Getting the best from Reading and Leading

April 23rd yearly is a date set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to mark the world book and copy right day.

I marked this year’s edition at the event organized by Development and Transformation Project (Devatop) which held at The Training Centre (TTC) Abuja. I learnt a lot from this event so i feel it will be only fair for me to share.

Participants of the 2015 World Book Day Abuja.

Theme for this year’s world book day: Reading and Leading

The Facilitators

First let me introduce you to those who gave these lessons.

We have:

• Adeshola Komolafe: CEO Media Insight, author and founder Save the Future book and NGO respectively, 2012 Future Awards Nominee and International Youth Ambassador for Peace awarded by UPF/YFWP.

• Kimberly Blessing Nwachukwu: Radio Peace Ambassador for Nigeria 2015 Elections and communications manager Nigeria info Abuja.

• Kingsley Bangwell: Represented by Toby Olaitan Director of enterprise and business development at Youngstars Foundation.

• David Martins: Senior consultant The Training Centre [TTC] Abuja.

• Linus Okorie: Founder Guardians of the Nation International [GOTNI]

The Moderators:

• Emmanuel Otori: Senior Partner Business on webs, Digital marketing consultant.

• Runcie Chidebe: Executive Director Project Pink Blue [Young people against cancer]

Highlights of the Event

• Reading contest

• Recognition /speech by Joseph Osuigwe author maximizing your brain power.

• Plenary session with facilitators

• Presentation of award to the first three winners of the reading contest.

• And of course, the paparazzi time.

Nina and Joseph Chidiebere Founder Devatop

Lessons Learnt

• You cannot be a leader in a field if you don’t understand the issues in that field. And how do you understand, first start by reading a lot about it. 
• Information is power. In every sector of the economy, there is a role model, discover that person, research about that person and learn through reading the person’s experiences.
• Read with value by practicing the 3 thinking C’s:  Critical thinking, Conceptual thinking, Creative thinking.
• Wherever big people, companies or organizations have been, you too can get there if you take your time to read about their experiences/biographies in other to acquire all their years of experience and learn from their mistakes and successes as well.
• For young people who want to have a shift/ change in career; reading and training yourself on the field you are interested in will help you become successful.

• Leaders make things happen. They get into an environment and make things happen.

• The ear of the leader must always be open to taste words as mouth tastes meat.

• Without self discovery you cannot talk about reading. Discover yourself first, it will help in aligning what you read.  

Lessons to put into practice:

• Begin with self discovery
• Spend quality time on self development
• Then proceed to self mastery [this is the stage when your name becomes synonymous with something significant].
• Practice the law of KASH                K – Knowledge 
                  A – Attitude 
                  S – Skill [an unsharpened skill cannot go far] 
                  H – Habit [let learning become a habit]

 And you want to know the results of the reading contest?

Here it is:

1^st position - Maryjane Onyenweli

2^nd position – Nina Mbah [ hahaha!, well done to me, and better luck next time!]

3^rd positon –Nelly Ossai Amaka

From left: MaryJane, Nina, Nelly & Prize Presenter Onyekabe Chioma Rosemary [Face of Democracy advocate 2013/2014]

Round up

All appreciation to the organizers, partners and supporters for putting this awesome event together, And to my dear friend Emmanuel Otori for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this.

Reminder

But do not forget, 10 million children in Nigeria will not gain the joy and opportunities associated with reading either because of poor quality education or because they are out of school. Help them gain these opportunities you have by supporting a global petition to get every child into school with just your signature (email address). Kindly sign the #UpForSchool petition by clicking here.

Your signature counts.    

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