The odds surely were not in my favor on Friday the 19th
July, 2013. I was already running close to the 5pm submission deadline for an
NIPP bid when the internet decided to stop working, then power would follow and
like cherry atop the cake, the generator would not start. This all would leave
me in thought, if we succeeded in acquiring the desired power plant, would
Nigeria’s power situation be any better? Would we do a better job than the
government has done at managing the generating plants? Just when I thought it
could not get better, it did.
I very lazily flung my drawer open and I saw it, a printed
out invitation for the 20th to an event that would compensate for
what had now become a hard-work-filled-week with no results to show. Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, Aisha Babangida, Simeon Ononubi and Okechukwu
Ofilli all people who I considered role models were going to speak.
Dressed in smart brown pants and a slightly off-white
corporate shirt complete with cufflinks, I left at least 15 minutes early to
the Sheraton Ladi Kwali hall venue of the event- as this event would be a
gathering of people who lead twitter protests demanding change in Nigeria, I
had expected it would start on time.
My excitement quickly paled; I registered, a really nice name
tag was printed and pasted on my left breast pocket- this is how organized
events should work I thought. I took my seat and after what must have been a
good 45 minutes behind schedule the MC- very young in his demeanor, would come
with apologies, he would assure that the event would start soon.
The lights would go off and in a matter of seconds focus on a
projector from which the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 2009 Oxford TED talk ‘Danger
of a single story’ would play. Not minding that this talk is about 5 years old
and probably is the most watched Nigerian talk by Nigerians, everyone in the
hall sat watching: knowing what would happen next, but watching nonetheless.
Bringing with it relief, the very refreshing Sir Ken Robinson
talk on Education stifling Creativity would start. Just then, the MC would
rudely interrupt again; tell a tale of how time was a scarce resource and go on
to explain the video like we were not capable of watching and understanding it
for ourselves.
Aisha Babangida would give the first talk. I was amazed at
her simplicity, there was humility, kindness in her voice, qualities that I
previously did not think would be present in someone who was born to a military
ruler who is said to have single handedly destroyed Nigeria’s future and
squandered all the fortune that would come with it.
She went on to give a talk on values, respect and mentorship.
She would speak of her mother’s NGO Better Life program which she now runs and
is still focused on empowering women and youth. She would end her 18 minute
talk with a tale of how someone who accused her of being rich and therefore not
in touch with the poor people’s plight would later become her press officer and
co-worker on a few people oriented programs.
Then Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in his impeccably tailored safari
and usual humility would take the stage, give a stimulating talk on overcoming
the fear of vested interests, talk about his experience with firing bank chiefs
and how everyone was sure he would loose his job and/or life immediately
afterwards.
He would speak of a certain female bank chief and Usher in
her local church who stole more than a billion dollars and owned more than 200 choice
properties in Dubai. A male bank chief and pastor of his local church who was
handed over to the EFCC for prosecution and was mandated to pay back about
N47.1bn in looted funds, with the intervention of some Northern leaders he was
eventually discharged of all liabilities- At this point, I thought to myself,
if you have any thoughts that suggest that a woman cannot out perform a man, just
look to the story of the female bank chief.
He would quote really gory statistics and warn that if we do
not demand change for fear of loosing security, we should know that in a matter
of time, we surely would loose the same security we seek to preserve.
The MC who at this point sounded more like a bearer of bad
news to me would announce that Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai was not going to
come.
Simeon Ononubi who is CEO YouWin and has found start-ups
since he was 16 would give a talk on business innovation, he would tell his
experience with starting ‘Back Up My Phone’ with as little as a hundred
dollars, only to sell the application a few months later for about Twenty
thousand dollars. He would also talk of ‘Simple Pay’- Nigeria’s equivalent of
Pay Pal. His talk was easy flowing, sensible, nice. I remember leaving the
venue with new found respect for the man.
Nasir K Mohammed who was Secretary General to the ‘Nigerian Model
UN’ and is just as impressive with his qualifications spoke on Entrepreneurship.
Bright Jaja followed with the story of ReDance Africa and how the organization
he founded with very modest expectations has grown beyond all he thought.
Fatima Dansamaila talked on youths in sustainable development and Engineer and
dedicated blogger, Okechukwu Ofilli who also is creator of the Okada books
application would give a very lively talk on innovation.
In the end, despite its flaws, it would do what a TED talk
should do: there was a richness and abundance of ideas exchanged amongst
speakers and participants that is bound to see anyone walk away with one or two
of his or her own ideas. Personally, the event would leave me inspired,
motivated and with zeal to go break barriers, be the best I can be.
