Business
Business Leaders Guide Youth on Turning Passion into Profit at Stanbic IBTC’s YLS
Business Leaders Guide Youth on Turning Passion into Profit at Stanbic IBTC’s YLS
Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Nigeria’s leading end-to-end financial services organisation, held the 2021 edition of its Youth Leadership Series (YLS) on Thursday, 08 April 2021. The event held virtually this year due to the pandemic. Youths from across Nigeria and various parts of the world including the UK, USA and UAE were in attendance.
Dr Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, delivered the opening address. He stated that the YLS was birthed as an avenue to engage and empower young Nigerians into becoming future business leaders. He pointed that the youth made up over 50 percent of Nigeria’s population. Dr Sogunle asserted that the organisation remained committed to the vision of grooming young Nigerians and providing guidance in order to become successful in every sphere of life.
He said, “The Nigerian youth require support, guidance and empowerment to propel them to the pinnacle of their various fields. The innovative projects and tech disruptions championed by the youth in virtually every sector are proof of their ingenuity, skill, brilliance and resourcefulness. At Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, we believe in breaking boundaries, hence our tagline, IT CAN BE, which is hinged upon the premise that everything is possible as long as we are dedicated and put in the requisite effort to make it work.”
The 2021 edition of YLS was themed ‘WINNING’ and had an array of well-versed speakers in the areas of trading and investments, building businesses and monetising with social media. These speakers shared their invaluable entrepreneurial experiences, challenges and success stories in three (3) breakout sessions, much to the delight and admiration of the youthful audience in attendance.
Debo Adebayo; an entertainer better known as Mr. Macaroni, spoke during the ‘Winning with Social Media’ breakout session. He said his passion and urge to succeed propelled him into the business of entertainment. He added that having realised he wanted more visibility; he invested in himself from his meagre resources.
He advised youths to be passionate about their cause, and added that with passion, resilience could be sustained in the face of debilitating challenges.
Ms. Ifedayo Agoro, the founder of Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG), an online lifestyle website, revealed that the need to be heard and give women a voice made her leave a thriving career in the oil and gas industry and started her online community. She noted that although she did well in her career, she was unhappy until she found fulfilment with DANG.
She said the first six months were not encouraging as many people didn’t really understand her vision, but she kept at it. “Winning doesn’t only involve consistency, it also involves constantly adapting to change”, she added.
At the ‘Winning with Entrepreneurship’ breakout session, the duo of Olumide Soyombo, co-Founder, Bluechip Technologies and Tracy Batta, co-Founder, Smoothie Express addressed business strategic moves, that included the rudiments of nurturing businesses. The panellists shared their experiences and entrepreneurship journeys with the participants.
Soyombo alluded that it was common to encounter challenges and uncertainty with business start-ups and advised entrepreneurs to remain flexible and well adapted to the ever-changing business climate.
On ‘Winning with Investments’, Akin Bamidele Akintola, Head of Equity Sales, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers, emphasised the need to make adequate preparations for the future. He explained that it was better to save in investments such as stocks and mutual funds, as the economy was largely unpredictable.
Co-founder of Bamboo Invest, an investment platform that allows Nigerians to invest in United States stocks, Yanmo Omorogbe said her major challenge was getting funding and investors before the pandemic. She advised people to believe in themselves, improve pitching skills and be persistent. She also stated that when entering any investment business, it was important to know the regulators.
As Wole Adeniyi, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, gave his closing remarks, he assured thousands of the participants at the event that Stanbic IBTC would continue to make productive investments in the lives of the younger generation, as well as providing the needed financial solutions that would help them achieve their dreams.
The general takeaway from this year’s YLS was that consistency, passion, self-development and value-addition remained essential ingredients for winning.
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation opens applications for 6th Cohort Programme
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the sixth cohort of its transformative AIG Public Leaders Programme (AIG PLP).
This flagship six-month executive education initiative, delivered by the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, is designed to empower high-potential public sector leaders across Africa with the tools, networks, and strategic insight required to deliver meaningful reform across African public institutions.
Applications are now open to qualified public servants from all English-speaking African countries and will close on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The programme commences in October 2026.
Since its inception in 2021, the AIG PLP has built a formidable reputation for creating tangible impact.
Alumni from the programme have gone on to design and implement more than 230 reform projects within their ministries, departments, and agencies across Africa.
An impact survey revealed that 62% of alumni have earned promotions or assumed expanded leadership roles post-training, demonstrating the programme’s direct effect on career advancement and institutional influence.
“Across Africa, the complexity of public sector challenges demands more than good intentions. It requires reformers who understand systems, can navigate institutional realities, and are equipped to implement sustainable change.
The AIG PLP is designed to meet this need,” said Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice-Chair of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
As part of the programme, a PLP alumna, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of Lagos State DSVA, launched a secure self-reporting tool that allows survivors of domestic and sexual abuse safely document incidents and preserve evidence.
Survivors are already accessing support, and the tool ensures that crucial proof is protected until justice can be sought. This is one of over 230 impactful reform projects being implemented across sectors as diverse as healthcare, finance, agriculture, and education.
We are seeing proof every day that investing in the capacity and leadership potential of people, delivers the kind of transformation that policy alone cannot achieve.”
The AIG PLP is a blended learning experience that combines online sessions with an intensive residential module.
It is offered at no cost to selected participants, with the Foundation covering all costs of the programme including accommodation and feeding during the residential weeks.
Participants gain direct access to world-class faculty from the University of Oxford, and learn to tackle core public sector challenges such as: Negotiating in the public interest. Harnessing digital technology for governance.
Strengthening public organisations.
Upholding integrity in public life.
The curriculum culminates in a capstone reform project, where participants apply their new skills to a real-world challenge within their institution.
This practical component ensures that learning translates directly into actionable solutions.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply early. For more details on the application process and to apply, please visit the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation website.
Renewed Hope Ambassadors Inspect RHA Secretariat
Renewed Hope Ambassadors, led by its Director-General and the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, alongside Zonal Coordinators (NW, NC, SE), the Media & Publicity Directorate, and other key stakeholders, inspected the RHA Secretariat two days after President Bola Tinubu unveiled the Renewed Hope Ambassadors grassroots engagement drive in Abuja.
Harmony Gardens’ Ibeju-Lekki Portfolio Crosses $1bn
Harmony Garden & Estate Development Limited has expanded its development activities across Ibeju-Lekki, pushing the projected long-term value of its estate portfolio beyond $1 billion.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Hon. Dr. Audullahi Saheed Mosadoluwa, popularly know Saheed Ibile, the company is developing seven estates within the Lekki–Ibeju corridor. Details available on Harmony Garden & Estate Development show a portfolio spanning land assets and ongoing residential construction across key growth locations.
A major component is Lekki Aviation Town, where urban living meets neighborhood charm, located near the proposed Lekki International Airport and valued internally at over $250 million. The development forms part of the company’s broader phased expansion strategy within the axis.
Other estates in the corridor tagged as the “Citadel of Joy” (Ogba-idunnu) include Granville Estate, Majestic Bay Estate, The Parliament Phase I & II, and Harmony Casa Phase I & II.
With multiple projects active, the rollout of the Ibile Traditional Mortgage System, and structured expansion underway, Harmony Garden & Estate Development Ltd continues to deepen its presence within the fast-growing Ibeju-Lekki real estate market.
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