GOTNI presents The Emerging Leaders Conference 2011

Envision the possibilities that can happen when 1000 of very influential young leaders who are making a difference in their communities, establishments, organizations and states gather at the Emerging Leaders Conference to set an agenda for our nation and chart a new course for value orientation and attitudinal change in governance.


1000 EMERGING LEADERS CONFERENCE
ABUJA - 2011


Theme: Leadership for Transformation: Thinking beyond the boundaries


Date: 17th & 18th November 2011
Venue: Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja


To participate simply send a mail to gotning@gmail.com on why you deserve a seat at the conference then check out the criteria for participation:

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION

 Must be under 45 years of age
 Must be a Nigerian
 Must believe in Nigeria and desire a transformed and better Nigeria
 Must be professionally engaged in a public or private institution
 Must be already making recognizable positive impact in his/her area of endeavour
 Must have achieved a name recognition in his/her place of work, State or the Nation.
 Must show achievements in his/her profile
 Must be nominated by self (if self employed), family, institution, State, Local government or Constituency.
 Must be a person of good conduct and integrity

In moving the GOTNI cause forward, the President of the Guardians Of The Nation International (GOTNI) led a delegation of Members of the Board to visit the immediate past president of Ghana, President John Kuffour to intimate him on the activities of grooming young leaders and to seek for strategic partnership in driving the vision of leadership development across Africa.

This was in his home in Accra, Ghana in July 2011.

Linus Okorie handing over the GOTNI package to President John Kuffour of Ghana

President John Kuffour with a member of the Board (GOTNI),
Arc. Ezekiel Nya Etok

A presidential handshake for Linus Okorie with 

Arc. Ezekiel and Mr. Sylvester Ebhodaghe, Editor-in-Chief of National Daily Newspaper, 

Nigeria standing by.

The Delegation

In a tete-a-tete with the former President of Ghana

The Media setup

President John Kuffour articulating
his commitment to leadership development in Africa

Wow!!, a book gift from Mr. Linus Okorie to President John Kuffour

In great admiration of the book "Scoring in the Red Zone" by Spencer Tillman

GOTNI President, signing a goodwill message on the book gift

Setting an Agenda for Youth Development in Nigeria: A Report on the Retreat by the Federal Ministry Of Youth Development

Jenny Chisom & Terkuma Ivande

16 Aug. 2011

As part of the quest to relieve our nation of highly talented but indolent young people, there has been a rendezvous of planning sessions for execution where emerging leaders with young minded Nigerians gathered to craft a workable agenda towards youth development in Abuja recently.

The retreat organized by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, tagged “YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA’’ which held from the 4^th – 6^th August 2011 at Nicon Luxury Abuja had in attendance the GOTNI president, Mr. Linus Okorie as he contributed to the discussion and resolve to empower young Nigerians in this administration through his goodwill message as a representative of the Civil society organizations/ NGOs.

Cross section of participants:
From left, The Hon. Minister, Bola Abdullahi, Linus Okorie, Frank Nweke Jr. & Fela Durotoye

The deliberations during the retreat covered areas like job creation opportunities, entrepreneurship funding and youth empowerment schemes that can uplift our national economy. The objectives were clearly to develop strategies for making the ministry of youth development a major driver of the transformation agenda through ensuring effective delivery of skills acquisition on all levels of government, designing major advocacy programmes that drive youth development by mobilizing all relevant stakeholders to scale up investment and participation in the sector. The deliverables also included developing a process for a clear measurable multi-sectoral operational plan for youth employment and also build cohesion and synergy amongst stakeholders.

Deliberations going on

Top on the list of participants were the able Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alh. Baba Umar Faruk, Mr. Fela Durotoye of Visible Impact, Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa of the  World Bank, Head of Service boss Prof. O.A Afolabi, Frank Nweke Jnr, and other great youth representatives.

The Minister for Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi & Linus Okorie

It was on this note also that the Minister of Youth development, made it clear that the ministry would not host any programmes for Nigerian youth but would co-host it with youth organizations in all the geopolitical zones to make for even representation of young people all over the nation. 

Linus & Hassan Rilwan

 The ministry headed by the Hon. Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi has indeed shown great commitment to youth development as not just paying lip service.

Linus and Frank Nweke jr.

For the foregoing, it is clear that the minister is an answered prayer to the teeming population of young people who are capable of engaging their minds and strength to not only make a living but to uplift our national economy. It seems the days of gloom are over for industrious young Nigerians as the Minister has set the pace and there’s indeed no going back.

Forget the past, focus on the future!

The Leadership Clinic(14th August 2011) Decision Making: The Responsiblity of leadership

Decision Making: The Responsibility of Leadership

The first major step to being useful in life is to debate on what you want. What you want must not be based on what you studied but rather what you have passion for.
What you want to do may be kicked against by people but if you stick to it, they will soon come over to your side. So you need audacity, confidence and deepened skill to stay on course especially as a leader.

Hon. Linus Okorie said..

Building followership is also critical to building leadership. Your followers determine the decisions you make. Make decisions you will be responsible for.
Political leadership must be viewed as a tool for service and not as poverty alleviation vehicle. Therefore put up a structure that can sustain you in and out of office because no hungry man can resist temptation for long.

Another eminent Nigerian was there, Ms Thelma Ekiyor, Executive Director TY Danjuma Foundation, and she shared this...

Be willing to go through the process
Be Unique
Follow your passion
Be a leader from where you are, don't wait for positions.
Women must make the extra efforts to be outstanding and take up leadership roles
Our schools groom exam takers not leaders, so you find avenues to groom your leadership capital such as GOTNI provides

Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor had this to say...

Ideas rule the world. Rather than waiting for Jobs, begin now. Think you own ideas, write that business plan.
 Our leaders are exact reflection of ourselves. Until we change or be the change we want, our leaders will always be the same.

Dr. Ejike Orji advised and asked...

Begin to do your strategic vision exercise.

Ask yourself, “In 5 years, where do I want be”? “What space do I want to occupy”?

 Meet the Panelists...

Participants networked 

Protocol was elegant

I guess you can acknowledge that we've got hope as a nation...Come on board let's build.

Prof. Pat Utomi and Mr. Frank Nweke Jr endorse GOTNI

Prof Pat Utomi (Director, Lagos Business School)
GOTNI, on whose board I have served for a couple of years now has been on the vanguard of executing leadership development programmes around the country. I wish to express my appreciation to Linus Okorie for the foresight and concern for an issue that is so fundamental to sustainable development in Nigeria.

      Frank Nweke Jr, Director- General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group
 It is my belief that GOTNI's programmes will compliment the efforts of the NESG's Policy Commission on Human capital development in the area of grooming a new set of leaders that have the potential to move the Nigerian nation forward.

                                                                                

                                                                                

See who endorsed GOTNI

I therefore consider the invitation to serve on the advisory board of GOTNI a very high compliment. I assure you that I will do my best to contribute to the vision, goals and objectives of your organization.

Dr Myles Munroe 

(President, International Third World Leaders Association)

GOTNI programmes reflect the goals of the re-branding project by the Federal government of Nigeria as it should develop transformational leaders among Nigerians of which the youths are a significant and critical part. The Ministry commends this laudable initiative and invites the good people of Nigeria to buy into and support.

Prof Dora Akunyili OFR - (Former Minister of Information and Communications

When Linus met me and we spoke, I was more than convinced that the youths of this nation have a future. GOTNI has been leading the change in our nation. I thank Linus Okorie and want to use him as a point of contact to encourage other youths to emulate what he is doing.

Sen. Olasunkanmi Akinlabi (Former Hon Minister of Youth development) 

GOTNI is Nigeria's foremost youth leadership development initiative. 

I intend to remain faithful to GOTNI and what GOTNI stands for. 

In a multitude of voices heralding change and a rebirth of a new order in Nigeria, I find GOTNI outstanding in its sense of vision, passion and commitment to our generational task of evolving a new Nigeria.

Mr Gamaliel Onosode OFR (Mr Integrity)

What Prof John Adair (1st Professor of Leadership in the world and Chairman, UN Strategic Leadership Programme) said about GOTNI

 The success of the next 50 years of Nigeria depends on leadership, 

not just at the top but at every level and part of life of Nigerians. It is hard to change

 organization or nations but you can change individuals. Linus Okorie's work 

on leadership development is a reflective and thought- provoking challenge 

to Nigeria to develop the' good leaders and the leaders for good' at all levels 

and in all fields that the country so urgently needs to develop 

if it is to fulfill its God-given destiny to be one the world's leading nations.

(C) 2010

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It's the August outing of the Leadership clinic: An Invitation

The stage is set for yet another Leadership Clinic...

Its sheduled to hold this Sunday 14th august 2011 at Reiz continental Hotel

Central Area, Abuja. 4.30pm

The Guardians of the Nation take a stand

The Guardians of the Nation  International (GOTNI), a youth leadership organization have advised the government to take grooming of young Nigerian leaders seriously as the future of Nigeria depends on it. This was put across to the nation after an emergency meeting of GOTNI members on the way forward in Abuja recently.

GOTNI which has been at the front burners of grooming young leaders for over 12 years, has also been hosting a monthly leadership development programme in Abuja called "The GOTNI Leadership Clinic" amidst its other leadership advocacy brands across different strata of Nigeria.

The GOTNI President, Mr. Linus Okorie has made it clear that the deficit of leadership capital has robbed our nation of the several opportunities to better the lives of its citizens and emerge the giant of Africa occupying its rightful place in the commonwealth of nations.

It’s imperative for the government of the day therefore to implement leadership benefits by embracing integrity, courage, knowledge of the people’s needs amongst others to be able to lead the nation aright.

GOTNI puts forth that a great leader should have leaders as followers for when followers are leaders too in their sphere of influence, only then can a great nation emerge.

The GOTNI leadership clinic which has emboldened several young people in the FCT since Jan 2011 is a great step in the right direction. The GOTNI Leadership Clinic  for the month of August holds on the 14th by 5pm - 7pm prompt. Its a great avenue for networking of young people who are taught basic practicable elements of leading in their affairs and being inspired patriotic followers who would uphold the peace, unity and progress  as is in the Nigeria coat of arm.


Jenny Chisom - Abuja

Young people taking responsibility