Journal Updates

February 6-February 26, 2008

Hi all! At the request of some I’ve decided to make blog entries a little less formal and more personal. In doing so I ask that all reading this, take what I’m saying as a reference and just ONE of MANY perspectives on experiences in Nigeria. In all things are going quite well with the usual ups and downs that can be expected in studying and attempting to engage in development work outside of one’s country. “Patience is a virtue” and one that MUST be balanced with Productivity.

On a more serious note, there have been a series of robberies throughout the area that have resulted in several injuries. Two of which were close to me. The first was as CEDAR staff and friends were returning from a former staff members’ wedding in Lagos. Along the highway, armed men robbed a series of gas station attendants, firing bullets in the air to scare patrons, which sent throngs of people out of their vehicles and into the fields/bushes to hide until the coast was clear. Some sustained minor injuries and lost valuables in the scuffle, but thank goodness the group we travelled with were not seriously harmed. Following this incident, while in Abuja last Wednesday, we were contacted by my host’s family that the house across from theirs’ was being robbed and that several gunshots had been fired. Family members requested that we contact the police and on not knowing whether or not the robbers were in the house, we were asked not to phone house members as this might agitate the robbers. We were frantic to say the least and after hearing that the family was ok and sustained no injuries I was relieved. However, we later found out that the neighbour was shot 5 times and his wife too sustained various injuries. But to my relief both wife and husband are ok. The issue of security then, becomes an issue and concern for community residents and visitors alike. I made an informed decision to travel to Nigeria, not being naive to the dangers, but maybe unaware of emergency responses. While I am very much thankful to my host family and agency staff for the measures they’ve taken so far, with regard to my welfare, during times similar to the above mentioned, having little control over my protection and welfare can be discomforting. But I have taken mental notes of these events and have learned/developed ways to respond to these emergencies and use them to inform my future work. So I’ve continued with my internship in Nigeria and have continued to make connections between the community and the issue of youth unemployment.

During a church service I attended this past Sunday, the pastor spoke on the importance of knowledge and using one’s knowledge and expertise for the betterment of Nigeria (the World). He spoke of the solutions to Nigeria’s dilemmas lying with the people of Nigeria. He spoke of “being the light of one’s family, one’s office, one’s community, one’s local government, and one’s national government.” He talked about honesty and integrity, having good work ethic, and setting good examples for others.” He highlighted the importance of prayer, COMBINED with ACTION and the vital role of the church in spearheading these efforts. I really enjoyed this sermon and felt it was applicable from a Nigerian and International context. Just prior to this sermon he presented 4 program concepts he’s interested in engaging church/community members in implementing. These programs included:

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  The Entrepreneur – includes trainings, networking, and competitions for those interested in starting a small business
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  Jazz – includes music presentations and talent showcase
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  Ideas Bridge – includes the formalization and documentation of development solutions to be presented to local and national government officials
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  Take Your Mountain – includes trainings and engagement in advocacy initiatives

The presentation of programs was so TIMELY, as each endeavoured to engage not only the congregation, but Nigerians from all ethic/political/geographic groups in Nigeria’s improvement efforts. Additionally, these programs, particularly the entrepreneur program, are directly in line with my ongoing work.

As my internship focus is on the issue of youth unemployment I’ve continued to gather information related to the subject and have conducted several stakeholder interviews with University students from public and private institutions and focus group discussions with 2 senior secondary high schools. In summary, majority of the University Students interviewed were generally satisfied with their education, but concerned about employment prospects following graduation. They felt that their Universities did not provide them adequate training/networking opportunities for employment in their field of study. However, those interviewed from Covenant University, where entrepreneurship courses are required for each year of undergraduate study, were already engaged in small-scale entrepreneurship activities, and felt somewhat more prepared for formal employment and entrepreneurship. With regard to urban migration/brain drain most felt that if infrastructure improvements (road, technology, communication, employment, education, etc.) and access to these improvements would encourage them to remain in the Village and/or Nigeria. Focus groups conducted with senior secondary student yielded similar responses, with the students noting that future employment depended mainly on “familial connections” above “merit” and their perception that the employment sector could not accommodate the population size. Most students aspired to attend a University and hoped to own their own business because they perceived that this provided more employment security.

Both groups spoke of the importance of entrepreneurship and gave suggestions for programming that provided skills development and training on how to start, maintain, and sustain a business. They expressed an interest in a youth enterprise development program and noted the importance of defining “youth,” which include ages below 18 and above 30.

So thus far it appears that the development of an employment program that includes both working for others and working for ones’ self is a great idea and one that should be pursed. Hopefully time and resources will allow for this vision to become reality! Follow-ups with the agencies I met with three weeks ago are taking place. In the meantime, I am pursuing small-scale personal interests in product exports, mainly music and clothing materials. I’d like to be able to speak from experience on enterprise development. How can I encourage entrepreneurship if I’m not an entrepreneur myself? EXACTLY!

Until next time,
Sudie