders now” she said.
She further encouraged them to give back to their community and be ready to accept challenges.
Bolaji Agbede, head group Human resources Access bank who was represented by Toyin Ajayi, team Lead Digital Communication of the bank observed that the partnership is an exciting experience because it align with the company’s drive to develop leadership among young people.
Highlight of the program me was the presentation of certificate of participation to students from Atlantic Hall, BridgeHouse College, Ikoyi; Corona Secondary School, Agbara; Dowen College, Lekki; Queen’s College
Others are: King’s College; Supreme Education Foundation; Global International College; Federal Government College Ijanikin; Federal Government College Sagamu; Greensprings Secondary School, Lekki; Day Waterman College, Ogun State; Oxbridge Tutorial College and Lifeforte International High School, Ibadan.
Kelechi Ewuzie